Blackfish

Blackfish is a German electronic music group active since 1998. It is associated with downtempo, chillout, ambient, lounge and downbeat styles, and is linked to the wider development of electronic music from the 1990s onward.

Background

The project grows out of the work of Maximilian Lopp, who has been producing electronic music since 1992. His early activity is rooted in hip-hop with local crews in the Frankfurt region. He later turns towards trip-hop and club music, and then responds to the rise of drum and bass in the mid-1990s. Blackfish develops from his combination of these strands, bringing together hip-hop, trip-hop and drum and bass influences in an electronic framework.

Releases and related projects

Under the Blackfish name, Lopp releases two longplayers. The debut album, Pole Navigation, appears in 2001 on Konvex | Konkav and is regarded as a notable ambient and chillout album. He also works under the name Blackfish Productions as a music label. In addition, he is one of the producers behind the project Attic tree, which appears on the Brazilectro compilations.

Solo work

Outside Blackfish, Lopp works on solo music focused on earthy beats with a jazzy character. These tracks move between down-tempo and up-tempo approaches, while maintaining a warm, expressive atmosphere.