Timo Maas (born July 27, 1969) is a German DJ/ producer and

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

er. His remix of Azzido Da Bass's single " Dooms Night" helped launch his career in 2000. In its wake, he also released ''Music for the Maases Volume 1'', a mix album consisting of many of his previous tracks and remixes. After another mix album called ''Connected'' for Paul Oakenfold's imprint Perfecto, Maas released his own debut studio album ''Loud'' in 2002. The album was produced by German dance music producer Martin Buttrich (also known for his work with Loco Dice), and featured guest appearances from

Kelis Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended Manhattan, New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Ch ...

Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...

and

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Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a British-American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo (band), Placebo. He is known for his nasal voice and high registered vocals, feminine/androgynous appearance ...

. In a career spanning over 30 years, Maas has been collaborated with and remixed many artists such as

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

, Finley Quaye,

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...

Garbage Garbage, trash (American English), rubbish (British English), or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or ...

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...

Moloko Moloko () were an English-Irish electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and music producer, producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their ...

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, Roger Sanchez and

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

. In 2016, Maas and his producing partner James Teej, received a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nomination (the second in Maas's career) for their work on

& Wings' track " Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five". In 2008, Maas launched his own record label called Rockets & Ponies releasing productions from artists such as Wolfgang Haffner,

Ricardo Villalobos Ricardo Villalobos (born 6 August 1970) is a Chilean-born German electronic music producer and DJ. He is well known for his work in the minimal techno and microhouse genres, and is one of the most significant figures in the minimal techno scene. ...

, Maetrik, Nightmares on Wax and Addison Groove. In addition to his productions, Maas has been a longtime DJ, having been a resident at the legendary

Ibiza Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...

nightclub DC10 for over 15 years and having also played in clubs such as Ushuaia, The End, Twilo, Tresor, Tunnelabc
"Timo Maas Playlist"
"abc". and many more.

Career

Early years (1982–1998)

Maas bought his first set of turntables at the age of 17,Potts, Diana " Timo Maas Biography,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved 2010-11-06 and played his very first DJ set in 1982 at a party in his friend's home. The beginning of his career consisted mostly of gigs around Germany playing "top 40" records with the occasional

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

record sneaked in, but it was to be another 6 years from his debut DJ performance before he would perform his first official all-techno set. In 1992, Maas was introduced to the early German

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

scene, and he went on to DJ at many different rave events both in Germany and elsewhere, earning a name in the electronic underground scene. Maas' first record, "The Final XS", was released in 1995. His second record release, "Die Herdplatte", was a collaboration with another producer, Gary D, which was a bigger success than his first. Gary D also gained Maas a residency at Hamburg's famous club The Tunnel, between 1994 and 1996. Through his British contact Leon Alexander, Maas played at the

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

club Lakota and held a residency there for three years. Maas also began to release records through record labels such as Hope Recordings, both under his own name and the alias, Orinoko, arguably the biggest record of which was titled "Mama Konda". The track received wide support from DJs including Sasha, Carl Cox and Morales and reached the top 20 in both the UK and US charts. Maas has also recorded under many aliases such as Mad Dogs among others together with his manager and friend Leon Alexander. In 2000, Maas began a residency alongside Deep Dish at the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

club, Twilo.

"Doom's Night", ''Loud'' and ''Pictures'' (1999–2005)

A turning point in Maas's career was remixing Azzido Da Bass's 1999 single " Doom's Night". Co-remixed with Martin Buttrich in a 3-hour session after Azzido Da Bass rejected their first attempt, it reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and sold over half a million copies worldwide. Following that, Maas decided to release a compilation CD containing only tracks produced or remixed by him, titled ''Music for the Maases'', and having the remix of "Doom's Night" as its opening track. The compilation also features a remix for

's "

Sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin tha ...

" and has said to have been put together with the American audiences in mind. In 2001, Maas and Buttrich started working on Maas's debut album, which saw its release in 2002 on Paul Oakenfold's label Perfecto, and was titled ''Loud''. It was generally well-received, averaging at 71 (out of 100) on Metacritic. The first track, "Help Me", features vocals by

and also contains a sample of the title music from '' The Day the Earth Stood Still'', composed by Bernard Hermann. The album features other guest performers such as MC Chickaboo, Martin Bettinghaus, and Finley Quaye. The 10th track on the album, " To Get Down", has been used in several film soundtracks and other mediums such as the 2003 remake of ''The Italian Job'', ''Riders'' (now known as ''Steal'') in 2002, a

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. Budweiser is a filte ...

beer commercial and the ''FIFA 2003'' video game. Maas has described his debut album as forward-thinking, bridging the gap between electronic and mainstream music: "It's not just about bringing dance music to a wider audience. I see the whole thing as something very open-minded. You hope alternative rock and dance can come together, and I think it's going to be really good." Maas and Buttrich continued to do remix work, most notably remixing

