Hedersleben
Hedersleben was hatched in the village of
the same name on the outskirts of
Quedlinburg, Germany. Beside the ancient
stone cloister in the half timbered
Bauernhaus Nicky Garratt jammed with
Krautrock luminary Uve Mülrich, (Embryo),
inspiring his next project. Thereafter a
summer jam, with various musicians, has
become a tradition each year. The odd
story of this region’s connection to
Progressive and Krautrock music comes from
the fact that the Quasar and Quedlinburg
entries in the encyclopedia Britannica lay
not so far apart. A fascination with space
fused an old crosshatched picture of
Quedlinburg’s Schlossberg in Garratt’s
sixteen year old mind. (This odd
connection, reinforced in the pitch black
above Hedersleben where meteors light up
the summer night sky, plays out on
Hedersleben’s debut album Upgoer).
After a short incubation period, the
prototype version of Hedersleben
manifested in the US from the promotional
line-up of Nik Turners Space Gypsy's.
Remaining from an earlier trial version
were bass player Jeff Piccinini, (Formerly
of iconic punk band Chelsea) and guitarist
Nicky Garratt, (Founding member of UK
Subs). Drummer Jason Willer, (Former UK
Subs drummer who featured along side
Piccinini and Garratt on Turner's new
album, writing the iconic single Fallen
Angel STS -51-L), and free spirited
keyboard player Lana Voronina from the
touring band rounded out this first
line-up.
The Space Gypsy LP, (Released later that
year on Cleopatra Records), received great
critical acclaimed solidifying the Willer
and Garratt as core members of the
emerging new band Hedersleben.
Piccinini shortly left to be replaced by
Oakland bass player Bryce Shelton and
Kyrsten Bean vocals/keyboards/guitar. This
line-up played only one gig at the Metro
in Oakland.
Jason Willer - Drums
Lana Voronina - Keyboards
Bryce Shelton - Bass
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
Kyrsten Bean - Vocals/Keyboards/Guitar
Nik Turner - Space Gypsy
Hedersleben 1
After the success of Space Gypsy, Nicky
Garratt, took on the music director
position for the legendary Swiss band
Brainticket. Working with original
Keyboard/Flute/Sitar player Joel
Vandroogenbroeck, the songs were
developed by Hedersleben, (now without
Voronina), in rehearsals in Oakland
while Joel worked in Mexico. Nicky and
Joel then swapped sheet music and demos
to try out each other’s ideas. The
plan’s were set in motion, but with only
a couple of days to go before the start
of recording Keyboard player Kephera
Moon (Dragontime), was added to the
line-up. Joel then flew in to the Bay
Area and a new double album was recorded
in Oakland at Megasonic Sound. Kyrsten
Bean, (with Kephera Moon singing the
secondary vocals), handled Brainticket’s
distinctive vocals. Vandroogenbroeck
brought in about half a dozen pieces (2
were omitted from the album), the rest
were written by the California team,
Nicky, or band compositions with
additions made later in the studio. Most
of the rhythmic ideas came from Willer.
After the backing tracks were completed,
Joel worked on them more in Mexico
adding textures and sounds, which really
added depth and shine to the resulting
record.
Jürgen Engler, (MALE, Die Krupps), as with
the Space Gypsy album, handled the mix in
Austin Texas. (Past, Present &
Future was finally released in February
2015 on Cleopatra Records).
Hedersleben recorded their own debut
album Upgoer back to back with Past,
Present & Future, working again with
engineer Jeremy Goody at Megasonic
Sound.
The album follows the urge to look to
the stars. The title Upgor comes from
the Up-Goer five text editor, where the
challenge is to explain a hard idea
using only the 1000 most used words.
Upgor is rocket and seemed appropriately
primitive in the setting of a medieval
town, (Quedlinburg). Here the band from
the start introduce the concept of the
Dreamstate. This is where one or more
instruments set up a trance like dream
and do not change for the duration of
the piece. Variation is introduced over
the constant pattern. Upger has two
dreamstates both remaining from the
previous line-up Der Donnervogel and End
of Love. Nik Turner recorded his guest
slot during down time on the Space Gypsy
recordings in Los Angeles to a demo
version of the
piece.
In 2017 an edit from Upgoer part 2 from
the Upgoer album was used in the horror
film Devil's Domain starring
Michael Madsen.
In October 2013 Hedersleben
embarked on their first national tour (As
a four piece without Bean), both opening
for and backing Nik Turner.
Jason Willer - Drums
Kephera Moon - Keyboards and Vocals
Bryce Shelton - Bass
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
Kyrsten Bean - Vocals/Keyboards/Guitar
Hedersleben 1 - Upgoer
Brainticket - Past, Present
and Future
Hedersleben 2
Hedersleben's second, highly acclaimed,
album Die Neuen Welten featured guest
vocalist Kati Knox, and was again recorded
at Megasonic sound in Oakland in May 2014.
Side A of Die Neuen Welten was set to film
by San Francisco film maker Erin Franklin.
