Tim Hecker

File:Tim hecker 4.jpg Montréal in 2012.]]

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hecker is the son of two art teachers. During his high school years, he played in rock bands with friends, before acquiring a sampler and working on solo material. He moved to Montreal, Quebec in 1998 to study at Concordia University and explore his artistic interests further.[https://www.spin.com/2013/10/tim-hecker-virgins-attack-of-the-drones-interview/ "Spin Interview 2013"] Christopher R. Weingarten, 'Tim Hecker: Attack of the Drones', Spin Magazine; October 10, 2013 He initially performed internationally as a DJ and techno producer under the name Jetone, releasing three albums under the moniker.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/2007/03/tim-hecker-interview-by-simon-hampson/|title=Tim Hecker interview|last=Hampson|first=Simon|date=March 3, 2007|website=Cyclic Defrost|access-date=May 8, 2016}} By 2001 he became disenchanted with the musical direction of the Jetone project. In 2001, Hecker released the album Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again,{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tim-Hecker-Haunt-Me-Haunt-Me-Do-It-Again/master/279395|title=Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again|website=Discogs|access-date=May 9, 2016}} under his own name through the label Alien8. He followed with Radio Amor (2003) and Mirages (2004).

In 2006, he moved to Kranky where he released his fourth album Harmony in Ultraviolet.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tim-Hecker-Harmony-In-Ultraviolet/release/757715|title=Tim Hecker – Harmony In Ultraviolet|website=Discogs|access-date=May 9, 2016}} He subsequently incorporated the use of pipe organ sounds which were digitally processed and distorted. The album was called the 9th best ambient album of all time by Pitchfork.{{Cite web |title=The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time - Page 5 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9948-the-50-best-ambient-albums-of-all-time/?page=5 |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Pitchfork | date=September 26, 2016 |language=en}} For the album Ravedeath, 1972, Hecker traveled to Iceland where together with Ben Frost, he recorded parts in a church.{{Cite web |title=Tim Hecker Talks Ravedeath, 1972 {{!}} Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/tim_hecker_talks_ravedeath_1972 |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=exclaim.ca |language=en-ca}} The album was awarded the Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year.{{cite web |title=Yearly Summary |url=http://junoawards.ca/awards/yearly-summary/?group_id=202&category_ids=202&from_year=2012&to_year=2012&submit=Search |website=JUNO | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235806/http://junoawards.ca/awards/yearly-summary/?group_id=202&category_ids=202&from_year=2012&to_year=2012&submit=Search |access-date=28 July 2022| archive-date=March 3, 2016 }} In November 2010, Alien8 re-released Hecker's debut album on vinyl.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tim-Hecker-Haunt-Me-Haunt-Me-Do-It-Again/release/2468285|title=Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again (vinyl 2010).|website=Discogs|access-date=May 9, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.alien8recordings.com/releases/haunt-me|title=Tim Hecker – Haunt Me|website=Alien8recordings.com|access-date=May 9, 2016|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801113555/http://alien8recordings.com/releases/haunt-me|url-status=dead}} His live performances contain improvisations by processing organ sounds that are manipulated, with great fluctuations in volume.{{cite web|url=http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1519 |title=RA: Tim Hecker: Imaginary countries |website=Residentadvisor.net |access-date=June 16, 2016}}

