Dellacher & Henneberg, two musicians from different corners of contemporary music with one, shared vision. Christian Dellacher controls the harmonics at the piano and Rhodes, while Andreas Henneberg manipulates Moog synthesizers and rhythm machines. Together, they create music somewhere between instrumental compositions, modern jazz, electronica and experimental sound design. Their work explores what happens when electronic sound design and acoustic instrumentation are given the freedom to interact without predefined boundaries.

Dellacher trained as a pianist before moving further into composition, arranging and conducting. His work as a keyboardist has taken him to the Cyprus Jazz Festival and stages in Leverkusen, Aalen and Dresden, while his work in arranging, composing and conducting led to collaborations with orchestras including the Dortmunder Symphoniker, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, Philharmonie Essen, Staatskapelle Weimar and the Symphonic Orchestra of Corfu. In recent years, his work increasingly explores the meeting point between acoustic instruments and electronics

Henneberg has been shaping electronic music from Berlin since the mid 1990s as a producer, DJ, live performer, label owner and mastering engineer. His work moves between techno, minimal and house, with releases and collaborations connected to labels including Get Physical, Bedrock, Desert Hearts, Katermukke, Systematic Recordings and his own SNOE and Voltage Musique imprints. Genres like indie rock, electronica and trip hop as well as his symphonic electronic project Synth Happens have found their way into his studio, often bringing acoustic instruments into electronic settings. He is one half of The Glitz, the man behind aliases such as Cascandy and HENNON, and has spent more than two decades developing his own approach to electronic music production, sound design and performance.

Their collaboration is built on a long familiarity with each other’s musical strengths, but Dellacher & Henneberg gives those strengths a new setting. Here, Dellacher’s instinct for harmony, improvisation and instrumental expression meets Andreas’ experience in synthesis, modular melodies, rhythm, sound design and mixing. Piano and Rhodes meet Moog synthesizers and machines, with neither side expected to conform to the other. Sometimes the difference is obvious; sometimes it isn’t. A piano phrase can sit inside a programmed rhythm without losing its sense of movement, while a synthesizer can take on a surprisingly organic role.

ACOUSMATICS is the first album that grew out of this way of working. The setup was deliberately limited and the music wasn’t written according to a fixed plan. They sat down, played, recorded and followed the material from there, allowing each piece to develop its own character. Some pieces retain the warmth and irregularity of live playing, others lean further into sequenced patterns, dynamic low-ends and the precision of the studio. Analog warmth sits alongside sharper digital detail, and there are moments when it becomes difficult to tell exactly where the acoustic instrument ends and the electronics begin.

On stage they bring ACOUSMATICS into a setting where the compositions can expand, change shape and incorporate additional instrumentalists depending on the space and context.The album marks the beginning of a collaboration built around curiosity, musicality and the freedom to follow an idea without deciding in advance where it should lead.

• Christian Dellacher – Piano & Rhodes
• Andreas Henneberg – Moog & Machines

🀰 References

We performed our compositions live together with:

• Neue Philharmonie Westfalen
• Dortmunder Symphoniker
• Nürnberger Symphoniker
• Philharmonie Essen
• Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
• Robert-Schumann Philharmonie
• Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel
• Staatsorchester Kassel
• Symphonic Orchestra of Corfu Greece
• Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
• Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt
• Staatskapelle Weimar
• Orchestra of the National Theater Mannheim
• and many many more…

“Synth Happens” by Andreas Henneberg unites electronic dance music with a philharmonic orchestra. Live on stage!

 When was the last time time you visited an opera house? Or did you ever? Imagine phat basslines and heavy kick drums together with the powerful sound of a philharmonic orchestra and more than 80 people on stage. No, it’s not just Mozart with beats. The musical concept of Synth Happens is based on existing songs and brand new productions from Andreas Henneberg himself. Affectionately translated into the world of classical instruments and rearranged for an impressive live show.

Written by:  Andreas Henneberg   |   Arranged by:  Christian Dellacher   |   Production & Dramaturgy by:  Dr. Barbara Volkwein

🀰 References

In the last 10 years Synth Happens was played live at/with: The National Theatre Mannheim | Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra | Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg | Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock | Staatstheater Kassel & Dokumenta | Staatskapelle Weimar | Theater Erfurt | Nürnberger Symphoniker | Theater Chemnitz | Kieler Symphoniker | Corfu Philharmonics Greece | Neue Philharmonie Westfalen | MiR Gelsenkirchen | Philharmonie Essen and many more.