Biography
Who is Blixa Bargeld?
Early life and origins
Born Hans-Christian Emmerich in West Berlin, he grew up in the Tempelhof area. He left school early and taught himself music by experimenting with audio equipment, including taking apart tape recorders. His stage name comes from a brand of felt-tip pens called Blixa and the word for cash in German, which also referenced artist Johannes Theodor Baargeld. During the late 1970s, he moved out of his parents home to pursue his interests. He counts German bands like Kraftwerk, Neu! And Can as his primary musical influences from his youth.
Musical projects and bands
In 1980, Blixa Bargeld founded the group Einstürzende Neubauten. He explained that the band formed because they lacked instruments and could not afford standard musical equipment. Rather than an artistic choice to be different, the group relied on available materials and the reality of their live performance situations. This pragmatic approach defined the band's industrial sound. Over the years, the group has continued to record and tour, including the 2014 album Lament, which focused on the centenary of the First World War.
From 1983 until 2003, Blixa Bargeld served as a guitarist and backing vocalist for the Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Nick Cave initially noticed him performing on television and was struck by his stage presence. During this two-decade period, he contributed to the band's studio recordings and live shows. He also provided lead vocals on tracks like The Carny and The Weeping Song. His work with this band remains a key part of his professional history.
Creative collaborations and performance
Throughout his career, Blixa Bargeld has engaged in many musical partnerships. He collaborated with composer Teho Teardo on albums such as Still Smiling and Nerissimo. He also formed the project ANBB with Carsten Nicolai, releasing the album Mimikry in 2010. Also, he has performed solo Rede or Speech works since the mid-1990s, utilizing microphones, sound effects, and sampler loops to create unique audio pieces. He has also worked on theater plays and film soundtracks, including his contributions to works based on texts by Gertrude Stein and Rolf Dieter Brinkmann.
Personal life and family
Blixa Bargeld is married to Erin Zhu, an entrepreneur who is the daughter of Min Zhu. The couple has developed business models for musicians based on web-based fan subscriptions. They have been featured in design literature regarding media and business development. Blixa Bargeld and his spouse reside across multiple locations, including San Francisco, Beijing, and Berlin. They have a child together.
In a 2024 interview, he discussed his identity, noting that he considers himself queer and that his wife is the only cisgender person in their family. He was previously a vegetarian for three decades but stopped after facing difficulties maintaining the diet in China.
Birthday and age
Blixa Bargeld was born on January 12, 1959, which makes Blixa 67 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Blixa shares the date with 65 other famous people.
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