German musician and producer.
Traumprinz is an ambient techno producer from Hannover, Germany, whose work has inspired a ravenous cult following. Though his real name hasn't been disclosed, it is known that he is also responsible for the work produced under the monikers DJ Metatron and Prince Of Denmark, among several others. Up until 2017, nearly all of his music appeared on elusive German techno label Giegling or its Traumprinz and Forum sublabels. His lengthy, quietly euphoric tracks often utilize heart-tugging, echo-covered soul or gospel samples in a manner not dissimilar to some of Moby's work. Some of his tracks, particularly the Prince Of Denmark material, exhibit more of a dub-techno influence, while releases such as 2020's Loops of Infinity (A Rave Loveletter) (as DJ Metatron) dip into trance. As DJ-friendly as it is emotional, his work has struck a chord with clubgoers and journalists alike.
After debuting in 2010 with Prince Of Denmark's Soulfood EP, Traumprinz kicked off his eponymous imprint with Freedom in 2011. Several more EPs followed in 2012: Into the Sun, Say or Do, Paradise with a Lobotomy (a rare release on an outside label, Kann Records), and Prince of Denmark's To the Fifty Engineers. Traumprinz's debut LP, Mothercave, appeared on Giegling in 2013; easily the project's most experimental work to date, the release dabbled in hip-hop, downtempo, and drum'n'bass. Prince of Denmark's triple LP The Body was also issued that year by Forum. Two Traumprinz releases appeared in 2014: Intrinity and All the Things. DJ Metatron's debut release, the trance-inspired U'll Be the King of the Stars, surfaced at the end of the year.
The artist was mostly silent during 2015, other than an entry in Giegling's digital mix series, but he made a big impact in 2016. 2 the Sky, an EP with tracks credited to both DJ Metatron and Traumprinz, appeared on Giegling to much acclaim; "2 Bad [Metatron's What If Madness Is Our Only Relief Mix]" was eventually named Resident Advisor's number one track of the year. Diva, Traumprinz's most club-friendly release yet, arrived in October, and at the end of the year a=Prince of Denmark] issued 8, an eight-LP box set. Despite its hefty price tag and no advance soundclips being made available, it sold out of its first pressing immediately.
In 2017, the artist announced that he had severed ties with Giegling and retired the Prince Of Denmark project, but didn't specify the fate of Traumprinz or DJ Metatron. On Easter Sunday of 2018, he released two triple LPs under different monikers: Nothing 2 Loose, credited to Dj Healer, and [Invalid Artist], as Prime Minister of Doom. Two EPs as Golden Baby, Forgotten World 1 and 2, appeared in 2019. DJ Metatron returned in 2020 with Loops of Infinity (A Rave Loveletter), a four-LP set touching on '90s trance and breakbeat. The artist also debuted yet another alias, the Phantasy, with two double EPs, Ibiza and Ibiza Pt. II.
Biography credits by Paul Simon.
