Hattler

A project led by German bassist Hellmut Hattler, Hattler has, since the early 2000s, continued a path begun with the bands Kraan and Tab Two by moving his bass playing into a more electronic, groove-oriented context. Based in Germany, Hattler develops a nu-jazz that blends elements of funk, pop and downtempo, where melodic bass lines structure flexible rhythmic frameworks and often create cinematic atmospheres. The group operates as a variable-geometry formation around Hellmut Hattler, combining soul singers, guitarists from the jazz-fusion tradition and musicians versed in electronic music, allowing the same material to circulate between song formats, extended instrumentals and ambient-adjacent pieces. On stage Hattler performs in clubs and at jazz and contemporary music festivals, with constant attention to the live dimension of the sound, the interaction between improvisation and arrangement, and an aesthetic that links the heritage of German jazz-rock with contemporary club culture.