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¥758 hecq.0000. 2cd. april2k7

tracklist:

tracklist cd1

tracklist cd2

download pressrelease.pdf

'my motivation as a musician is to process my various influences. these 17 tracks can be seen as a distillate of experiences lasting 24 months. oftenly an artist can not remember the exact reasons for writing a
track, he can only remember the specific mood, the moment and / or the atmosphere as origins. therefore, track names seemed redundant for this album. for me, 0000 can be seen as a substantial collection of filtered impressions and tiny interludes - or as a digital-acoustic diary. and letting other artists lay hands on these very personal impressions shows a new perspective to the own perception - what makes the entire work more multilateral and much more exiting...' (b.boysen / hecq)

hecq can be seen as a phenomenon: an artist who consistently shows his amazing skills in creating new sound, a producer that works with musical technology and presents remixes that spotlight unseen facets in
the work of other musicians. boysen is more than an expert knob twidler; the listener can easily hear that there is a sensitive human being operating the controls. on 0000, atmospheric soundscapes meet
sharp cadences and abrupt breaks which leads the enthralled listener into hecq's world - an audiobook without a narrator.

cd2 is a collection of hecq remixes and collaborations by nine different artists (some of them yet unknown - rekt, sytrjv, phylum sinter...) and others that are familiar (mad ep, snog, nebulo, newt, ginormous...). sounds range from syncopated electronic surveys and threatening soundtrack ambience to a chilling sound carpet that is accompanied by a voice that every hymen records' listener should know...

one should be careful when making bold statements but this is hecq's best album and it will be one of the electronica landmarks in 2007. don't be fooled by the influences boysen is writing about; they are
subliminally audible and in the end you will realize: 'it sounds like....hecq!'

goon
http://goon-magazine.de/index.php/2007/05/02/hecq-2/#nav
benny boysen is back again. nachdem das studium ein wenig aufgehalten hat, erfolgt mit »0000« nun der dritte streich des wahlberlins. und erneut schickt er uns auf eine elektronische reise in den gefilden des idm, die immer irgendwie gestört wird durch risse, verzerrungen, verwerfungen und diese unheimlichen momente eines deja vu oder druckabfalls im ohr. zwischen ambient, klassik, breakbeats, glitch und dem autechre’esken »confield«-minenfeld der querverschiebungen wird der hörer einfach in seine einzelbestandteil aufgelöst und ins zwischenuniversum transferiert. diese komplexität hatte hecq bereits auf »scatterheart« anklingen lassen und auf »bad karma« fortgeführt. mit seinem dritten album geht es dennoch tiefer als je zuvor. die referenzen zu den alten idm bekannten wie autechre und bola finden sich natürlich, doch verweisen einige brüche (insbesondere die noisigen) gerne auch auf mika vainio und sein pansonic-projekt oder lassen an anderer stelle plötzlich das tanzbein zucken. diesmal ist hecq auch nicht ganz allein unterwegs. die zweite cd des albums ist ein reines remix-album, auf dem sich einige labelkollegen wie nebulo, ginormous, mad ep und snog in ihrer eigenen weise die hecq’sche tiefengalaxie auseinander- und wieder zusammenschrauben. die brüche finden sich auch hier. während rekt auf seinem »remix 1« das sphärische moment unter die lupe nimmt, knistern ihm beim »remix 2« plötzlich die leitungen weg. der unbekannte italiener sythrjv stellt dagegen den urknall nach und lässt einem alle klangatome noch einmal um die ohren fliegen, während judas! judas! das nachhallen fotografiert. (jens pacholsky)

a review in russian language can be found on the machinist's website:
http://www.machinistmusic.net/reviews/hecqcd2007.html

