Zeus B. Held is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

music 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 ...

and

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

, known for his work in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He was involved with several artists of the

krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

, and new wave era, such as

Birth Control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

Rockets A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

Gina X Performance Gina X Performance (commonly abbreviated as GXP) was a German dance-rock/electropop project from Cologne, Germany, consisting of singer and lyricist Gina Kikoine and writer and producer Zeus B. Held, accompanied by various studio and live musici ...

, Dead Or Alive,

John Foxx John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a ...

Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

, and

Men Without Hats Men Without Hats are a Canadian New wave music, new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers ...

on their successful album ''

Pop Goes the World ''Pop Goes the World'' is the third studio album by Canadian new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released on June 29, 1987 by Mercury Records. It features the single " Pop Goes the World", which reached the Top 20 in Canada (achievi ...

''. Besides being an experienced producer and sound creator, his musical education on

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and reed instruments made him also a well-respected arranger. Spending 6 years as keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist with the German prog-rock group "Birth Control" (6 LPs) gave him experience as a touring musician. After these years on the road he worked as producer, session musician, programmer, and engineer in German and French studios before moving to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1982.

Career

His production “…combines electronic Teutonic sounds with a soulful sensibility for melodic expression…”. (NME, June 1982) After writing and producing the groundbreaking album by Gina X Performance ''Nice Mover'', (followed by three more Gina X albums), his first UK production credits were with

and Dead or Alive, he produced

Pete Wylie Peter James Wylie (born 22 March 1958) is an English singer/songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the band variously known as Wah!, Wah! Heat, Shambeko! Say Wah!, JF Wah!, The Mighty Wah! and Wah! The Mongrel. Career Early b ...

's ''Sinful'' album and an album by Men Without Hats for Polygram US which yielded a number one in many European countries and a US Top 20 hit with "Pop Goes The World". This was followed by two albums with

Transvision Vamp Transvision Vamp were an English pop rock band. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James, the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s, particularly in 1989. James, the lead singer and focal-point of the group, attracted medi ...

on MCA with a top five single and a number one album. He produced the album ''Freaky Trigger'' (1989) by the scottish group Win. Zeus went on to write and produce two successful albums with

Nina Hagen Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the Punk subculture, punk and New wave music, new wave movements in the late 1970s a ...

(''

'' in 1990, and ''

Street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...

'' in 1991),

Udo Lindenberg Udo Lindenberg (born 17 May 1946) is a German singer, drummer, and composer. Career Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969, he founded his first band Free Orbit, and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Micha ...

's ''

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

'',

National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...

Spear of Destiny A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...

, and two albums wit
Marc Parrot
He has produced and co-written an album with South African group Shikisha, an EP with Victoria Wilson-James, and recorded and produced an album with

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

– ''

Distant Horizons ''Distant Horizons'' is the twenty-first studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1997. Towards the end of 1996, Jerry Richards, who had been contributing lead guitar to some live dates and recording sessions, joined ...

''. In 1995 he wrote and recorded the music for a worldwide advertising campaign for

Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, in which i ...

. His 1987 'E Reg' remix of

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...

's "

Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

" hit the British charts again as the 'Premier Mix' in March '96. After extended travelling round the world he produced his own two projects: '' No Sweat'', a jazzy hip hop album with diverse guest singers and assorted samples and involving his collected samples "Inma Wiru", his Australian project under the banner of "Digital Dreaming", distributed by Warner Music. During his long stays in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Zeus also toured and recorded with Aboriginal Singer and Guitarist

Frank Yamma Frank Yamma is a singer and songwriter from Central Australia. He is a Pitjantjatjara man who speaks five languages and sings in both Pitjantjatjara and English. Yamma is the son of Issac Yamma, an early artist who pioneered singing Western sty ...

and his band. In 1999 he co-wrote Nina Hagen's single "Der Poetenclub" which also features the voice of Falco (of "

Rock Me Amadeus "Rock Me Amadeus" is a song recorded by Austrian musician Falco (musician), Falco, for his third studio album, ''Falco 3'' (1985). The single was made available for physical sale in 1985 in German-speaking Europe, through A&M Records, A&M. "Roc ...

" fame). His production and arranging skills led to intensive work on audio-visuals and soundtracks, one of which was a British film shown at the Cannes 2001 festival, ''Mad Dogs''. Since 2003 he has divided his time between working in his

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

-based studio and his

KGBeat studio and production setup. From 2005 Zeus he also worked with "Jazz & Rock Schulen Freiburg", where he created and realised the 3-year project "EuroPop", which was a musician's networking, events (EuroPop Festival in

Neuf-Brisach Neuf-Brisach ( or ; ; gsw-FR, Nei-Brisach) is a fortified town and commune of the department of Haut-Rhin in the French region of Alsace. The fortified town was intended to guard the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire and, subsequ ...

