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After a long journey, Berlin-Mitte's favourite adopted son Maximilian Hecker finds his way back home. In his luggage: a new record. His fifth studio album called "One Day". Where the hell did Maximilian Hecker hang around? In Asia. His personal interpretation of "Big in Japan" became "Big in Taiwan, China and Korea". This might sound strange at first, but it certainly makes a lot of sense. Hecker's pop is characterized by two constant components: his musical proximity to british music like Radiohead or Oasis and his lyrical proximity to german romantic modernity. This combination falls on fertile grounds in traditionally und culturally sentimental Asia.

"I was going to commit suicide in my 18th birthday but your music helped me. Can I become happy as you? You are my most favorite artist among alive artist. Thanks. Have a good day." Ji-Yeon from South Korea.

His songs about the desire for purity and being good on the one hand and a liability to darkness and death on the other and hooklines that won't get out of your ears, earned him record contracts in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea. Nowadays fans line up in long queues to hear Hecker sing. Fans hand-paint comic books for him and the fashion scenes of asian metropolises make him a model and fashion icon.

Some might be inclined to say: "The cheesy singer from Berlin is back." The question about Maximilian Hecker's motivation in making the music he does can be answered with surprising simplicity: "I am from (the small german town) Bünde and that's just how I feel. I'm a stiff guy. My music is the exact opposite of Bünde. Narrowness turns into wideness, depression turns into megalomania." Hecker sets intense feelings which he lacks in his everyday life to music. "Fellow sufferers cut their arms to make themselves feel anything -- I play music instead."

While his path led steep uphill in Far East, in Germany Hecker got into the disturbances of the record industry. The singer-songwriter who was originally discovered playing at Hackescher Markt in Berlin-Mitte where he got signed on the spot by Kitty-Yo Records parted with them after six years and three albums ("Infinite Love Songs", "Rose" and "Ladysleep"). "I'll Be A Virgin, I'll Be A Mountain" was released by V2 in September 2006. When V2 was taken over by Universal Music in 2007 Maximilian Hecker didn't fit into the market-oriented collection system of this major label.

Hecker decided to take fate into his own hands. Following his popularity in South Korea and China two of his songs got licenced for commercials there. He used the earnings to record "One Day" at his own expense in April 2008. His work and willingness to take risks was rewarded in Fall of 2008: "One Day" was released in South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapur. Following the release he toured Asia again in November. Stations were Seoul, Bejing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipeh. Until now Maximilian Hecker devised his records on his own -- from songwriting to recording to conception of the artwork. "One Day" marks a certain change to that, at least regarding the recording process though also was produced by him and his long-standing congenial partner Guy Sternberg. Now for the first time Hecker involved his band -- consisting of Johannes Feige (guitar), Sebastian Vogel (bass) and Snorre Schwarz (Drums) - in the arrangement and complete creative process. Which ultimately let to the 13 intensive rehearsals and five recording sessions. While touring Europe and Asia, he learned not only to appriciate the friendship but also the creative input of his band.

Since summer of 2005 Maximilian Hecker invites to his peculiar club: the "Suicide Lounge". The initial concept was: bright neonlight, no alcohol, no drugs, white uniforms for all visitors and medical proof of sobriety. Hecker also would have loved to decorate the club with mirrors. Originally it was planed to have no music at all, but that would have been too much -- after all host Hecker enjoys occupying himself with DJ-ing. In the melange of trash and party hits, he made close dancing his supreme discipline. From "La Boum" to Hecker's cover song classic "Hello", the entire bandwidth of soft rock is permitted. Half-nacked with arms wide spread, wavering between regressive submission to his own decay and jesus fantasies, Hecker provokes his audience to follow his example of radical emotional exposure. The club has found a new home at Berlin's Scala in the meantime. These days one can ocasionally encounter Maximilian Hecker at Hackescher Markt again. When there's none available he builds his own stage and puts his heart and soul into his performance. From a distant perspective, Oasis can still be heard on "One Day" from time to time, but Nick Drake, Richard Ashcroft, legendary Bob Dylan and the multi-talent Ryan Adams in country temper have also left their footprints. Maximilian stayed true to romantic modernity, since artistic experimantation with one's own body, one's own life, is part of Romance. Maximilian Hecker, the traveller, the survivor is back and he has much to tell.

www.maximilianhecker.com
www.myspace.com/maximilianhecker

Label/Promotion: Patrick Wagner; pw@louisville-records.de (030-44318015)
www.louisville-records.de

Discography:
One Day - /DoCD, LP, Digital) Louisville Records/ Roadrunner 2009
I'll Be A Virgin, I?ll Be A Mountain - (CD/LP/Digital) V2 2006
Lady Sleep - (CD/LP/Digital) Kitty-Yo 2005
Rose - (CD/LP/Digital) - Kitty-yo 2003
Infinite Love songs - (CD/LP/Digital) - Kitty-yo 2001