der medienkonverter
http://www.medienkonverter.de/kritik.php4?id=2292
2005 bescherte uns benny boysen alias hecq sein letztes album. 2007 darf es diesmal gleich ein doppeltes sein. "0000" ist ein namenloses sammelsurium von hecqs impressionen der letzten zwei jahre. da diese weniger an ereignissen denn an gefühlen festzumachen sind, erhielten die einzelnen tracks keinen spezifischen titel, sondern schlichtweg nummern, wie das gesamte album übrigens auch. boysen scheint zwei sehr emotionale jahre erlebt zu haben. "0000" ist ein sanftes, melancholisches und zugleich schizophrenes album geworden. ambient- bzw. tranceartige klangflächen treffen einen ganz bestimmten nerv, der einen sofort zur ruhe kommen lässt. diese ruhige klangkulisse bekommt jedoch immer wieder risse. fast so wie in einem traum, in dem man über weite, nebelverhangene landschaften fliegt. plötzlich tauchen um einen herum grelle lichtblitze und luftlöcher auf, die den weiterflug zwar nicht verhindern, aber etwas holpriger und aufregender gestalten. die übergänge zwischen diesen phasen kommen nicht abrupt, als on man gegen eine wand laufen würde, sondern fließend. ohnehin gehen die einzelnen tracks auf "0000" organisch ineinander über. auf der zweiten cd überlässt hecq anderen das feld. das, was er selbst gern tut, nämlich remixen, tun nun andere wie ginormous, nebulo oder mad ep mit seinen songs. bemerkenswert sind die beiden remixe von rekt, die sich genau dem thema schizophrenie zu widmen scheinen, denn version 1 knistert im ruhigen gleichtakt, während version 2 sich einer ständigen auflösung unterworfen sieht. ein spiegelbild der hecqschen welt. nebulo und mad ep vereinen beide seiten in ihren remixen, mad ep sogar durch einsatz von cello-tönen. die parallelverschiebung hin zum dark ambient übernimmt judas! judas!, den überraschungsauftritt mit gesang übernimmt snog. "sknss" darf niemand verpassen, genauso wie den fast 9-minütigen höhenflug von ginormous in "dayout". "0000" ist kein aufreibendes album geworden, sondern ein bewegendes. davon kann man nicht genug bekommen...

vital weekly 577
"my motivation as a musician is to process my various influences. a digital diary". the description from the man himself, benny boysen, reveals that the german sound artist benny boysen knows exactly how to describe his daily impressions into deep expressions that will then again end up as strong impressions on everyone diving into the sea of hecq. discreet columns of clicking micro sounds opens the fourth release of hecq, titled "0000" in quite an inaudible manner, but soon after the track, simply titled "0001" (tracks are titled "0000" - "0018") reaches landscapes of utterly beautiful and warm ambience. a very nice way to welcome the listener to the world of hecq. if you haven't been introduced to this german wonderboy of idm, benny boysen is respected for his otherworldly blend of idm, clicks'n'cuts and ambient since his debut album "a dried youth" released on kaleidoskop in 2003. and this latest album keeps the impressive quality levels of the previous albums. characterizing "0000" (and the previous albums) is the mixture of longer tracks and the smaller intermezzos building up the atmospheres that saturate the album(s). the works are complex textures of rhythm and sound. but the complexity does not appear as an abstract sonic painting: there is a fine line between complexity and beauty, resulting in a touching album giving plenty of sonic food both for the intellect and the heart of the listener. there is no one like hecq, and this a certainly a compliment to you, mr. boysen! (nm)

igloo
www.igloomag.com
benny boysen’s project hecq, probably familiar to some through his long list of remix credits returns after a brief hiatus with his fourth album, simply titled 0000. 0000 covers two discs; the first a sequentially numbered series of tracks recorded between 2006 and 2007 and the second a series of remixes and collaborations from known artists and newcomers alike. remixes are contributed by mad ep and nebulo while three further collaborative tracks are added with newt, snog and ginormous alongside further remixes from unfamiliar names rekt, sytrjv and phylum sinter. on the first disc each track is simply numbered from “0001” to “0017” as boysen’s aim is to invite the listener into his world and experience the mood and feeling of the moment when each track was created. his view, quite rightly, is that a more descriptive title might create some pre-conceived idea of the meaning of the track, which is something he aims to avoid. the album as a whole is distinctly electronic, mixing smooth glitchy breaks and elastic bass over a ghostly sea of dark drifting tones. often, the slick synthetic breaks battle with a frankly sinister other-worldy quality almost like a demonic voice trying to communicate from another dimension. take for example the distressed and distorted vocal samples used during “0006” and “0007”, the breaks providing some anxious urgency while the backdrop adds a disturbing element of dark despair. the mix is so precisely executed and carefully constructed that it can’t fail to impress. somehow, boysen’s music is unashamedly digital and ultra-modern yet exhibits very real and organic emotional qualities. elsewhere on the album, “0011” and “0016” for example, boysen ditches beats and breaks altogether, instead focussing on lush sweeping waves of luxurious ambient texture with an almost orchestral quality. yet, within the blink of an eye, the mood of “0012” changes to a busy mish-mash of digital chaos which again breaks down to a serene drifting soundscape over the space of just three minutes. equally as quickly, boysen turns his attention to rapid-fire glitchy rhythms with “0014” before unleashing the short-lived psychedelic dream sequence of swirling, squealing electronic strangeness that is “0015”. the second disc sees boysen hand his original tracks over to a series of remixers for them to put their own twist on his music and see where the journey takes them. newcomers rekt open proceedings with two remixes of the track “0001”; the first brings a plodding almost militaristic beat and harrowing tones whilst their second contribution has a crisp synthetic quality with bouncy rhythmic beats and an industrial slant. another newcomer – sytrjv - remixes “0003”, offering a hybrid mix of experimental electronics, industrial noise and dark ambience that slowly builds pace as it progresses. as expected, “marz”, a collaborative track featuring boysen and the influential daniel myer is a meeting of minds; boysen’s precise digital techniques sparring with myer’s mischievous rhythms and sample-laden electronics. his collaboration with david thrussell, “sknss”, is a different matter entirely; the mood is dark, dense and oppressive while thrussell’s vocals (sounding remarkably like daniel “haujobb” myer’s) speak of the sickness within. the final  collaborative track, “dayout” with ginormous, takes a little while to warm up but when it does it releases a cavernous bassline and choppy beats with soaring synths and intermittent bursts of electronic noise. boysen’s ability to mix beautifully serene soothing ambience with clean precise glitchy breaks is second to none. the construction of his sound is meticulous and precise, the result veering from gentle calmness to disturbing darkness and back again via a rhythmic break interlude. his ability to mix these styles so accurately and in his own peculiar way makes this album an outstanding example of its genre, sitting somewhere between abstract electronica, dark ambient and the slickest of glitchy breaks. (paul lloyd)