) and education program founded by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. His musical ventures saw Zeus writing for and playing with big bands and orchestras. The 2011 retrospective album, ''Voice-Versa'', featuring solo material as well as tracks by

and

is a compilation of vocoder and electronic music. The release of his remixed and remastered Australian album ''Dream2Machine'' on the Broome-based label Desert Ocean Productions in late 2013 also marks Zeus' continual creative collaboration with Jim Lampi and his multimedia approach to music and the arts. His solo adventure ''Logic of Coincidence'', released June 2015 on Les Disques du Crepuscule, is an album of electronic music which features US cult author Luke Rhinehart's voice and readings on two tracks. A remix of one album track by
Dream Control
marks the start of Zeus' collaboration with former Tangerine Dream member Steve Schroyder. In August 2017 Dream Control's first album entitled "Zeitgeber" is released on Planetware Records. In October a special edited vinyl version of this album was released on U.S. label Medical Records. Currently Dream Control is working on a film project which should be released in early 2021. In 2019 Zeus teamed up with Krautrocklegend and Guru Guru band leader Mani Neumeier to record an album of adventurous tracks under the name of Mani & Zeus "The Secret Lives". Released on Düsseldorf label Bellerophon Records in September 2020 it had some great response by the media. In October 2020 Zeus was awarded with the City of Cologne's Holger Czukay Prize in “appreciation of life's work” for his writing and production work with "Gina X Performance".

Discography

Albums

* Birth Control : 7 albums as keyboard, saxophonist and co-writer in the 70s. * Zeus B. Held (solo): ''Zeus' Amusement'' 1978 Metronome, * ''Europium'' 1979, Teldec/Telefunken * "Attack Time" 1981 CBS, * Visionova (Soundtrack) 1980, Sport & Culture * Gina X Performance: "Nice Mover" 1978 EMI, "X- Traordinaire" 1980 EMI, * "Voyeur" 1981 EMI, "Yinglish" 1981 Statik/Virgin UK * Fashion: "Fabrique" 1982 Arista, "Twilight of Idols" 1984 CBS * John Foxx: "The Golden Section" 1983 Virgin * Dead or Alive: ''Sophisticated Boom Boom'' 1984 CBS *

Chaz Jankel Charles Jeremy "Chaz" Jankel (born 16 April 1952) is an English musician. In a music career spanning more than 40 years, he came to prominence in the late 1970s as the guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Ian Dury and the Blockheads. With ...

: "Looking at you" 1985 A&M * Die Krupps: "Entering the Arena" 1985 Voice Versa/Statik * Spear of Destiny: "Outland" 1986 Virgin, * Riff: "Mission Love" 1989 RCA * "S.O.D.'s Law" 1992 Burning Rome Records * Claire Grogan: "Claire Grogan" 1986 London * Men Without Hats: "Pop Goes The World" 1987 Polygram US * Pete Wylie: "Sinful" 1987 Circa/Virgin * Kamerata: "Lovers & Other Strangers" 1987 Polydor * Transvision Vamp: "Pop-Art" 1988 MCA, "Velveteen" 1989 MCA * Win: "Freaky Trigger" 1988 Virgin * Music Art: Soundtrack for Multi Media Installation, 1988 Champagne Music CH * Udo Lindenberg "Casanova", 1988 Deutsche Grammophon * Nina Hagen: "Nina Hagen" 1989 Phonogram GmbH, "Street" 1991 Phonogram GmbH * National Velvet: "Courage" 1989 Capitol Canada * Doctor Rain: "The Spoon Run Away" 1991 Imago * Marc Parrot: "Solo Para Locos" 1992 WEA Spain, "Solo Para Ninos" 1995 WEA Spain * The Bozfor: "Endorphenia" 1992 EMI-Electrola * The Fetish: "The Fetish" EP, 1992 * Aunt Jamima: "Birth" 1993 Sony Germany * Candy Dates: "This Easy Life" 1994 WEA * Vortex: "Transistor Revenge" 1995 Vortex/Roadrunner * Yulduz Usmanova: "Binafscha" 1996 Blue Flame * Zeus & the Spiritual Traders: "Compassion" 1996 H.A.N.D.spun, BMG * Vortex : "Energize" 1996 Vortex/Roadrunner * Strobe: "Lost in Space" 1997 Vortex/Roadrunner * Octavia: "HipOpera", Janus Media 1998 * Nokturnl : "Point Your Finger". EP, Heartbeat, Australia 1998 * Digital Dreaming : "Inma Wiru 1998, Massive Recordings, Australia * Shikisha : Maluju, Toshiba/EMI 2000 * Bulletproof Electric Revue : "Cake, Pills and Pain", Northern Recordings, 2002 * Held Lampi Project : "Digital Dreaming", Kissing Fish Music, 2004 * Zeus B. Held : "Voice-Versa", LTM 2011 * Held Lampi Project : "Dream2machine", Desert Ocean Productions, 2013 * Zeus B. Held : "Logic of Coincidence", Les Disques du Crepuscule 2015 * Zeus B. Held : "Vinyl Collection", Medical Records, 2016 * Dream Control : "Zeitgeber" , Planetware Records, 2017 * Mani Neumeier & Zeus B. Held : "The Secret Lives" , Bellerophon Records, 2020

