Old souls often lament of being born in the wrong era, their spirits yearning for days long past. Alle Farben may live in the modern world, but his colorful existence is Renaissance-inspired. An artist, a baker, and a musician, Farben’s virtuosity is reminiscent of a time when claiming the identity of “artist” far exceeded the boundaries of mastering a single craft. His passion for music is only one aspect of a greater appreciation for all things imaginative, and his life story serves as a testament to his intrinsically creative soul.
A connoisseur of the finer things in life, Frans Zimmer, better known by his DJ moniker Alle Farben, is an artist with incredible depth. Prior to producing music, the young Berliner dreamed of studying art, but his aspirations took on new forms when his neighbor introduced him to electronic music. Like many musicians, Farben’s lifelong fervor for the arts fueled his budding craft, so much so he adopted the performing alias, “Hundert Farben,” meaning “hundred colors” in English, to pay tribute to his favorite artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It was only after becoming familiar with his own vibrant sound that Farben felt the desire to go in a different direction.
I changed my name to ‘Alle Farben,’ literally ‘All Colors’– and that was the best that I could do. It fits my performance, and my music feels better than ever. I don’t stick to just one genre, but I mix different sounds and styles of music and combine it to something new. My music is colorful – I play ‘all colors.’
Farben’s big break came after playing a show at the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, an event which was expected to draw around 10,000 attendees. When over three times that number showed up, the career of Alle Farben changed in an instant.
That gig was one of the most amazing, most inspiring gigs that I have played so far. My agency promoted the event on the 1st of May, which is a holiday in Germany, and planned to have 5,000 to 10,000 visitors. In the end more than 35,000 people came to dance during my set. I realized that something unique happened that day, and that I could count myself lucky for being in the right place at the right time. The months after, I went to the studio to record my last EP before my album Synesthesia, which I called ‘Tempelhof,’ as a tribute to that special day.
Teetering on the line of indie electronica, Farben’s forthcoming album Synesthesia delineates his perceived connection between music and color. Equal parts instrumental and vocal centric, the album pays homage to Farben’s diverse musical background. Raised on the sounds of punk and classic rock, Farben’s appreciation for what he deems “handmade music” is infused into the album, most noticeably on whimsical track “She Moves,” featuring the delicate vocals of New Zealand singer Graham Candy. The music video, shot by acclaimed EDM music video director Franck Trebillac, vividly narrates the track and features Farben in several cameos.
The Tempelhof Airport performance was perhaps the most pivotal milestone in Farben’s career, but the cultivation of his craft commenced long beforehand. A resident DJ at a small club in Berlin, in 2010 he began performing six hour sessions dubbed “Alle Farben All Night Long.” With the help of his agency, Farben was able to turn these sets into regular gigs, featuring musicians and performers live on stage.
The highlights are definitely the live acts. We will use drummers, pianists and trumpet players throughout the six hours, and I try to kind of tell a story through the music that I’m playing. A good DJ set needs ups and downs, and I am controlling them with my mixing skills and my choice of music. When playing for that length of time, it is very hard to maintain the tension from hour one to hour six, so those support acts on stage are there to lighten the vibe and keep things fresh.
Alle Farben’s live performances have earned him widespread respect within the industry, as his ability to captivate an audience for such prolonged periods of time is almost unprecedented in electronic music. A careful balance of planning and improvisation goes into each set, culminating in an elaborate live music experience that bewitches the listener from start to finish.
When I go on stage, I have a digital vinyl case on my computer that I control with Traktor Scratch Timecode Vinyls. So every DJ set that I am playing is improvised, as it really is important to react to the audience and to interact with their mood. Nevertheless my DJ set is also well prepared, starting with the visual artist and the light operator and ending with the arranged stage times of the featured acts. It is always hard preparation as the sessions are major events with thousands of guests so I usually need at least a week to sort my ideas as well.
As a musician, Farben’s agenda is a whirlwind of club gigs sprawled across Germany and Europe. Between preparing for sets and performing, it’s a wonder the producer has time for any extracurricular activities. Somehow, amidst his busy schedule, the multi-faceted Farben finds time to nurture his other passions, such as cooking, a craft he refined while working as a confectioner at a Berlin cafe.
It is not that I get home after a long weekend and the first thing to do is spinning some records. I found my inner balance with cooking, as I am very conscious with what I consume. Apart from that, I do sports and enjoy the beautiful opportunities that Berlin provides like visiting galleries, concerts or just relaxing in a café.
Synesthesia is set to release via Sony later this year and is sure to ignite a fire of American fanfare. In addition to venturing stateside, Farben has also teamed up with America’s latest sweethearts, CHERUB, to remix this summer’s hottest anthem, “Doses and Mimosas.”
I just finished a remix collaboration with CHERUB which I am really proud of. It is a very typical Alle Farben sound mixed with the sweet vocals of Cherub and I am glad that they asked me to do it. Apart from that, I am in the United States for the first time this week and that kind of ushers in a new era for me!
While an exact release date has not been set for Synethesia, in the meantime fans can expect a healthy dose of original tracks and remixes through Farben’s SoundCloud. For now, cut your teeth on a preview of the album, posted below, and familiarize yourself with the colorful sounds of Alle Farben.
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