cuemix
http://www.cuemix-magazine.com/cuemix/inhalt.php?image=493
hecq is a magician. he creates wonderful tracks and remixes. he creates tracks with meaning, tracks that have lasting effect on the listener. his new album 0000 has no name and no track titles. but there is no need for names… the music speaks. tracks like 0002 open the doors widely and a new cognition for music streams into your brain. you get lost in these tracks. they are like a book; like a diary with sunny days and dark days. hecq leaves the interpretation and the effect of the music to the listener. he just offers a tool a mind tool. no words can describe what happens here. this music needs no words, it just needs an open mind. like a missing link it closes the chain between the cognition and the creation autonomous. besides the fact that this wonderful album earns a perfect 10 is this bridge between creation and listener nonesuch. music who speaks for itself without any comments, that’s something very special. the second cd is like a treasure chest. a unique collection of special remixes and collaborations with other artists. known and unknown names. this collection of different tracks is an audible therapy; it will clean your mind. different from the first cd, but still you can hear his handwriting. an album with a deep effect on its listener… i would name it one of the albums of 2007.

release magazine
http://www.releasemagazine.net/onrecord/orhecqoooo.htm
to say that benny boysen (the sole member of hecq) is productive would be an understatement. to state that hecq are decisively needed in this day and age would be understatedly accurate. i’ve followed boysen since his minuswelt debut “a dried youth” and have watched him closely as he’s become the wunderkind known so well to purveyors of unusual sounds. he’s done entirely remixed versions of both psychobitch (why?) and in strict confidence (both “holy” and “exile paradise” have received this treatment). “oooo” flat out is not for you who are part of this current fad of cut-out electro featuring female eye candy, you won’t find clever hooks nor is there any pouty vocalizing about mundane topics. in fact, as near i can tell, there are once more, no vocals whatsoever. there is minimal usage of rhythms on some tracks, there is over the top production on all these new gems. there is a bonus disc which features some very inspired remixes including amongst them one from daniel myer which is puzzlingly filed as being executed by newt. hmmmm. as though it hasn’t been declared outright, i’m thinking boysen and myer are plotting to release new work under this moniker. curious. cold, almost icy tempos dominate “oooo” with the track titles being nothing more than their respective numbers. just as one ends, another effortlessly begins and before you know what’s hit you a whole new synthetic world is unfolding in your ears… piercing your skull calmly with great precision. that’s the thing about hecq, he just has no fear whatsoever and for that reason i’m more than willing to come along with boysen on his unique journey through time and space. you may find yourself daunted by this massive new entry, don’t be and whatever you do, do not skip tracks. play this one out and find the beauty of introspection fully realised.

