Biography Ralf Meinz ..................................................................Home:

Ralf Meinz  *1968 in Munich

    • At a very young age Ralf begins to play the drums and makes music in bands always as the youngest band member.
    • After he finished FOS school and the Dante Agostini drum school 1986, where he had elaborated drum teachers, he decided to make a life as a musician, artist  and sound engineer.
    • From 1988 Ralf Meinz moved to Stuttgart where he began his education as sound engineer at the famous “Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik”.
    • 1990 he made as a highlight the Muffin Men feat. Ike Willis (Zappa lead singer for 12 years) CD from recording to mastering. At that time Ralf began to investigate more in the avant-garde and free improvising scene. A collaboration with the Band from Utopia (all ex Zappa) led to a tour and a CD release.
    • Ralf Meinz was a partner in the studio and had together with his colleague two record labels and a publishing company all going together with the studio.
    • In this period Ralf also played theater in a free group and had acting teachers that are known in Germany (Gerald Ettwein of Lindenhof Theater, Willi Lieverscheid).
    • In 1991 Ralf Meinz also brought together his own band in that he was singing after he composed all music the years before and recorded it in the studio.
    • 1996 Ralf came to Tübingen where he started to work in the Zimmertheater for two years. Parallel he founded Chamber Of Art an art and music platform that is still producing. Also collaboration with the Something Noise concert series.
    • 1997 the first regular theater music contract there, after he composed a lot for his former theater group.
    • 1998 Change to Theaterhaus Stuttgart where Ralf was working as head of sound department for 8 years.
    • 2000 Member of New Improviser Ensemble Tübingen, N.I.E.T.
    • 2001 Member of the contemporary music ensemble Zeitkratzer.
    • 2002 Musician and sound designer for several projects. For example with Elliott Sharp for Something Noise.
    • Also in 2002 Ralf Meinz worked with Zeitkratzer and Lou Reed on Metal Machine Music. Performed in Berlin, Venice, etc. Works with people like Lee Renaldo from Sonic Youth followed.
    • 2004/2005 The Zeitkratzer/Lou Reed production Metal Machine Music have been mixed in Asphodel Studio in San Francisco by Ralf and Lou Reed. This production and the Xenakis Alive recording have been produced in 5.1 surround on DVD as well. Multichannel sound projects have been more and more important for Ralf’s career and the DVD’s have been an important step for him.
    • Also 2005 the trio Ausweis was founded together with artist and vocal artist Ulrike Helmholz and Pit Schmidt as sax and tapes player (both former art group Just Music).
    • 2006 Ralf Meinz became a member of the Krautrock band Faust as a drummer for almost a year. DVD avant-garde in the meadows documented the concert at Klangbad festival.
    • Also in 2006 collaboration with the munich based artist Berkan Karpat.
    • 2007 Ralf Meinz was making performances with Ulrike Helmholz in collaboration and for artist Angelika Flaig. Also on tour with Ausweis (e.g. AUXXX festival Amsterdam)
    • In 2007 there was the first art exhibition shown in the Istanbul Hagia Sofia. For this event Ralf Meinz and Berkan Karpat developed a sound installation in the art pavilion that was built in the Hagia Sofia.
    • Until 2008 many collaborations and festivals followed where some Fluxus pieces have been part of the programs. For example releases with Terry Thaemlitz, Carsten Nicolai, …
    • 2009 What River Is This by Lotte Anker was played and produced (e.g. with Fred Frith, Phil Minton, Ikue Mori and others) The CD  was released in 2013.
    • Also in 2009 art installation in Munich with Berkan Karpat.
    • 2010 collaboration and performances with Christer Hennix, Hilary Jeffery, Franz Hautzinger, Mazen Kerbaj and many more.
    • 2011 CD and live show of Textor with band and orchestra. Many CD productions and works with Berkan Karpat and Ulrike Helmholz. Closer collaboration with the artist and curator Michal Libera from Warsaw
    • 2012 Sound installation, sound art for the Polish Pavilion at the 13th Biennale in Venice with Kasia Krakowiak and Michal Libera who invited Ralf Meinz for this work. Mentioning Price and CD documentation of this work.
    • 2013 Various art festivals in Europe partly together with Michal Libera and Kasia Krakowiak, partly only with one of both. To name a few: Zacheta National Gallery in Warsaw, Fact Festival in Liverpool. Kunst Im Club art festival in Stuttgart. Music Festivals in Göteborg, Istanbul and in Germany and Poland.
    • Also in 2013: sound installation in New York with Kasia Krakowiak at Performa festival. And the art ensemble ZirkaZirka was founded by Ralf Meinz, Ulrike Helmholz and Bertil Rehmann. Performance at Kunstamt in Tresorraum.  
    • 2013 AvantAvantGarde festival with Michal Libera, Marion Wöhrle and Maciej Sledziecki in Berlin, Cologne, Krakow, Warsaw.
    • 2014 Tyto Alba CD with Michal Libera and Martin Küchen, CD productions  Tautologos, Tartini. As Sarah sound installation with Berkan Karpat in Munich.
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