' track "Don't Make Me Come to Vegas", off her 2003 album ''Scarlet's Walk''. The track was nominated for the 2004

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

in the non-classical remixed recording category. The same year, Maas also remixed the

track " Enjoy the Silence".Artistsdirect
"Timo Maas Bio"
"Artists Direct". In 2005, Maas released his second studio album, titled ''Pictures'' on

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

's sub-label Hope Recordings. It was co-produced with Martin Buttrich over a two-year period in their studio in

Hannover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

. The album featured many artist collaborations such as

and

lead singer

Balance compilation, residency at DC10 and ''Lifer'' (2005–2013)

Over the coming years after their 2005 LP ''Pictures'', Timo Maas and Martin Buttrich continued to work together on various projects, but ultimately the pair's musical direction went amicably in different directions.ResidentAdvisor
"Timo Maas: Enjoy The Music"
"Resident Advisor". Maas met his next production partner Santos in 2007 at a gig in Rome. Together they formed a new alias called Mutant Clan, under which they proceeded to release several releases, as well as put together a double CD compilation for the acclaimed Balance Mix Series in 2010. The pair worked on sourcing the tracks, recording special edits and track-listing for four months. The same year, Maas also started his label, originally in partnership with Santos, called 'Rockets & Ponies", which received support from the likes of

, Carl Cox and Tiesto. 2013 saw the release of Timo's third artist album, titled ''Lifer'', on his Rockets & Ponies imprint. True to Maas's manner, it featured cameos from different artists such as Katie Cruel, James Lavelle of

Unkle Unkle (often stylised as U.N.K.L.E. or UNKLE, occasionally known as UNKLE Sounds) is a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorised as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a ...

and a return by Maas's longtime friend

. For Lavelle, this was the only vocal outside of

that he had ever done. On working with Katie Cruel, Maas claimed to have been touched by the soul and emotion of her voice. Of the album and working Santos, Maas has said: "I really like working with Santos, as we both inspire each other a lot and we are trying to push boundaries on a constant basis. The album 'Lifer' is one of the results of this vibe." Over the next few years, Timo proceeded to release more singles. Following the release of his track "Dancing for My Pleasure" on the Canadian electronic music label My Favorite Robot, Timo proceeded to do a mix for their compilation series titled ‘Crossing Wires 002’ containing mostly unreleased material from other producers., The release was followed by a North-American tour by the same name in 2014. The same year, Timo was commissioned to do a remix for Morcheeba’s "Make Believer" followed by a collaborative remix work on Róisín Murphy’s "Jealousy" with one-third of My Favorite Robot, James Teej, in 2015. Maas and Teej continued their collaborative partnership with a release on Crosstown Rebels' sub-label Rebellion called ‘Thingzz’. Aside from his release-work, Timo has also been a resident at the legendary

nightclub DC10 (nightclub), having played his first show there in 2001. Maas has said that it is the only club in the world where he can be himself and express his vision and he has called it the most original and unique experience one can have when going to the island.

"Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" (2016–present)

In 2009 Maas and his agent, David Levy, had a listening session in

playing each other different tracks that they liked. Timo heard the original

Paul McCartney and Wings Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, was a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in 1971 in London by former The Beatles, Beatle Paul McCartney; his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards; session drummer Denny Seiwell; a ...

track played to him by Levy and expressed his wish to get the stems for the track. David Levy, through his connections to McCartney's management, delivered the studio session, complete with all the stems, to Maas.Billboar
"Mystery 1985 Revealed"
"Billboard". Over the proceeding few months, Maas tried working on the stems with different people after a while the project went back on the shelf. It was only a few years later when Maas played the unfinished work to his good friend and My Favorite Robot label head James Teej that the pair felt they could do something with it. The duo spent a week listening to different parts and working intensely on the track until it was finished. The track was sent to McCartney's team from whom it got the approval for release. What followed was a marketing strategy generated by Maas's management that saw the vinyl being released as an unknown white label with only

's face stamped on it on the Phonica Records website. The vinyl-run was limited and sold out in a few hours, having its prices soar to upwards $400 on

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

and other websites and going #1 on Phonica Records’ website. There was some speculation whether the vinyl was officially sanctioned by McCartney himself, but it eventually got conclusive proof on its origins. The story of its overnight success got quickly picked up by major publications such as '' i-D'', ''Billboard'', ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'', ''Rolling Stone Germany'', and '' Clash Magazine''. The track was positively received and played by many industry heavyweights such as

Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...

