Hellmut Hattler

Hellmut Hattler has not only stood for a distinct sound and uniquely personal, quite awe-inspiring technique for over 30 years, he has also managed to never stand still artistically and to impress the music world again and again with his creative endeavors. In the 70s, Hellmut's legendary art rock outfit Kraan was among the few successful European attempts to provide an independent-minded answer of equal merit and substance to America's jazz-rock pioneers Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock or John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, selling hundreds of thousands of records. In the 80s, Hellmut appeared on stages around the world and on recordings in varying all-star formations with stellar peers including Billy Cobham, Torsten de Winkel, Alphonse Mouzon, Brian Auger and many others. Finally, in the 90s, he was half of the internationally successful and pioneer acid-hip-jungle-jazz duo TAB TWO, which released seven award-winning albums on the Virgin and Universal labels before disbanding in 1999 after 10 years of almost constant touring, producing and composing including for pop icons such as Tina Turner.