For the past 12 years Berlin’s very own ‘orchester spezial’, the 17 HIPPIES, have been playing their whirling, crashing, diving, bobbing and weaving mixture of music from around the world, all over Europe … and beyond. Imagine a mix of Eastern melodies, Balkan rhythms, French chanson, Anglo song writing, Cajun tunes, all perfectly blended together, creating their own unique "Berlin Style“ of ... yes ... pop music. Oh, and they sing in German, English and French.

This energetic 17 HIPPIES music is the distillation of many genres. The musicians' musical backgrounds reveal influences from rock-pop to classical and jazz, and is reflected in the instruments they play: accordion, trombone, trumpet, violin, cello, woodwinds, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, Irish bouzouki, guitar, double bass, Indian harmonium and more ...

Starting in the spring of 1995 as a trio playing mainly instrumental music, the band mutated into an ensemble -- now numbering 13 musicians -- which displays a vast range of musical creativity, ranging from their French radio hit “Marlène”, to the soundtrack for the award-winning movie HALBE TREPPE by Andreas Dresen (Silver Bear, Berlin Film Festival); from a project called SEXY AMBIENT HIPPIES involving DJs, to a project called 17 HIPPIES PLAY GUITAR featuring New York guitarist Marc Ribot. Not to forget a joint venture CD called HARDCORE TROBADORS with the notorious LES HURLEMENTS d’LÉO from Bordeaux, theatre music for Japan's famed ISSEY OGATA in Tokyo, and the DEUTSCHES THEATER back home in Berlin.

All in all, 17 HIPPIES have played more than 1.200 live concerts, all over Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and Japan, with additional single concerts in London and the SXSW festival in Austin, TX.

With their new CD “HEIMLICH” (something between “top secret” and “secretively”), the 17 HIPPIES are setting a twelfth year milestone. Starting off by “making music just for leisure & pleasure”, passing through the stage of “a hobby out of control” and now reaching the point of a globally-touring band with their own record label, management and publishing company, the 13 musicians from Berlin undoubtedly deserve the tag “unique”.

“HEIMLICH“ is the 17 HIPPIES' most recent release. It´s the second studio production of their eight albums. Their last live CD & (DVD) was LIVE IN BERLIN, a stunning concert recording. In this new intoxicating album three quarters of the tunes are vocal – sung in German, French and English – interpreted by different members of the group.

HEIMLICH“ starts off with "Schattenmann“ (“man in the shadows”), a wild dance inspired by a Romanian melody, that develops into a rhythmical parcour-chase, with piccolo and harmonica leading the way, chased by a Las Vegas horn section. “Son Mystère” starts off as an emotional ballad, and turns into a mystic-epic wall of sound, with French lyrics accompanied by bass, santur, reed organ, accordion and clarinet. “Just Like You” blends melancholy Tex-Mex with Vaudeville strings, “Madam” combines Anglo-American songwriting with French chanson and German lyrics. And finally, in “The Moving Song”, Zydeco goes Bollywood – with a jew’s harp taking the lead.

Soul-searching stories from the heart, ranging from “being in love” to being left; from the oddities of life to the exclusions of death. The magic of the 17 HIPPIES: Their ability to celebrate a party with the melancholy depth and sadness that together creates the extraordinary ...just like that ... just like life.

Look forward to see them perform live!

“... the 17 HIPPIES are one of the most exiting band that exist in Germany today. And if you miss them, it's your own fault.”
Rolling Stone Germany

“An ice breaker! Wherever they perform, in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, or Japan. The 17 HIPPIES mesmerise the audience with their happy music.”
TIP Berlin

“The 17 Hippies are ridiculously underrated. They should be in the front rank of European world music artists …”
Charlie Gillet, BBC London