{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{short description|German composer and musician}}
{{Infobox musical artist | name = Timo Blunck | image = Timo Blunck Portrait.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|03|25|df=y}} | birth_place = Buchholz i. d. Nordheide, Germany | origin = Hamburg, Germany | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|1962|03|25|df=y}} --> | death_place = | genre = Neue Deutsche Welle | occupation = Composer, vocalist, producer | instrument = Bass, guitar | years_active = 1978–present | label = Tapete Records | associated_acts = Die Zimmermänner, Palais Schaumburg, The Monochrome Set | website = {{url|www.blut.audio}} }}
'''Timo Blunck''' (born 25 March 1962) is a German composer, lyricist, producer, bassist and vocalist.
== Biography == Blunck was raised in Hamburg. At the age of nine, he began studying flute under Manfred Trojahn.
In 1978, Blunck founded The Skafighter with his school friend Detlef Diederichsen. In 1980, The Skafighter were renamed Ede und die Zimmermänner alongside the release of their first single on Alfred Hilsberg's Zick Zack label (they later simply went by Die Zimmermänner).<ref>Spex 04/83 / Musik Express/Sounds 03/83 / official Zimmermänner Biography on www.whatssofunnyabout.de</ref>
In 1981, Blunck became the bassist for Palais Schaumburg, where he also sang backing vocals for the first two albums. His unusual style of bass playing followed geometric patterns, as opposed to classical musical scales. This style was a fundamental part of Palais Schaumburg's atonal sound. Palais Schaumburg featured such producers as The Flying Lizards' David Cunningham, as well as Andy "Coati Mundi" Hernandez of Kid Creole & The Coconuts.<ref>Spex 12/81 / www.fusetronsound.com / Sounds 08/1982</ref>
In 1981, Palais Schaumburg signed with Daniel Miller's Mute Records, after which they played support for Depeche Mode.<ref>Depeche Mode: I just can't get enough, Simon Spence</ref>
Palais Schaumburg played in the Danceteria in New York, as well as performing as one of the first acts in Manchester's The Haçienda. On their European Tour 1982 they played with Kurtis Blow.<ref>The Hacienda: How not to run a club, Peter Hook</ref>
Photographer and Director Anton Corbijn, having previously created the album artwork for "Lupa" (1982), also filmed their first music video in 1983 for the single "Hockey".<ref>http://www.depechemode.de/antoncorbeijn{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>
From 1985 to 1990, Timo Blunck performed as the vocalist and songwriter of the Hamburg Pop band Grace Kairos. The Grace Kairos released two albums, produced by Ray Shulman of Gentle Giant. The singles "Carolina" and "I Don't Know What's Going On" charted in the Netherlands and Sweden. In 1990, Grace Kairos toured as the support for Wet Wet Wet.<ref>Spiegel 30 May 1988 / Musik Express 04/1990</ref>
In 1990, Blunck moved to London, where he opened a studio (Momentum Sounds). There he produced several artists, including Freaky Realistic and Christie Hennessy.<ref>Timo Blunck credits at www.allmusic.com</ref>
1992 saw the release of Blunck's solo album, titled "Timo", with the single "Louisiana Lonely".<ref>Musik Express 09/92</ref> the music video of which was filmed by German Director Gregor Schnitzler in Louisiana.