A one off gig On June 3rd featured
special guest Captain Sensible on 2nd
guitar. The show was filmed at 1234go
records in Oakland. As with last year's
tour, the show unveiled more movements
from the epic Fall Of Chronopolis concept
album next in line for recording.
On August 26th Hedersleben took to the
road again on a repeat of the previous
years tour with Nik Turner. Again
Hedersleben both opened and backed the ex
Hawkwind front man. Added to the line-up
right before the tour was vocalist/violin
player Ariana Jade.
Hedersleben 2's last show was at
the World Vegetarian day in Golden Gate
Park October 12th 2014.
Jason Willer - Drums
Kephera Moon - Keyboards and Vocals
Bryce Shelton - Bass
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
With;
Kati Knox - Vocals (Album and one show
only)
Ariana Jade - Vocals and Violin (Tour
only)
Captain Sensible - Guitar and Vocals
(1234go records show only)
Hedersleben 2 - Die Neuen
Welten
Hedersleben 3
After the Neuen Welten tour Bryce
Shelten left to be replaced by Seattle
Bass Player Ursula Stuart from the Sugar
Skulls. The band played a west coast tour
with Philadelphia’s St James and the
Apostles opening. The new line-up then
recorded of The Fall Of Chronopolis, by
far the most ambitious project to date,
again at megasonic Sound. The line-up was
augmented by Korean born keyboardist from
Secret Chiefs 3. Jai Young Kim who
Co-Wrote one track. The album was
scheduled for release on 1305 Unterharz
but the band was signed to Cleopatra
Records during the manufacturing process
giving the finished product logos and a
1305 catalog number alongside the new
Cleopatra catalog number and barcode. The
first two albums were also at this time
acquired by Cleopatra as part of the new
contract. Following the release of The
Fall Of Chronopolis Jai Young Kim moved
temporarily on to bass guitar as Ursula
was pregnant, and the band embarked on
another national tour again opening for
and backing Nik Turner.
Ariana Jade - Vocals and Violin
Ursula Stuart - Bass and Vocals
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
Jai Young Kim - Keyboards
Jason Willer - Drums
Kephera Moon - Keyboards and Vocals
In 2016 Hedersleben began working on
Hedersleben 4 with new rhythm section of
John Thomas and Doc Miller. Thomas and
Miller had previously worked together in
a number of projects. Both have formal
music training at the, BA from Humboldt
State University in Percussion and
CalArts for Javanese Gamelan
respectively. John’s namesake farther
played in Captain Beefheart’s Magic
band, Mallard and Sparks. In addition
Alicia Previn daughter of the world
famous conductor Andre Previn has taken
up the violin position. Alicia was part
of the Source Family in the early
seventies playing with the infamous
Yahowha 13. Returning from his guest
appearance on Fall of Chronopolis and
the Fall of Chronoplois tour, (playing
bass), is Jai Young Kim.
click to enlarge
Jai Young Kim - Keyboards
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
Doc Miller - Bass and Vocals
Alicia Previn - Violin and Vocals
John Daren Thomas - Drums and
Percussion
Hedersleben 4 - Orbit was recorded at
Feast or Famine in San Francisco. It was
engineered by Jai Young Kim and produced
by Nicky Garratt and Jai Young Kim.
Following the recording of Orbit, the
band toured the USA opening for and
backing Nik Turner for the fourth time.
The track Rarefied Air from Orbit was
placed in iconic British actor Peter
O'Tool's final film Diamond Cartel. The
film also stars veteran actor Armand
Assante.
After the 2016 Orbit tour the band
pared-down to a four-piece without
Previn and prepared to once again tour
with Nik Turner. For three US/Canadian
tours the band used a huge converted
Ford shuttle bus with ample room for
Hedersleben, Nik Turner and road crew.
However with San Francisco parking the
bus was resting up in small field in
Santa Rosa.
Garratt: The bus was stored in Santa
Rosa for about 10 months at a friends
house, since the previous tour. I was up
in the north bay on the 8th of October
and during the drive south the moon
became blood red and what seemed to be
snow started to rain down on the 101
freeway. It was otherworldly and when I
got home a neighbor told me there was a
fire in Sonoma county.
The next morning I called my friend who
owned the property. He told me about the
fires and that he's lost his home last
night and also the fires had taken the
bus.
After a phone call from my friend
letting me know the bus had somehow
survived we decided to try and save it.
On Wednesday the 11th news came that the
Police were letting a few owners up to
check on their homes. Jai Young and I
drove up in my Jeep. The whole area was
cordoned off and the Police said the
window for entering the effected area
was over. We managed to pursued one of
the officers to let us try to salvage
the vehicle and drove into the disaster
area with an escort.
The bus had survived but we were unable
to start it. It was charred and
eventually sold at a fire sale price.
The tour commenced crammed into Doc's
van.
The last performance for Hedersleben 4
was on September 4th 2017 ProgDay in
North California. The band, still a four
piece, introduced material for the
delayed album The Great Hydration again
form from a novel by Barrington J.
Bayley.
In May 2019 Hedersleben started working
on an album of new material for the time
being delaying The Great Hydration for
some future date.