| Frank Heiss | |
| Birth Name: | Frank Carter Heiss |
| Alias: | HEISS, HearNow, tube, The Hick Step Massive, Lofi Junkiez, Hardware Junkiez |
| Birth Date: | July 24, 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genre: | EDM, jungle, downtempo, hip hop, breaks, acid |
| Occupation: | Record producer |
| Years Active: | 1996–2018 |
| Label: | Transcendent Tunes, EMI/Harvest Records, Rising High Records |
| Associated Acts: | Falu, D.V.S* |
| Website: | HEISSmusik.com |
Frank Heiss (July 24, 1971 – April 15, 2018) was an American electronic record producer best known by his alias HEISS. He previously toured and/or recorded under the aliases as tube, HearNow, Bionic Harmonic, and The Hick Step Massive.
Heiss released a large number of LPs, EPs, singles, and remixes, and in 2013 released the original album Ascensio(N), which Lost in Sound described as spiritual in tone, stating that "each track is stylistically unique. Heiss weaves through styles...from jazz fusion to drum n bass to reggae, and everything in between." The following year he released the remix album Awaken(D), featuring guest artists such as D.V.S*. Heiss was the owner of the record label Transcendent Tunes, which features music by future bass producers who seek a connection to the Divine.
Heiss heard the hardcore dance music popular in the UK.
In 1995, Heiss released the electronic EP Radical Technology under his full name on Rising High Records in the United Kingdom. This was followed in 1996 by the EP Flashdancers On Acid, a collaboration with Dr. Walker that was released on Sm:)e Communications in New York City. In the mid-1990s he also signed a recording contract with the New York City label Liquid Sky Music, under the moniker 'tube.' This was during the rise of American rave culture.
In 1998 while performing in and around Cologne, Germany another recording contract was established under the moniker HearNow, this time with Harvest/EMI - the label once home to Pink Floyd, Soft Machine and Deep Purple. In 1999, he toured as tube with the "To The Planet's Edge" tour in support of the Leeds UK goth band The Sisters Of Mercy.
The next phase in the career was a period of reflection and primarily studio only output. During this time that he wrote for and licensed music to a variety of television shows including One Life to Live, All My Children, and General Hospital. He also began his country/breakbeat mashup project known as The Hick Step Massive.
Awaken(D) is an album of remixes by D.V.S* Skytree, Supersillyus, Soulacybin, Living Light, Push/Pull, Futexture, Erothyme and others. According to a review in Lost in Sound, "AThere's no place for genres in this album – it's an exploration of countless rhythms, BPM's, and frequencies. Awaken(D) truly is a magical collection of sacred bass music." From the album TrustTheBrain.com selected the Supersillyus remix of Heiss' track "Drop the Fuss" as one of its Top 7 Tracks Out This Week.
HEISS incorporated a wide variety of styles, not settling into a specific genre. However, he frequently used the stylings of genres including IDM, jungle, downtempo, hip hop, breaks, and acid. He used both analog and digital musical equipment.
Heiss died unexpectedly on April 15, 2018.[1]
| Artist(s) | Label | Notes, role | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | I'd Love To Turn You On | Bionic Harmonic (Frank Heiss, Deknow) | Whole Tone | double album |
| 1997 | Hanging By A Thread | Frank Heiss | Syncom Productionz | double album |
| 1997 | Alive | tube | Home Entertainment | January 1, 1997, CD/12" vinyl |
| 1998 | HearNow Bending Spoons | Frank Heiss | CD, 16 Feb 1999 | |
| 2000 | Steak | tube | Whole Tone | January 1, 2000 |
| 2001 | Mental Illness | tube | Whole Tone | |
| 2002 | USEN3 (compilation) | DJ Not (Frank Heiss) | Whole Tone | January 2001 |
| 2002 | Me, Myself and Why (compilation) | Frank Heiss | Whole Tone | January 1, 2002 |
| 2004 | Still Alive | tube | Whole Tone | |
| 2008 | Back to Basics | tube | Whole Tone | |
| 2010 | The Sixth Sense | tube | Whole Tone | |
| 2012 | Awake(N) | HEISS | Transcendent Tunes | 12 December 2012 |
| 2013 | Ascensio(N) | HEISS | Transcendent Tunes | November 12, 2013 |
| 2014 | Awaken(D) (remix album) | HEISS | Transcendent Tunes | April 14, 2014 |
| Label | Notes, role | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Radical Technology | Frank Heiss | Rising High Records (UK) | 12" vinyl |
| 1996 | Flashdancers On Acid | Frank Heiss and Dr. Walker | Sm:)e Communications (NYC) | |
| 1998 | Ice Queen | Brotherz In Armz (Heiss, Ingmar Koch) | Syncom Productionz (gmbh) | |
| 1998 | Ordinary People | HearNow (Heiss) | Harvest Records | |
| 1998 | For The Young At Art | HearNow | Eat Raw (GER) | 12" vinyl |
| 1999 | Untitled | The Dank (Heiss, Michael O'Connell) | Hotel Lotte | 12" EP |
| 2001 | Leaving My Bed Today | The House Of Naught | ||
| 2004 | The Hick Step Massive | The Hick Step Massive | The Hick Step Massive | November 9, 2004 |
| 2010 | The Litmus Test EP | Frank Heiss | Acid All Stars | |
| Title | Artist | Label | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Nuttin' But An E Thang" | Phuturistic Phunk | |||
| 1997 | "All Natural" | Tube | |||
| "Ziehen" | |||||
| 1998 | "Still Crazy After All These Beers" | LoFi Junkiez | |||
| "Let's Get Mental" | tube | ||||
| 2013 | "The Captive Mind" (feat. Soham) | HEISS | |||
| "Jivanmukta" | |||||
| "Svadu" | |||||
| "Practice Laughter Yoga" (feat. Soham) | Mycelium Music | Included on Summer V/A Compilation 2013 | |||
| "" | |||||
Frank Heiss remixes of material by other artists.