ANDY PRINZ
My Journey: Andy Prinz – Producer and A&R Visionary
I’ve been immersed in music for over 30 years, a journey sparked in the 1980s by the raw energy of synthesizers and samplers. Starting with classical piano, I began crafting melodies, and by 1991, I co-founded DELAY, a synthpop-industrial band inspired by Depeche Mode and the EBM scene. We released demos like “Under The Bridge” and “Pep Pill”, albums such as “Underdogs” and “An Altered State of Consciousness”, and toured Germany & Switzerland in 1996. Those early days were electrifying, but as the scene evolved, I shifted to Techno and Trance, concluding DELAY with “Winter Paranoia” before exploring new sounds with projects like And-E & Mac Lane’s “Swallow It Down”—featured on Junior Vasquez’s Twilo Vol.1—and “You Are Virus”, plus solo work under aliases like Ayion, Astura and many more.
In 2001, I went all-in, founding Andy Prinz Publishing. As a producer, I crafted gold-certified hits like DJ Tatana’s “Words”, which dominated Swiss charts for 15 weeks, and contributed to her platinum album “Superpop” (Warner Music), alongside DJ Jaro’s “Turn The Night” and “Wondermilk” album for Sony Music. My solo albums “Distant Horizon” (2008), co-written with talents like Raz Nitzan, and “Divergence” (2010) defined my trance legacy. I’m currently working on my third solo album, integrating cutting-edge AI tools like Suno to push my sound into its next evolution. My remixes, including Schiller’s “Lichtermeer” (2013) and Perpetuous Dreamer’s “Future Fun Land”, wove atmospheric depth that resonated in chillout and trance circles. As Astura, my track “Orion’s Belt” landed on playlists of Tiësto and Armin van Buuren, hitting the British Dance Charts via Mondo Records. My publishing catalog, with over 700 songs, includes releases like “Into The Ocean”, “Wide Open / Diversity Of Life”, and “Lost Inside The Senses” with Naama Hillman, plus works by Bjorn Akesson, Alex Price, Dan Scholes, Dave Emanuel, HMS, Tatana, DJ Jaro, Yoyo Borobia, Ferry Tayle, 1&2 Productions, and Pull n Way.
As an A&R and product manager, I’ve shaped careers and brands with equal passion. In the early 2000s, I served as national PM for Steinberg, TC Works, Mindprint, Prosoniq, and Propellerheads, championing tools like NUENDO and REASON that transformed music production. My work in retail, publishing, and indie labels led me to found OFFSHORE MUSIC in 2004, where I signed artists like York and Aly & Fila, co-launching the FSOE sublabel to fuel their initial global rise. I also served as external A&R for Sony Switzerland’s EPIC Dance, steering dance music projects. In 2016, I formed the Swiss pop-electronic girlband Pull n Way, co-producing tracks like “Let Me Fly” and “Inside Out”. They started on Instagram, becoming early influencers with brand deals from OPPO and others, building a global fanbase. Since 2018, as Director of A&R at Musikvertrieb AG (muve recordings), Switzerland’s top independent distributor and label, I’ve driven digital strategies, amplifying artists like Luca Hänni, whose Eurovision hit “She Got Me” went viral, and signing synthwave artist Lazer Boomerang, whose “Time to Pretend” racked up nearly 100 million streams, mostly in China, through TikTok and Bilibili. I guided Pull n Way to success with hits “Anything” and “Memento”, produced by the Australian duo 1&2 Productions, whom I discovered early, before their international success, with “Anything” breaking Swiss airplay charts. Artists like Tobias Jensen, WE ARE AVA, and CRIMER also shine under my guidance, dominating Swiss airwaves. In 2021, I co-founded and launched LIVANA MUSIC AG from scratch, a Swiss label and publishing company focused on electronic and neoclassical music, nurturing talents like Chiara Dubey and, more recently, Mané, while pioneering Web3-driven experiences and live events to establish LIVANA MUSIC as a globally recognized imprint.
I’ve shared my insights as a thought leader at events like Mastering the Music Business in Bucharest, M4Music, and Musiksymposium in Zurich, and served as a board member of the politically motivated Musikschaffende, now SONART. For decades, I’ve represented my companies at global conventions like MiCannes, MIDEM, and ADE in Amsterdam, forging ties with partners such as Ultra Music Publishing, Cloud 9, ROBA Music Publishing, David Gresham Music Publishing, Sony ATV, Sirup Music Publishing, and other industry leaders.
Innovation drives me, from Web 3.0 and cryptocurrency to open-source tech and AI. I’ve pioneered voice model licensing with DJ Fresh’s Voice-Swap.ai (voice model “Mylène”) and leveraged blockchain to reshape music marketing and financing. As a consultant, my vision and marketing strategies create authentic engagement, setting new standards while guiding startups in music financing, Web3, and distribution to establish a foothold in Switzerland.
Outside the studio, I’m passionate about mentorship, marketing, and publishing, with a deep love for art and nature’s beauty—from sun-kissed shores to alpine peaks. I’m not just a music maker; I’m a visionary sculpting the sound and future of the music industry.
