Frank Heiss (July 24, 1971 – April 15, 2018) was an American
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
best known by his alias HEISS. He previously toured and/or recorded under the aliases as tube, HearNow, Bionic Harmonic, and The Hick Step Massive.
Heiss has released a large number of LPs, EPs, singles, and remixes, and in 2013 released the original album ''Ascensio(N)'', which ''Lost in Sound'' described as spiritual in tone, stating that "each track is stylistically unique. Heiss weaves through styles...from
jazz fusion to
drum n bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-b ...
to
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, and everything in between."
The following year he released the remix album ''Awaken(D)'', featuring guest artists such as
D.V.S*. Heiss was the owner of the record label Transcendent Tunes, which features music by future bass producers who seek a connection to the Divine.
Early life, education
He heard the
hardcore dance music
Hardcore (also known as hardcore techno or hardcore house) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the early 1990s. It is distinguished by faster tempos and a distorte ...
popular in the UK,
Music career
Early years
In 1995, Heiss released the electronic EP ''Radical Technology'' under his full name on
Rising High Records in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. This was followed in 1996 by the EP ''Flashdancers On Acid'', a collaboration with Dr. Walker that was released on Sm:)e Communications in New York City.
In the mid-1990s he also signed a recording contract with the New York City label Liquid Sky Music, under the moniker 'tube.'
This was during the rise of
American rave culture.
In 1998 while performing in and around
Cologne, Germany
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...
another recording contract was established under the moniker HearNow,
this time with
Harvest/
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
- the label once home to
Pink Floyd,
Soft Machine and
Deep Purple.
In 1999, he toured as tube with the "To The Planet's Edge" tour in support of the Leeds UK goth band
The Sisters Of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is an English rock band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. After achieving early underground fame there, the band had their commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasi ...
.
The next phase in the career was a period of reflection and primarily studio only output.
During this time that he wrote for and licensed music to a variety of television shows including ''
One Life to Live,''
''
All My Children,'' and ''
General Hospital.'' He also began his
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
/
breakbeat mashup project known as The Hick Step Massive.
Releases as HEISS
;''Awake(N)''
After the hiatus from music and the tour lifestyle, Heiss decided to stop using multiple monikers and simply go Heiss, or HEISS. He has stated, "I settled on 'HEISS' because it... encompasses everything I do under myself, with no leaning towards any specific genre or style."
Making a return to live performance in 2012, HEISS released the full-length album ''Awake(N)''. In a review about the style, "''Awake(N)'' is a 12-track compilation of electronic originals caked with a thick layer of
hip-hop and instrumental influences. As you venture further into the album you start to become more familiar with his cohesive blend of
glitch hop and
breakbeat styles which are consistently paralleled with instrumental backdrops."
''Awake(N)'' was followed by a series of singles; "The Captive Mind" featuring Soham, "Jivanmukta," and "Svadu."
;''Ascensio(N)''
His full-length album ''Ascensio(N)'' was released on November 12, 2013.
According to ''The Untz'', "there is an underlying tone of spiritual downtempo on all twelve tracks."
A review by ''Lost in Sound'' stated, "In this most recent endeavor, he continues to narrate the spiritual journey he began to describe in 2012's ''Awake(N)''." Also, "Positive and conscious lyrics are interspersed throughout the album," with Heiss writing and singing some of them himself. Others lyrics were contributed by guests artists, including emcees Jackson Whalan, Soham, singer
Falu
Falu (born Falguni Shah in Mumbai, India) is an American singer whose music blends ancient classical Indian melodies with contemporary western sounds.
In her burgeoning U.S.-based career, she has worked and collaborated with a wide array of ar ...
, and multi-instrumentalist Michael Garfield. About the style, "while there is an underlying musical and lyrical feeling holding the entire collection together, each track is stylistically unique. Heiss weaves through styles, hinting at a wide variety of genres, from
jazz fusion to
drum n bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-b ...
to
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, and everything in between."
;''Awaken(D)'' remix album
With the name HEISS he founded the Transcendent Tunes, which focuses on "sacred bass music." Heiss has stated, "I don't want the label to focus solely on bass music, or glitch, or any specific style, but music that emphasizes the betterment of the human soul and spirit."
The first album on the label was ''Awaken(D),'' released on April 14, 2014.
''Awaken(D)'' is an album of remixes by
D.V.S* Skytree, Supersillyus, Soulacybin, Living Light, Push/Pull, Futexture, Erothyme and others.
According to a review in ''Lost in Sound,'' "AThere's no place for genres in this album – it's an exploration of countless rhythms, BPM's, and frequencies. ''Awaken(D)'' truly is a magical collection of sacred bass music."
From the album TrustTheBrain.com selected the Supersillyus remix of Heiss' track "Drop the Fuss" as one of its Top 7 Tracks Out This Week.
Style, equipment
HEISS incorporated a wide variety of styles, not settling into a specific genre. However, he frequently used the stylings of genres including
IDM,
jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaá ...
,
downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may b ...
,
hip hop,
breaks
Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to:
Time off from duties
* Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties
* Break (work), time off during a shift/recess
** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...
, and
acid.
He used both analog and digital musical equipment.
Personal life
Heiss died unexpectedly on April 15, 2018.
Discography
Albums
EPs
Singles
Remixes
Frank Heiss remixes of material by other artists.
*1997: "Abducted" by DJ Soul Slinger (tube Remix)
* 1999: "
Flow Motion" by
Can from the album ''
Sacrilege
Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physica ...
'' (
Air Liquide
Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally "liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...
Remix) - production
* 2000: "Electro Organic Sound System" by Percussive Wave (Frank Heiss Remix)
* 2012: "Gunsligin Rambler" by
Gangstagrass
Gangstagrass is an American bluegrass music, bluegrass and hip hop music, hip hop group, most known for the theme song of the FX (TV channel), FX television show ''Justified (TV series), Justified''. The group is founded and led by Brooklyn music ...
(The Hick Step Massive Remix)
* 2013: "Keep It Sacred, Keep It Safe" by Skytree (HEISS Remix)
* 2014: "Ecliptic Mystic" by Living Light (HEISS Remix)
* 2014: "The Silly Revolution" by Supersillyus (HEISS Remix)
Further reading
;Discographies
Frank Heissat
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
;Writing
"Confessions of a Hardware Junkie" by Frank Heiss(''Lost in Sound'', May 4, 2013)
"Confessions – Known, Loved, and Lost ‘The MPC-3000′" by Frank Heiss(''Lost in Sound'', June 25, 2013)
"Confessions – Mostly, Battery Operated Devices" by Frank Heiss(''Lost in Sound'', March 6, 2014)
;Interviews
*
*
References
External links
*
HEISSon
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
HEISSon
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heiss, Frank
1971 births
2018 deaths
Record producers from Massachusetts