Daniel Brandt

Brandt was raised in Wiesbaden; his father was a rock drummer and his grandparents on his mother's side were a pianist and an opera singer.[1] He graduated from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne in 2011 with a degree from the film and television studies department.[2] As a student there, he founded the ensemble Brandt Brauer Frick with classmates Jan Brauer and Paul Frick; Brandt plays percussion instruments. The trio released its first full-length album in 2010.[2] After graduating, Brandt toured and recorded with the ensemble and founded his own record label, Gym Records; he also did video live event production for entertainment and news websites such as the BBC and the Guardian.[2] He went on to do record production work as well, including for German musician Anna F., whom he dated in 2017.[1]

His debut release as a solo artist, Eternal Something, was recorded in multiple locations, including a cabin in Germany and Joshua Tree National Park in the United States.[3] Brandt had initially wanted the album to be composed entirely of cymbal sounds, but changed his mind as he composed and recorded for it.[4][5] The album was released in March 2017 on the Erased Tapes label.[6] Brandt played all the instruments on Eternal Something except for hang drum, trombone, and cello.[7] Stylistically, the album was described by Pitchfork Media as a cross between modern classical and electronic dance music.[8]

Brandt followed Eternal Something with Channels, his second full-length, in October 2018.[9] The Line of Best Fit noted influences from Detroit techno, Tangerine Dream, and Steve Reich on the record.[10]

• Eternal Something (Erased Tapes, 2017)
• Channels (Erased Tapes, 2018)