The Hirsch Effekt

The Hirsch Effekt

The Hirsch Effekt are a German experimental rock band from Hannover, formed in 2008. Their music combines elements of experimental music, mathcore, metal, post-hardcore and progressive metal, and is often described as artcore. The group is active from 2008 to the present and is associated with Midsummer Records and Long Branch Records.

Formation and name

Nils Wittrock and Ilja Lappin meet at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media and form the band in 2008 with Philipp Wende. The band name refers to the Hirsch effect, named after the German physician Rahel Hirsch.

Early releases and collaborations

In 2009, the band releases a self-titled demo with five songs and sends it to fanzines, blogs, independent labels and promoters in Germany, along with handwritten letters. They draw attention through work with the Hanover Chamber Choir and through orchestral arrangements that sit outside standard emocore and mathcore expectations. Their debut album, Holon: Hiberno, opens the Holon trilogy and appears in 2010 on Midsummer Records, with production by Jens Siefert.

After a support slot for Adolar, they connect with Kapitän Platte, which issues the vinyl edition of Holon: Hiberno in early 2011. In the same year, they release the split EP Perigæum / Apogæum with the hardcore band Caleya through Ampire Records. Kapitän Platte also releases a split single with Adolar containing cover versions by both bands. Through Adolar, they then work with producers Tim Tautorat and Max Trieder, whose previous credits include Turbostaat, David Hasselhoff and In Flames.

Holon trilogy and later records

The second album in the Holon trilogy, Holon: Anamnesis, is released in 2012 on Kapitän Platte and Midsummer Records. The band tours with The Dillinger Escape Plan after appearing in the “Visions in Concert” series, and also plays numerous headline shows. Around this period they release another split with Zinnschauer, featuring orchestral versions of two album tracks and previously unreleased material.

Founding member Philipp Wende leaves in 2013, after which Moritz Schmidt joins on drums. The track “Fixum” is recorded with him, and the band continues touring before releasing the third Holon album, Holon: Agnosie, in 2015 on Long Branch Records.

The band perform at Wacken Open Air in 2017, then issue their fourth album, Eskapist, later that month. The album reaches number 21 on the German album chart. In 2018, Nils Wittrock publishes Wer jetzt noch umblättert ist selber schuld, a book about the band’s history from his perspective, to mark ten years of the group. After the 2020 album Kollaps, they release the limited EP Gregær in March 2021, with one new song and three previously released tracks reworked with orchestral elements. Those recordings involve musicians from Hanover and are funded through crowdfunding during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, they release the EP Solitaer, with each of its three new tracks written individually by one of the band members.