In 2012, Hecker collaborated with Daniel Lopatin (who also records as Oneohtrix Point Never) on an improvisatory project which became Instrumental Tourist.[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17327-instrumental-tourist/ "Instrumental Tourist review"] Mark Richardson, 'Tim Hecker/Daniel Lopatin Instrumental Tourist review', Pitchfork, November 30, 2012 Following 2013's Virgins, Hecker returned to Reykjavík, Iceland for sessions in 2014 and 2015, to create what would become Love Streams.{{Cite web |title=Tim Hecker - Love Streams - Review |url=https://diymag.com/2016/04/08/tim-hecker-love-streams-album-review |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=DIY |date=April 8, 2016 |language=en}} Collaborators include Ben Frost, Johann Johannsson, Kara-Lis Coverdale and Grimur Helgason, whilst the 15th century choral works by Josquin des Prez birthed the foundations of the album.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/62672-tim-hecker-announces-new-album-love-streams/ |title=Tim Hecker Announces New Album Love Streams |website=Pitchfork.com |date=January 27, 2016 |access-date=June 16, 2016}} In February 2016, it was announced that Hecker had joined 4AD while Love Streams was released in April of that year.{{cite web|url=http://inverted-audio.com/tim-hecker-joins-4ad-and-announces-new-album-love-streams/#arvlbdata|title=Tim Hecker joins 4AD and announces new album 'Love Streams' {{!}} Inverted Audio|last=de Franchis|first=Vittoria|date=February 2, 2016|website=inverted-audio.com|access-date=May 9, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/05/tim-hecker-sacred-music-ambient-electronica-4ad|title=Tim Hecker: 'I make pagan music that dances on the ashes of a burnt church'|last=Todd|first=Bella|date=April 5, 2016|website=The Guardian|access-date=September 15, 2019}}

In addition to touring with Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, and recording with the likes of Fly Pan Am, Hecker has also collaborated with the likes of Arca and Aidan Baker.{{Cite web |title=Fantasma Parastasie, by Aidan Baker And Tim Hecker |url=https://alien8recordings.bandcamp.com/album/fantasma-parastasie |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Alien8recordings |language=en}} He has also contributed remixes to other artists, including Ellen Allien, John Cale, Isis, and Interpol.{{Cite web |title=Tim Hecker: "Suffocation Raga for John Cale" |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13447-tim-hecker-suffocation-raga-for-john-cale/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2016-03-10 |title=Interpol Enlist Tim Hecker, Panda Bear, the Field, More for Remix LP |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/64063-interpol-enlist-tim-hecker-panda-bear-the-field-more-for-remix-lp/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Ellen Allien Taps Tim Hecker, Bodycode for Remix Comp {{!}} Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/ellen_allien_taps_tim_hecker_bodycode_for_remix_comp |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=exclaim.ca |language=en-ca}}

Hecker occasionally makes sound installations and has collaborated with visual artists such as Stan Douglas{{cite web|url=http://www.bottrop-boy.com/?page=842501&action=product&webProductId=984100|title=En/Of|website=Bottrop-boy.com|access-date=June 16, 2016}} and Charles Stankievech.{{cite web|url=http://www.stankievech.net/projects/LOVELAND/ |title=Loveland |website=Stankievech.net |access-date=June 16, 2016}}

Hecker, along with other musicians Ben Frost, Steve Goodman (Kode9), Piotr Jakubowicz, Marcel Weber (MFO), and Manuel Sepulveda (Optigram), provided music for Unsound Festival's sensory installation, Ephemera.{{cite web|url=http://www.unsound.pl/the-dream/ephemera |title=Ephemera |website=Unsound.pl |access-date=June 16, 2016}}

Hecker composed the score for Damien Jalet's performance piece, Planet [wanderer].{{Cite web |title=Planet [wanderer] |url=https://damienjalet.com/project/planet-wanderer/ |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=Damien Jalet |language=en-US}}

Hecker composed the score for 2016's The Free World,{{cite web|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2015/12/14/tim-hecker-scoring-jason-lews-the-free-world/ |title=Tim Hecker Scoring Jason Lew's 'The Free World' |publisher=Film Music Reporter |date=December 14, 2015 |access-date=June 16, 2016}} selected to be shown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/competition-and-next-films-announced-for-2016-festival |title=Sundance Institute |access-date=January 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126045758/http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/competition-and-next-films-announced-for-2016-festival |archive-date=January 26, 2016 }} He composed the score for BBC Two drama series The North Water directed by Andrew Haigh and based on Ian McGuire's novel of the same name.{{Citation |title=The North Water |date=2021-09-10 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660970/ |type=Adventure, Drama, Mystery |publisher=See-Saw Films, Rhombus Media, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |access-date=2022-09-24}}

