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Artist Profile: Legowelt

ARTIST PROFILE
ADD TO READING LIST WRITTEN BY STEVE RICKINSON

Danny Wolfers sits at the crossroads of analog grit and digital fantasy. Known to fans as Legowelt, Wolfers’ work is unmistakable—an otherworldly blend of lo-fi textures, high-concept sounds, and genre-defying beats. Raised in The Hague, he cut his teeth on Detroit techno and Chicago house while drawing inspiration from the no-rules approach of local heroes, Unit Moebius. By the early 1990s, he was a key part of the Dutch West Coast scene and Intergalactic FM family, weaving together gritty machine-driven techno, hazy ambient layers, and a smattering of influences that never quite settled into any genre. On November 16, the Dutch underground legend will headline the 14th Black Rhino Residency at Control Club.

Legowelt is only one of the many identities Wolfers has donned over the years. Under 20+ aliases like Smackos, Gladio, Nacho Patrol, Polarius, and Franz Falckenhaus, he’s inhabited a range of musical personas. By constantly shifting his artistic identity, Wolfers has crafted an eclectic and extensive discography—a treasure trove for those seeking something familiar and refreshingly strange.

The love for vintage synthesizers is at the heart of Wolfers’ creative process. His studio, a shrine to analog technology, is packed with classic gear like the Moog Memorymoog, Sequential Prophet VS, and Farfisa Syntorchestra. For Wolfers, making music is a ritualistic, almost daily act of jamming and experimentation, tweaking knobs and layering sounds until they resonate with what he calls a “magical sparkle.” His tracks are thick with texture, evoking both sci-fi fantasies and the relentless pulse of urban life. Over the years, this work has graced influential labels like Clone, L.I.E.S., Creme Organization, and Dekmantel.

Legowelt’s releases span an impressive range in style and format. His breakthrough track, Disco Rout (2002), quickly became an underground anthem. Albums like The Paranormal Soul (2012) evoked a cinematic depth that has since become his hallmark. His 2017 album, Legendary Freaks in the Trash of Time, delves into gritty techno and electro. More recent projects, such as Unconditional Contours (2020), created during his residency at the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments (SMEM), paired European folklore atmospheres with rare synthesizers. His 2023 release, Pancakes with Mist, blended whimsical, ambient tones with rhythmic synths in a lighter approach.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

NIGHTS ELECTRONICSYNTH

ctrl x Black Rhino Residency: Legowelt, Herodot, Romansoff, Te Doare

MORE INFO

Wolfers has taken his sound into new territories in recent years, branching into film scoring and animation. In 2022, he unveiled Ambient Trip Commander, an animated feature he created entirely independently, from the hand-drawn visuals to the lush score. The soundtrack captures the film’s whimsical essence in deeply personal ways. Recently, he was commissioned to create a new soundtrack for Werner Herzog’s legendary film Aguirre, the Wrath of God.

But Legowelt’s world isn’t confined to music alone. His retro-styled website is an eccentric hub of gear musings, quirky insights, and throwback web design. His label, Nightwind Records, and his Shadow Wolf Cyberzine provide a platform to support other experimental artists while offering fans a peek into the surreal world he’s helped shape.

Even after decades in the industry, Wolfers’ creativity shows no signs of dimming. With his recent album, A Field Guide to the Void, he marks a return to Clone Records. Throughout, Wolfers draws on over 25 years of house, techno, disco, and electro. The result is an album that’s as engaging in a club as in the solitude of headphones.

Legowelt stands out as a reminder of electronic music’s tactile roots in an age dominated by digitization. His sound defies trends, garnering him a highly devoted following. His live performances and exclusive mixes, like the renowned 106th podcast for Little White Earbuds, continue to push the boundaries of electronic music while staying true to the craft’s human origins.