Singles

* Zeus: "Fool on the Hill" 1978 Metronome, "Musik, Music, Musique" 1979 Teldec * Rockets: "On the Road Again", 1978 Decca France * Gina X Performance: "Nice Mover”1978 EMI, "No G.D.M" 1979/82 EMI, "No G.D.M '85" * 1985 Statik, "Do It Yourself" 1979 EMI, "Striptease" 1980 EMI, "Weekend Twist" * 1980 EMI, "Drive My Car" 1984 Statik, "Harley Davidson" 1984 Statik * Fashion: "Move On" 1982 Arista, "Streetplayer" 1982 Arista, "Something in Your Picture" 1982 Arista, "Love Shadow" 1983 Arista, "Eye Talk" 1984 CBS/Sony, * "Dreaming" 1984 CBS/Sony, "You in the Night" 1984 CBS/Sony * John Foxx: "Endlessly" 1983 Virgin, "Your Dress" 1983 Virgin, "Like a Miracle" 1983 Virgin * Dead Or Alive: "What I Want 1983 CBS/Sony, I'd Do Anything" 1983 CBS/Sony, "That's the Way I Like It" 1984 CBS/Sony * Le Clan: "Vive le Mambo" 1984 MN/Barclay France * Lilidrop: "Tartine Breakfast" 1982 Eurodisc/Virgin France * Cha Cha at the Opera: "A Cha Cha at the Opera" 1982 Island * Impulse: "The Prize" 1983 Polydor * This Island Earth: "See That Glow" 1984 Magnet, "Take Me to the Fire" 1985 Magnet * The Spy: "Big Brother" 1984 Trigger /Disques * Brilliant: "Wait For It" 1984 WEA * Ellery Bop: "Torn Apart" 1985 WEA * Academy: "Tonight" 1985 RCA, "Stand Up" 1985 RCA, “

You Are in My System "You Are in My System" is a 1982 song recorded by American band the System. The song, written by Mic Murphy and David Frank, was released in August 1982 by Mirage Records. The song is also included on their debut studio album ''Sweat'' (1983). Th ...

” 1986 RCA, "Keep on Pushing" 1986 RCA * East of Java: "Different World" 1985 RCA * Ranch: "Put Your Love in Me" 1985 Sedition/PTR * The Krupps: "RISK “ 1985 Voice Versa * Annabella Wu: "Under The Gun" 1985 RCA/Arista * Angel Chorus: "Devil on My Shoulder" 1986 Virgin * Pete Wylie: "Diamond Girl" 1986 Virgin * Michael van Dyke: "I Do" 1986 Metronome * Spear of Destiny: "Strangers in Our Town" 1986 Virgin, “

Never Take Me Alive "Never Take Me Alive" is a song by English rock band Spear of Destiny A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with f ...

