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

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'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

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.

 

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.