Biography
Alexander Hacke was born in the working-class district of Berlin Neukölln. A musician from an early age, he joined Einstürzende Neubauten in 1980 at just 14 years old, while also playing in numerous influential underground groups and creating music under the pseudonym Alexander von Borsig. Throughout the 1980s and continuing to this day, he has collaborated with countless artists across various genres, producing records and composing music for theater, feature films, and documentaries.
In 1986, he joined forces with the Australian band Crime And The City Solution. During the 1990s, he recorded and toured with Italian pop icon Gianna Nannini, formed the alternative country band Jever Mountain Boys, improvised with Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit for Japanese avant-garde artist Phew, and produced records for artists such as Miranda Sex Garden, French anarchist songwriter Fred Alpi, and Berlin post-punk band Mutter.
In 2005, Hacke starred as the lead in Fatih Akin's film "Crossing the Bridge – The Sound of Istanbul," also contributing music to Akin's award-winning feature "Head On." His distinctive style can be heard in numerous film projects, including "8 Miles High," a biopic about Germany’s iconic 1960s-70s figure Uschi Obermaier; the Finnish coming-of-age drama "Last Cowboy Standing" by Zaida Bergroth; and "Fuori Dalle Corde / Out Of Bounds," an intense bare-knuckle fighting drama by Italian director Fulvio Bernasconi, for which Hacke won Best Music at the 26th Festival International Du Premier Film in Annonay, France.
He composed a striking score for Fatih Akin’s film "The Cut," an epic story about a man searching for his daughters during the Armenian genocide of 1915, which premiered at the 71st Venice Film Festival in 2014. This work earned Hacke a nomination for Best Music at the 2015 German Movie Awards.
Since 2001, Alexander has collaborated with American artist Danielle de Picciotto, former singer of the band Space Cowboys, co-creator of the Ocean Club with Gudrun Gut, and co-founder of the Love Parade. Together, they have developed performances such as "Mountains of Madness," inspired by H.P. Lovecraft stories and featuring the English trio Tiger Lillies; "Bada Bing," a series showcasing new Berlin bands; "The History of Electricity," an electronic performance; "The Ship Of Fools," based on Sebastian Brant’s medieval text; and "Hitman’s Heel," a song collection inspired by their ongoing nomadic journey since 2010. They have also organized numerous international workshops and lectures on Berlin’s innovative culture.
Hacke and de Picciotto, married in 2006, have further collaborated on projects including "Not Junk Yet – The Art Of Lary 7," a documentary about the enigmatic New York artist; "Needle At Sea Bottom," an EP recorded with Lary 7 in his iconic Lower East Side studio; and "The Glasshouse," a silent film scored live with guest musicians on stages worldwide.
Alexander Hacke has released three solo albums: "Filmarbeiten," a compilation of his early film work; "Sanctuary," a road-record created during his global travels; and "Doomed," originally made for an interdisciplinary exhibition. In 2015, he published his autobiography "KRACH – Verzerrte Erinnerungen" through Metrolit, an imprint of the respected German publisher Aufbau-Verlag.
In 2016, Danielle and Alexander released their acclaimed album "Perseverantia," touring internationally and beginning a series of soundtrack releases dedicated to meditation and yoga, including "Unity" (2017) and "Joy" (2018). Their 2018 release "Menetekel," a dark, brooding follow-up double album to "Perseverantia," marked the start of their fusion as hackedepicciotto, representing their ongoing multifaceted collaboration. In January 2020, the duo released "The Current" and signed with Mute Records to release "The Silver Threshold" in November 2021.
