| Trickster | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Birth Name: | Juergen Walter Pichler |
| Birth Place: | Austria |
| Instrument: | vocals, piano |
| Occupation: | musician, music producer, songwriter |
Trickster (real name: Juergen Pichler) is an Austrian musician living in the UK, known for his eclectic musical style.
The singer Trickster debuted in November 2022 with the single Thank Fuck It's Christmas, in which he performed alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra a not safe for work expletive-ridden song reflecting the tensions and stress of that year. The lyrics were written by Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams songwriter and producer), in collaboration with the comedian Steve Furst and Trickster.[1] [2] [3] Billed as "the only Christmas song that could have come out of 2022", its lyrics took aim at problematic factors of that year, like the UK government activity, cost of living crisis, pandemics, ultra-rich trying to move to Mars.[4]
A clean version titled Praise Be It’s Christmas was also released and its two videos went viral, with several million views on YouTube. One of these music videos was directed by Phil Griffin (known for his work with Amy Winehouse, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney)[5] and the other one, shot in the Swiss Alps, was directed by Norbert Blecha (Requiem for Dominic, Wolfsliebe).[6]
Money raised from both songs were donated by Trickster to charities tackling child welfare and social hunger.[7] [8] Under the motto "real change is no joke", Trickster and his team distributed food produce to several food banks in the UK. The South-West Belfast Foodbank, in one of the most deprived areas, received a significant boost through this campaign (they almost missed it though because, at first, they thought it was a prank, given the unexpected amount directed towards this rather unsupported area of the country). Specific attention to details like the nutritional value of the food provided were explained by the singer by his own childhood experiences with adequate nutrition insecurity.[9]
In these music videos, Trickster's real identity was hidden by animation, which prompted speculations about who he might be, some wondering if he is the lyrics co-writer Steve Furst[5] or some popular personality Guy Chambers has worked with previously or some faded former famous name with a score to settle.[4]
In May 2023, Trickster released the single Still Kicking, inspired by a car accident he survived in 2017 in southern France, with a musicality described as drawing on late '90s alternative rock, Americana and cinematic soundscapes.[10] The track was produced by Guy Chambers, Richard Flack and Trickster. The music video features the singer without any hiding animation and, along with the story behind the song, some more information appeared in press mentioning that he is an Austrian residing in the UK.[11]
In November 2023, Trickster released "Silent Night" vs "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", a mash-up blend of the two Christmas classics featuring the vocal group The Swingles. On this occasion, the media coverage also mentioned this singer's real name, Juergen Pichler[12] (owner of this Trickster brand).[13] [14] He was already known as a producer of various bands and musicians (like the Austrian band Hunger)[15] [16] and as a songwriter (like Olé Hola of Patrick Lindner).[17] He also supported charity work initiatives, like "Stop the Puppy Mafia" in Austria.[18]
On 23 April 2024 (Saint George's Day), Trickster launched his version of the UK national anthem God Save the King, recorded together with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road. He mentioned that he wanted to create this version to express his love for the United Kingdom. The track was the first recorded for King Charles by a foreigner.[19] In the production phase, when returning from Portugal as a co-pilot on a helicopter, he had to make an emergency landing on a farm in north-western Spain, due to technical difficulties.[20]