Hecker also composed the score for the Austrian drama and horror film Luzifer, which won the Best Actor Award for Franz Rogowski at Fantastic Fest in 2021{{Cite web|title=Fantastic Fest 2021: Franz Rogowski awarded Best Actor|url=https://www.austrianfilms.com/shortnews/luzifer/franz_rogowski_best_actor_fantastic_fest|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.austrianfilms.com|language=de}} and Best Actress Award for Susanne Jensen and Best Actor Award for Franz Rogowski at the 2021 Sitges Film Festival.{{Cite web|title=Festival Scope|url=https://pro.festivalscope.com/film/luzifer|access-date=2022-02-21|website=pro.festivalscope.com}}{{Cite web|title=Sitges Fantastic Film Festival: Double win for LUZIFER|url=https://www.austrianfilms.com/shortnews/luzifer/best_performance_awards_sitges_ENG|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.austrianfilms.com|language=de}}

Hecker composed the score for Infinity Pool, the 2023 film by Canadian director Brandon Cronenberg, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.{{cite web |title=Infinity Pool - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10365998/fullcredits/ |website=IMDb |access-date=17 September 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=2021-06-23 |title=Alexander Skarsgård Starring in Brandon Cronenberg's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Infinity Pool' |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/alexander-skarsgard-brandon-cronenberg-infinity-pool-1235003442/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Program Guide {{!}} 2023 Sundance Film Festival |url=https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/638a1733d406b260faf2ca00 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=festival.sundance.org}}

Hecker pursued a professional career outside music and worked as a policy analyst for the Canadian Government in the early 2000s.[http://pitchfork.com/features/guest-lists/6469-tim-hecker/ "Guestlist on Pitchfork"] 'Guest Lists: Tim Hecker', Pitchfork Media, October 27, 2006{{Cite news |last=Currin |first=Grayson Haver |date=2023-04-25 |title=Tim Hecker Helped Popularize Ambient Music. He's (Sort of) Sorry. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/arts/music/tim-hecker-no-highs.html |access-date=2024-01-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} After leaving his employment in 2006 he enrolled at McGill University to study for a PhD,[http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/04/bring-the-noise-2/ "McGill Daily"] John Watson 'Bring the noise', The McGill Daily, April 5, 2011 with a thesis on urban noise that was published in 2014.{{cite thesis |type=Ph.D. |last=Hecker |first=Timothy |date=2014 |title=The era of megaphonics: on the productivity of loud sound, 1880–1930 |publisher=McGill University |url=http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca:80/R/-?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=123058&silo_library=GEN01}} He has also worked there as a lecturer in sound culture in the Art History and Communications department.[http://thequietus.com/articles/08304-tim-hecker-interview "Quietus Interview"] Ryan Alexander Diduck 'Darkness More Than Anything: Tim Hecker Interviewed', The Quietus, March 21, 2012

Hecker is a Buddhist and a former Catholic. He started studying Buddhism and practiced meditation in his studio during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again (2001)
• Radio Amor (2003)
• Mirages (2004)
• Harmony in Ultraviolet (2006)
• An Imaginary Country (2009)
• Ravedeath, 1972 (2011)
• Virgins (2013)
• Love Streams (2016)
• Konoyo (2018)
• Anoyo (2019){{cite web |last1=Sodomsky |first1=Sam |title=Tim Hecker Announces New Album Anoyo, Shares Song: Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tim-hecker-announces-new-album-anoyo-shares-song-listen/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=February 12, 2019 |date=February 12, 2019}}
• The North Water (Original Score) (2021){{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=Tim Hecker Releasing Score for Colin Farrell–Starring TV Show The North Water |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tim-hecker-releasing-score-for-colin-farrell-starring-tv-show-the-north-water/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
• Infinity Pool (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2023)
• No Highs (2023){{cite magazine|last=Pappis|first=Konstantinos|date=January 26, 2023|title=Tim Hecker Announces New Album 'No Highs', Shares New Single 'Lotus Light'|url=https://ourculturemag.com/2023/01/26/tim-hecker-announces-new-album-no-highs-shares-new-single-lotus-light/|magazine=Our Culture Mag|access-date=January 26, 2023}}