de:bug
http://www.de-bug.de/reviews/31257.html
ah, hecq! goldene zeiten, schwelgerische erinnerungen an die zeit, als darkness noch den ton angab in der elektronika, als für einen kurzen moment die gespliceten beats und die weiten flächen genau das richtige verhältnis zueinander hatten und sich beide pole nicht wegnahmen. 0000 ist das mittlerweile vierte album von hecq und steht wie ein monumentaler berg vor einem. zwei cds, 17 neue stücke und zehn remixe sind ein klares zeichen dafür, dass es hier einer wissen will. gut war hecq immer, aber so präzise auf den punkt, so funky in seinen strikt programmierten welten und so sympathisch gruselnd in den sounds war er noch nie. eine unfassbare mischung aus tracks und stimmungen, die in ihrer gewaltigen unterschiedlichkeit wie aus einem guss jegliche zweifel an der beat-forschung zunichte machen, alle synth-programmierer dieser welt wie schlappe anfänger aussehen lassen und vor allem nie den blick in die sonne scheuen. groß, fantastisch, endlos. so groß, dass die remixe dagegen gar nicht ankommen, auch wenn das komplett gelogen ist. snog, rekt, nebulo, newt etc. wissen um das besondere bei hecq, kommen aber nicht an ihn ran, auch wenn ich hier laut verkünden muss: auf meiner beerdigung wünsche ich mir als musik: hecq vs. ginormous.

earlabs
http://www.earlabs.org/text/review.asp?reviewid=354
”my motivation as a musician is to process my various influences. a digital diary”. the description from the man himself, benny boysen, reveals that the german sound artist benny boysen knows exactly how to describe his daily impressions into deep expressions that will then again end up as strong impressions on everyone diving into the sea of hecq. discreet columns of clicking micro sounds opens the fourth release of hecq, titled “0000” in quite an inaudible manner, but soon after the track, simply titled “0001” (tracks are titled “0000” – “0018”) reaches landscapes of utterly beautiful and warm ambience. a very nice way to welcome the listener to the world of hecq. if you haven’t been introduced to this german wonderboy of idm, benny boysen is respected for his otherworldly blend of idm, clicks’n’cuts and ambient since his debut album “a dried youth” released on kaleidoskop in 2003. and this latest album keeps the impressive quality levels of the previous albums. characterizing “0000” (and the previous albums) is the mixture of longer tracks and the smaller intermezzos building up the atmospheres that saturate the album(s). the works are complex textures of rhythm and sound. but the complexity does not appear as an abstract sonic painting: there is a fine line between complexity and beauty, resulting in a touching album giving plenty of sonic food both for the intellect and the heart of the listener. there is no one like hecq, and this a certainly a compliment to you, mr. boysen!

neural
http://www.neural.it/sound/2007/06/hecq_hecq0000.phtml
hymen records, a sublabel of the seminal ant-zen, has again released a record by hecq (also known as benny boysen), a mature artist who composed four albums in just five years, after taking a break in 2006. it’s perhaps the best work by this artist, who now succeeds in collimating abstract and idm influences, wrapping them in ambient insertions and syncopated electronic sounds, which is always hard to do when minimalism shies away from simple iterations to embrace visionary rhythmic whirls. tense atmospheres, always sensitively resolved in an alternation of moods, action and jumps, which, even in the second cd, which contains remixes, a true operation of conceptual rewriting (detached from the urge to compose tracks for other stylistic contexts), come to light, involving both new and already famous artists (snog, nebulo, newt and ginourmous).

black issue 47
hecq ist irgendwie ambientöser geworden. ruhige flächen, leichte knistergeräusche und wuselige elektronik. filmischer im ganzen und weniger verkopft zerstückelt, auch wenn einige tracks immer noch die verschachtelten electronica-wege gehen. insgesamt ist hecq auch grooviger, was die platte zu einem kleinod macht, das sich noch aus dem elektronikgespinnst hervortun kann, was mittlerweile die hörwege der käufer in internet und plattenläden umgarnt. durchaus einmal mit wuchtigen beats wie in track „004“. schön auch die zweite cd, randvoll mit remixen von der creme de la creme (snog, newt, ginormous, nebulo, mad ep) und einigen frischlingen (rekt, sytrjv, phylum sinter). echt gereifte platte. (till)

hecq discography. 04.2007:
a dried youth. cd. kaleidoskop kal003. 2003
scatterheart. cd. hymen records ¥742. 2004
bad karma. cd. hymen records ¥748. 2005
0000. cd. hymen records ¥758. 2007

hecq webpages:
www.hecq.de
www.myspace.com/hecq

'things fall apart' short film - sounddesign & score by hecq
http://devoidofyesterday.com/thingsfallapart/index.html