Between film, music & sound „ifsonever“ aka Daniel Helmer is continuously redefining his essence as an artist. Expanding boundaries, pursuing the unheard and breaking genre definitions are byproducts of his curiosity and his drive to avoid repetition.
Emerging from a punk rock background, Daniel was part of a couple of garage bands since his early teenage days. The world of electronic music soon caught his ear and the endless soundscapes enabled by synthesizers triggered his creativity. Besides his studies at the Film Academy Vienna (under Michael Haneke, Christian Berger & Michael Hudecek) starting 2009, Daniel experimented with electronic music and refined his skills as a producer.
After a decade of touring Europe as a founding member of „Gudrun von Laxenburg“ (est. 2009), a live electro-punk spectacle that created a buzz big enough to be picked up by legendary record label „SKINT Records / BMG“ (UK) - (home of „Fatboy Slim“) and releasing the album „PANIC!“ (2017), Daniel aspired to evolve and reshape his artistic output.
The result, a collaboration with partner in crime Sam Irl: „Mantra Mantra“. Between Techno & Toto, the EP „Funke“ (2019), released on „International Major Label“ (AT), takes you on a wavy road of slow burning underground club music.
Subsequently the project „Yogtze“, together with friend & colleague Daniel Meuzard (aka Feater) was born. Released on Gerd Janson ́s esteemed label „Running Back Records“ (DE), this self titled EP (2020) offers a truly analogue & timeless trip into synth heaven.
Due to Daniel Helmer ́s background as a filmmaker and his growing interest in exploring new musical languages he decided to dive into the vast ocean of composing music for film. in 2021 Daniel composed & produced the score for two Austrian feature films: „Rubikon“ (together with Wolf-Maximilian Liebich) directed by Leni Lauritsch & „Heimsuchung“ directed by Achmed Abdel-Salam. He also dipped into theater productions and composed & performed for two stage plays in 2020 & 2021 together with Michael „Pogo“ Kreiner.
In the midst of the global pandemic early 2020, Daniel began working on music in his garden shed studio. Driven by the idea of creating his own, without having to compromise or living up to expectations a thesis transpired: Create music that is decoupled from the idea of exploitation. If so never it was released, what could emerge? „ifsonever“ was conceived and in opposition to its initial thesis the self-titled album will be released in fall 2022 via „Jazz&Milk Records“ (DE).
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