, Annie Mac, Seth Troxler and Damian Lazarus. The inspiration behind the remix was to come up with a modern take of a classic song with respect to the original, with more emphasis on the bass and reinforcing McCartney's blues-inspired vocals. The record got its official release on

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

in June 2016, followed by a remix package featuring versions from Paul Woolford,

Kerri Chandler Kerri Camar Chandler (born September 28, 1969) is an American DJ and record producer. He has been dubbed a pioneer within house music, a genre in which he has an "eclectic brand". Biography Chandler's influences go back to New Jersey, growing up ...

and Tim Green. The official video features clips of McCartney performing the original track in the 1970s, as well as two young dancers performing an intricate choreography interpreting the lyrics and theme of the song. The video was directed by

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-based Can Evgin and choreographer by Aaron Sillis, noted for his work with

FKA Twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musica ...

and MIA. In December 2016, it was announced that Maas's and Teej's remix had been nominated at the 59th

in the best remix category.

Influences

Maas has cited early 1980s music with a lot of funk, soul and disco as well as

Jean Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompan ...

and his albums ''

Oxygène ''Oxygène'' (, ) is the third studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. It was first released in France in December 1976 by Disques Motors, and distributed internationally in 1977 by Polydor Records. Jarre recor ...

'', '' Equinoxe'', and ''Magnetic Fields'' as early influences on him. He has also claimed to be influenced by James Lavelle and is a fan of old-school rock such as

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

and

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums, percussion). Th ...

as well as newer rock musicians such as Lenny Kravitz.Resident Advisor
"Timo Maas: Enjoy The Music"
"Resident Advisor".

Discography

Albums

Compilations and DJ mixes

*''DJ Mix Vol.2'' (Perfecto CDr) *''XFade Master Mix Vol. 4: Hope Recordings'' (1999) *'' Music for the Maases'' (2000) *''Connected – Perfecto Presents… Timo Maas'' (2001) *''Music for the Maases 2'' (2003) *''Don't Look Back'' (2005) *''Born to Funk'' (2005) *''Return of the Legend'' (2009) *''Balance 17'' (2010)

Singles

Selected remixes

* Azzido Da Bass – " Dooms Night" * Roger Sanchez featuring

Sharleen Spiteri Sharleen Eugene Spiteri (born 7 November 1967) is a Scottish singer–songwriter and guitarist who has a contralto vocal range, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Texas (band), Texas, who rose to prominence in 1989 with the release ...

– "Nothing 2 Prove" *

– " Enjoy the Silence 04", "

Personal Jesus "Personal Jesus" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, '' Violator'' (1990), in 1989. It reached 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 28 on the US ''B ...

" *

– "Star 69" *

– " Breaking Up the Girl" *

– " Feels Just Like It Should" *

– " Young, Fresh n' New" *

– " Don't Tell Me" *

– " We Are All Made of Stars" *

– "

" *Novy & Eniac – "Pumpin'" *

– " Familiar Feeling" *

– " Special K" *

– " Don't Make Me Come to Vegas" *Tim Green – "Monomania" (2013) *Katie Cruel – "City City" (2013) *Microbots – "Cosmic Evolution" (2013) *James Teej – "Liking Your Disorder" (2013) *Johnny Mikes, Michael B – "Darkness Everyday" (2013) * Santos – "Pump It Up – Timo Maas Dub" (2013) *Santos – "Pump It Up – Timo Maas Vocal" (2013) *Kramnik – "Mongolium" (2012) *Lambda – "New York" (2012) *Green Court – "Follow Me" (2012) *Green Velvet – "Flash" (2011) *Green Velvet – "Flash – Dirty Dub Mix" (2011) * Infected Mushroom – "Smashing the Opponent" (2009) * Paganini Traxx – "Zoe" (2009) *Behrouz, Andy Chatterley – "Lost in Translation" (2009) *Starecase – "See" (2002) *Haktan ONal – "Subfreakie" (2002) * BT – "Never Gonna Come Back Down" (2001) *Jamie Anderson – "Expressions" (1998)

Appearances in media

Maas's track " To Get Down" has been widely used in movie soundtracks such as the 2003 remake of ''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy Caper story, caper film written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson (film director), Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres ...

'', '' Riders'' (now known as ''Steal'') in 2002, as well as other mediums such as the video game '' FIFA Football 2003'', and a

beer commercial. Another of his tracks, "Unite", appears in the '' FIFA 2004'' soundtrack. A remix of the "Neighbourhood" screen music is credited to him on the video game '' The Sims 2: Nightlife'', whilst the video game ''Wipeout Fusion'' uses the song "Old School Vibes" from the album ''Loud''. '' Burnout Revenge'' used the

General Midi General MIDI (also known as GM or GM 1) is a standardized specification for electronic musical instruments that respond to MIDI messages. GM was developed by the American MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the Japan MIDI Standards Commi ...

remix of "First Day" for the game's EA Trax.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maas, Timo 1969 births Living people Breakbeat musicians German remixers German club DJs Musicians from Hanover German people of Dutch descent German electronic dance music DJs