”, 1987 Virgin, "Was That You?”1987 Virgin, "The Traveller" 1987 Virgin * Claire Grogan: "Love Bomb" 1987 London Records * Men Without Hats: "Pop Goes the World" 1987 Phonogram US, "Moonbeam, featuring Ian Anderson" 1988 Phonogram US * Kamerata: "Heroin" 1987 Polydor GmbH "Charlotte" 1987 Polydor GMBH, "Horseback" 1988 Polydor GMBH * Eric Robinson: "No.1", 1988 MCA * Udo Lindenberg : "Airport", "Die Klavierlehrerin" Polydor 1988 * Transvision Vamp: "Tell that girl”1988 MC, "Baby I Don, t Care" 1989 MCA, "Landslide of Love", 1989 MCA, "I want your love" 1990 MCA * Riff "No Mercy" 1989 RCA * The Marines: "Go Go Now" 1989 Sony UK, "Say Goodbye" 1989 Sony UK * Nina Hagen : "Hold Me" Phonogram 1989, "Viva Las Vegas" Phonogram1989 "Michail, Michail" Phonogram 1990 * Riff "All or nothing" 1990 RCA * Flesh For Lulu: "Every Little Word" 1989 Beggars Banquet * Barry Ryan: "Turn Away" 1989 BMG/Ariola * Tony Head: "Sweet Transvestite" 1990 RCA/BMG, * Sunsonic: "Drive Away", 1990 Polydor * Exotic Birds: "Stay OnThis Road" 1990 Alpha * See See Rider: "Da Da Love" 1990 Lazy * Nina Hagen : "Blumen Fuer Die Damen", Phonogram 1991 "In My World" Phonogram 1991 * The Fetish : "Psychotic Sympathy" Voice Versa * The Bones: "Hot" 1993 EMI-Eletrola, "Come On" 1993 EMI-Eletrola * Dein Cyan: "An Solchen Tagen" 1994 EMI-Eletrola * Hexenhaus: "Hallo & Tschuess" 1995 SingSing Record GMBH/Hansa * Charlie's Angels: "Honey" 1995 Org Records * Strobe: "In ain't out" 1996 Vortex * Lani: "Reach for the sky" 1997 Shock Australia * Zeus & the Spiritual Traders: "Buddha of Compassion", 1997 H.A.N.D.spun * Disco Pistols: "Talk to Me", Org Records, 1998 * Nina Hagen : "Der Poetenclub", Orbit Records, 2000 * Victoria Wilson James: "Fandango", Arriva, 2000 * Bulletproof Electric Revue : "2 Cut A Long Story Short", Northern Recordings, 2002

Remixes and additional productions

* Dead or Alive: "Misty Circles" 1983 CBS/Sony, "Lover Come Back" 1985 CBS/Sony * Alphaville: "Big in Japan" 1984 WEA * Black Uhuru: "Solidarity" 1984 Island * Peter Godwin: "Window Shopping" 1984 Polydor * Barb: "Yeah" 1984 Magnet * Kissing The Pink: "The Other Side of Heaven" 1985 Magnet * East of Java: "Taipo Say Drum" 1984 RCA/Arista * 5 TA: "Heaven" 1986 Virgin France * Love & Rockets: "Ying and Yang" 1986 Beggars Banquet * Pascal Rod: "On En Fera" 1986 Virgin France * Alliss Terrell: "Miss Florida" 1986 Virgin France * Etienne Daho:”Tattoo Shoulder" 1986 Virgin France * Frances: "Piege Pour La" 1986 Virgin France * Pete Wylie: "Sinful" 1986 Virgin * Two Nations: "Who Do You Believe?” 1986 Virgin * Killing Joke: "Love Like Blood" 1986 Virgin, "Adorations" 1986 Virgin, * "War Dances" 1986 Virgin, Sanity 1986 Virgin * 52nd Street: "Are You Receiving Me?” 1986 Virgin * Simple Minds: "Ghostdancing" 1986 Virgin, "Jungleland" 1986 Virgin * Secession: "New Messiah" 1986 Virgin * The Mission: "Wasteland" 1986 Phonogram * Super Enig Matix: "Touch The Beat" 1987 MDM Records * Gary Numan: "Cars" 1987 Beggars Banquet * The Fall: "Hit The North" 1987 Beggars BanquetMiddles, Mick & Smith, Mark E. (2008) ''The Fall'', Omnibus Press, * Udo Lindenberg: "Ein Kommen Und Gehen" 1988 Polydor GMBH * Plan B: "Beam Me Up Scottie" 1988 SMV * Erasure: "No G.D.M". 1990 Mute * Exotic Birds: "Road to Heaven", 1990 Alpha * Azucar Moreno: "Torero" 1991 Sony Spain * The Bones: "Come On" 1993 EMI-Electrola * Fields of the Nephilim: "Exodus", EP 1996 Beggars Banquet * Yulduz Usmanova: "Binafscha”1996 Blue Flame * Willie & The W.W.S.: "Mumbridge Boogie" 1997 Massive Records * Hawkwind: "Love in Space" 1998 EBS/Vital

Music for audio-visuals and campaigns

* Advertisement: C&A, Swatch, Audi, Rowntree, Marbles, Direct Line, Weightwatchers, Africa Aid, * TV: ZDF, BBC2, Saturday Review, Channel Plus, Trouble TV, CAAMA TV, * Films: Le Cauchemar, Blind Man, Mad Dogs

References

External links

zeusbheld.com
/
Kgbeat.comdream-control.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Held, Zeus B. 1950 births German record producers Living people Brain Records artists