• Trade Winds, White Noise (2002)
• My Love Is Rotten to the Core (2002)
• Radio Marti / Radio Havana (2004)
• Mort Aux Vaches (2005)
• Pareidolia (2006)
• Norberg (2007)
• Atlas (2007)
• Apondalifa (2010)
• Dropped Pianos (2011)
• Shards (2025)

• Random_Inc Meets Tim Hecker in Musrara with Random_Inc (2002)
• Fantasma Parastasie with Aidan Baker (Nadja) (2008)
• Archer on the Beach with Dan Bejar (Destroyer) (2010)
• Instrumental Tourist with Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) (2012)
• Qalaq with Jerusalem In My Heart (2021)

• Autumnumonia (2000)
• Ultramarin (2001)
• Sundown (2006)

• Mitchell Akiyama – "Temporary Music" (2002)
• Désormais – "Climate Variations" (2002)
• Ghislain Poirier – "Sous Le Manguier" (2002)
• Tennis – "Self-Heal Mishap" (Undertaker Mix) (2003)
• Isis – "Carry" (2004)
• Isis – "Carry" (Tim Hecker Remix Second Version) (2004)
• Ris Paul Ric – "Purple Blaze" (2005)
• TV Pow – "Whiteout" (2005)
• Ensemble – "Disown, Delete" (2006)
• Lesbians on Ecstasy – "We Know You Know" (2007)
• Colin Stetson – "Time Is Advancing With Fitful Irregularity White Pulse Mix" (2009)
• Bell Orchestre – "Water / Light / Shifts" (Remix) (2009)
• Genghis Tron – "Board Up the House" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2009)
• Ellen Allien – "Sun the Rain" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2011)
• John Cale – "Suffocation Raga for John Cale" (Tim Hecker Transition) (2012)
• Mogwai – "Rano Pano" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2012)
• Ellen Allien – "Sun the Rain" (Tim Hecker Rmx) (2013)
• The Field – "No. No..." (Tim Hecker Mix) (2014)
• Hundred Waters – "Down From the Rafters" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2014)
• Ben Frost – "Aurora" (2014)
• Dorian Concept – "The Sky Opposite" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2015)
• Interpol – "Twice As Hard" (Remixed By Tim Hecker) (2016)
• Sarah Neufeld – "The Ridge" (2016)
• Michael Gordon, Mantra Percussion – "Timber" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2016)
• Ben Lukas Boysen – "Nocturne 4" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2017)
• Chitose Hajime – "豊年節" (Tim Hecker Remix) (2019)
• Arca – "Cayó" (2022){{Cite web |title=Arca Continues Her Unparalleled World-Building with "Cayó" |url=https://floodmagazine.com/106184/watch-arca-cayo/ |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=FLOOD |language=en}}

• List of ambient music artists

{{Reflist|30em}}

• Bergmann, Brett. "[http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/11_2/bergmann_hecker.html Global Movement, Local Detail: The Music of Tim Hecker]." eContact! 11.2 – Figures canadiennes (2) / Canadian Figures (2) (July 2009). Montréal: CEC.
• Hecker, Tim. "[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39351-guest-list-tim-hecker Guest List Top 10]." Pitchfork. October 27, 2006.
• Richardson, Mark. "[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9497-harmony-in-ultraviolet Tim Hecker: Harmony in Ultraviolet]." Pitchfork. CD Review. October 16, 2006.

• {{IMDb name|4526945}}
• {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p508841|label=Tim Hecker}}
• [http://www.discogs.com/artist/59906-Tim-Hecker Discography at Discogs]

{{Tim Hecker}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hecker, Tim}}

Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Montreal

Category:Musicians from Vancouver

Category:Canadian ambient musicians

Category:Noise musicians

Category:Alien8 Recordings artists

Category:Paper Bag Records artists

Category:Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year winners

Category:Kranky (record label) artists

Category:Canadian film score composers

Category:Canadian male film score composers