Biography
Steve Hauschildt crafts expansive electronic soundscapes that stretch from opulent, melody-driven ambient works to brisker selections shaped by synth pop and ambient techno. Long recognized as one member of the lauded ambient trio Emeralds, he has built a substantial body of work under his own name. Solo activity began with scattered releases in 2007, but his first full-length solo statement arrived with the 2011 album Tragedy & Geometry, which emphasized the cosmic dimensions already present in Emeralds. Later solo projects introduced new wave-tinged melodies on 2012’s Sequitur and airy techno rhythms on 2018’s Dissolvi.
Emeralds formed in 2006 with Hauschildt joined by guitarist Mark McGuire and synthesizer player John Elliott. Although the group operated within the American noise and avant-garde community, its music avoided abrasive textures in favor of immersive, exploratory sound fields that recalled the Berlin School and kosmische lineage of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. In 2007 Hauschildt launched the imprint Gneiss Things, which issued Emeralds recordings together with his own material and titles by associates such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Sam Goldberg, and Pulse Emitter. He also placed a handful of limited cassettes and CD-Rs on Arbor and Deception Island, yet unlike his bandmates he kept outside commitments to a minimum. The trio produced several notable albums, among them 2009’s What Happened on No Fun Productions and 2010’s Does It Look Like I’m Here? on Editions Mego, and maintained a busy touring schedule that included opening slots for Throbbing Gristle and Caribou.
Hauschildt joined the roster of Kranky as a solo artist in 2011 and delivered his debut for the label that November, the luminous double-LP Tragedy & Geometry. The following November brought Sequitur, a concise follow-up that highlighted drum-machine patterns and luminous synth-pop melodies; Emeralds explored a comparable approach on the simultaneously released Just to Feel Anything. After McGuire’s departure, Emeralds disbanded in early 2013. Hauschildt and Elliott initially stated they would continue as a duo, but soon chose separate paths. Later that year Editions Mego issued the double-CD archive set S/H, whose first disc contained previously unreleased pieces recorded between 2010 and 2012 while the second disc reached back to 2005 and included rare tracks that had appeared only on limited cassettes and CD-Rs. In 2014 Hauschildt assembled the first disc of the two-CD ambient compilation Air Texture IV, selecting music by Heathered Pearls, Mirror to Mirror, Le Révélateur, and others alongside two new pieces of his own.
Hauschildt returned to Kranky in 2015 with the expansive double-LP Where All Is Fled, another collection of glistening, arpeggio-rich ambient works that remained faithful to his debut yet introduced atmospheric techno pulses on the track “Aequus.” Kranky followed with his fourth solo album, the intricate yet fluid Strands, the next year. After relocating to Chicago, Hauschildt recorded Dissolvi, a more techno-oriented set featuring guest vocals from Julianna Barwick and Gabi; Ghostly International released the album in 2018. The same label issued Nonlin the following year, a freer and more open-ended record shaped during his time on tour.
Emeralds formed in 2006 with Hauschildt joined by guitarist Mark McGuire and synthesizer player John Elliott. Although the group operated within the American noise and avant-garde community, its music avoided abrasive textures in favor of immersive, exploratory sound fields that recalled the Berlin School and kosmische lineage of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. In 2007 Hauschildt launched the imprint Gneiss Things, which issued Emeralds recordings together with his own material and titles by associates such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Sam Goldberg, and Pulse Emitter. He also placed a handful of limited cassettes and CD-Rs on Arbor and Deception Island, yet unlike his bandmates he kept outside commitments to a minimum. The trio produced several notable albums, among them 2009’s What Happened on No Fun Productions and 2010’s Does It Look Like I’m Here? on Editions Mego, and maintained a busy touring schedule that included opening slots for Throbbing Gristle and Caribou.
Hauschildt joined the roster of Kranky as a solo artist in 2011 and delivered his debut for the label that November, the luminous double-LP Tragedy & Geometry. The following November brought Sequitur, a concise follow-up that highlighted drum-machine patterns and luminous synth-pop melodies; Emeralds explored a comparable approach on the simultaneously released Just to Feel Anything. After McGuire’s departure, Emeralds disbanded in early 2013. Hauschildt and Elliott initially stated they would continue as a duo, but soon chose separate paths. Later that year Editions Mego issued the double-CD archive set S/H, whose first disc contained previously unreleased pieces recorded between 2010 and 2012 while the second disc reached back to 2005 and included rare tracks that had appeared only on limited cassettes and CD-Rs. In 2014 Hauschildt assembled the first disc of the two-CD ambient compilation Air Texture IV, selecting music by Heathered Pearls, Mirror to Mirror, Le Révélateur, and others alongside two new pieces of his own.
Hauschildt returned to Kranky in 2015 with the expansive double-LP Where All Is Fled, another collection of glistening, arpeggio-rich ambient works that remained faithful to his debut yet introduced atmospheric techno pulses on the track “Aequus.” Kranky followed with his fourth solo album, the intricate yet fluid Strands, the next year. After relocating to Chicago, Hauschildt recorded Dissolvi, a more techno-oriented set featuring guest vocals from Julianna Barwick and Gabi; Ghostly International released the album in 2018. The same label issued Nonlin the following year, a freer and more open-ended record shaped during his time on tour.
Albums
Singles
