Alfred Hilsberg died August 19th
Born in Wolfsburg in 1947, Hilsberg moved to Hamburg where he initially taught history of documentary films at art colleges before becoming a music journalist for at the time influential “Sounds” magazine from the mid-70s. He played a crucial role ushering in Germany’s idiosyncratic take on Punk, releasing more than 100 singles on his ZickZack label, organizing festivals and tours - many by radical underground artists, including the first releases of Freibank related bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten, Abwärts, Xmal Deutschland, Die Erde and many others. He reprised the label in the 90s again releasing artists that would become the influential “Hamburger Schule”. The “Pope of Punk” helped intrepid, visionary ideas gain visibility in close collaboration with Freibank Partner Klaus Maeck, who ran the legendary “Rip Off” record store next door and set up Germany’s first independent distribution network for ZickZack and other labels. Alfred remained connected to music into old age, even though he increasingly withdrew into private life. With his death, German pop culture has lost one of its most important and influential pioneers.