hilmer hassig
It was Jesper Siberg's idea for us to use Hilmer Hassig to master "music to eat and lie down to". Mastering is the final process after mixing an album before manufacturing a CD. Finalising, with some extra EQ and compression. I could not believe how loud he made the album sound (which is often what mastering is judged by). Since then he mastered my entire output. "Neo-Classic", "UltraViva" and "Creations 3". He was widely-known in Denmark as a guitarist and more recently as a record producer. Mastering wasn't what he was best known for, he just had a natural flair for it.
In November 2008, shortly after uploading the masters for "Creations 3", he absent-mindedly walked out in front of a taxi and was killed. No-one could believe it. It made front page on the Danish newspapers.
Many of the members of the several bands he played in or produced over the last three decades came together to organise a benefit concert for his two young daughters. It sold out so quickly they had to do a second night. It was an amazing atmosphere. A celebration rather than a wake.
There seems to be a strand in the Danish quick to underplay their talents, and to hammer down any trace of arrogance. He was always very self-effacing whenever we spoke on the phone and I once had to ask him to send me a bigger bill. When we finally met in Copenhagen in summer 2008, we were talking about how he mastered the tracks. He was doing his usual thing of undervaluing his contribution and then, in the middle of this, out popped "you know, sometimes you just have to take a stand". Where did that come from? Fantastic.
I hadn't known Hilmer long but I had certainly imagined a longer future.
Hilmer is buried in the beautiful Assistens Kirkegarden in Norrebro, Kobenhavn.
scatterbrain 1/3/4
naive 2
hilmer's grave 5