Blunck then moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, followed by Los Angeles.<ref>Official Biography in 'Das erste Buch Bluwi'</ref>
In 1998, Blunck opened the production company BLUWI, which creates music for Film, Television and advertising. BLUWI's clients include directors such as Justus von Dohnanyi and Christian Petzold, as well as brands including Audi, Mercedes, and Nivea.<ref>Financial Times 20 April 2005</ref>
In 2010, BLUWI began working in communication in space, including the Expo 2010 (Saudi-Arabian Pavilion) and the Expo 2012 in Yeosu (Swiss Pavilion, Caltex Pavilion).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tamschick.com/|title=TAMSCHICK MEDIA+SPACE|website=TAMSCHICK MEDIA+SPACE}}</ref>
Starting 2011, Blunck resumed playing with Palais Schaumburg, featuring its original lineup.<ref>taz 30 December 2011</ref> The band's success in Japan led to concerts in Tokyo and Osaka in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/|title=RA: Resident Advisor – electronic music online|website=Resident Advisor}}</ref>
Die Zimmermänner released further albums, the latest of which "Ein Hund Namens Arbeit" was produced by Blunck and released by Tapete Records.<ref>Rolling Stone 10/2014</ref>
In 2014 Blunck mixed the album "Spaces Everywhere" from the London band The Monochrome Set.<ref>Musikexpress 03/2015</ref>
Timo Blunck has been a member of the Art Director's Club Germany since 2002 <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adc.de/|title=Art Directors Club für Deutschland – ADC|website=Art Directors Club für Deutschland – ADC}}</ref>
Summer 2015, Timo Blunck mixed the album Über... Menschen of the Düsseldorf band Fehlfarben.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tapeterecords.de/|title=Home|website=Tapete Records}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Musician-Band/63572179769/|title=Die Zimmermänner|website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>
Following 1 June 2015, Blunck, along with BLUWI producer Stephanie Zanatta, founded the company BLUT. Here they are continuing their work after the termination of BLUWI.<ref>BLUWI/BLUT Newsletter 07/15</ref>
== Personal life == Timo Blunck splits his time between Hamburg and New Orleans. He has three sons with American stylist Sondra Blunck.
== Selected discography == '''Ede & die Zimmermänner'''
* Eva, Jürgen & Max (Single, Zick Zack 1980)
'''Die Zimmermänner'''
* Ein halbes Jahr/Kultur (Single, Zick Zack 1981) * 1001 Wege Sex zu machen ohne daran Spaß zu haben (Album, Zick Zack 1982) * Zurück in der Zirkulation (EP, Zick Zack 1983) * Anja (EP, Cherry Red 1983) * Goethe (Album, AtaTak 1984) * Fortpflanzungssupermarkt (Album, Zick Zack 2007) * Ein Hund namens Arbeit (Album, Tapete 2014) * Die Wäscheleinen waren lang (Boxset Retrospektive 1980–1985, Tapete 2014)
'''Palais Schaumburg'''
* Telefon (Single, Zick Zack 1981) * Palais Schaumburg (Album, Phonogram/Mute 1981) * Lupa (Album, Phonogram 1982) * Hockey (EP, Phonogram 1983) * Palais Schaumburg (Doppelalbum Re-Issue, Bureau B 2012)
'''Grace Kairos'''
* Fall In Love With Frank (Album, RCA 1987) * Emotionspark (Album, RCA 1989)
'''Solo'''
* Timo (Album, RCA 1992)
== Selected filmography == * 2004: ''Außer Kontrolle'' (Director: Christian Görlitz) * 2007: ''{{ill|Bis zum Ellenbogen|de}}'' (Director: Justus von Dohnányi) * 2008: ''Tatort: Unbestechlich'' (Director: {{ill|Nils Willbrandt|de}}) * 2012: ''{{Ill|Blood Eagle (film)|de|3=Blutadler (Film)|lt=Blood Eagle}}'' (Director: Nils Willbrandt) * 2013: ''Tatort: Schwindelfrei'' (Director: Justus von Dohnányi) * 2014: ''Junges Deutschland'' (Director: Jan Hinrik Drevs)
== Selected awards == * Goldener Nagel for sound design 'Loewe – Chor', ADC 2009 * Red Dot Award 2010 Saudi-Arabian Pavillon, Expo Shanghai * DDC Award 2010 'Im Reich der Schatten', Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier * Golden Lion for Music 'Monkey/A Peace Of Mind', Cannes Advertising Festival 2010 * Golden Clio for Music 'Monkey/A Peace Of Mind', New York 2010 * Bronze Clio for Music BMW Scooter 'Modern Movement', New York 2012 * Red Dot Award 2014 'The Time Machine – Wu Kingdom Helv Relics Museum Wuxi, China'
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.blut.auido/ blut.audio]{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} * [http://www.zimmermaenner.net/ zimmermaenner.net] * [http://www.palaisschaumburg.com/ palaisschaumburg.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143707/http://www.timoblunck.com/ timoblunck.com] * {{IMDb name|1154724}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blunck, Timo}} Category:1962 births Category:German bass guitarists Category:American male bass guitarists Category:German expatriates in the United States Category:German lyricists Category:German male composers Category:German male singers Category:German record producers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Hamburg Category:Musicians from New Orleans Category:People from Harburg (district) Category:Guitarists from Louisiana Category:20th-century American bass guitarists Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:German male guitarists Category:Singers from New Orleans