Alle Farben: the Berlin DJ who paints with sound

Alle Farben, German for "all colours", is the stage name of Frans Zimmer, a DJ and producer from Berlin. He played the Halloween festival at Rakičan Castle near Murska Sobota in 2019 and again in 2022. Photos are in the 2022 gallery and the 2019 gallery.

Music as colour

Zimmer was born in Berlin in 1985. Before music took over he was drawn to painting, and the name reflects how he thinks about sound: as colours to mix. His first album, released in 2014, made the idea explicit with its title, Synesthesia – I Think in Colours. Synesthesia is the condition in which the senses blend, so that people can, for example, see colours when they hear music.

Remixes, then hits

Like many DJs, Alle Farben built his name with remixes, including a 2013 remix of "The Snake" by the Austrian producer Parov Stelar. His own breakthrough came in 2014 with "She Moves (Far Away)", featuring the New Zealand singer Graham Candy. A year later "Supergirl", a collaboration with Anna Naklab and Younotus, became a major hit.

Further albums followed: Music Is My Best Friend in 2016 and Sticker on My Suitcase in 2019.

Melodic house for big crowds

Alle Farben's music sits between club music and pop: warm, melodic house with vocals that work on the radio and at festivals alike. That is part of why he has become a fixture on German television and at big outdoor events, where his sets bring everyone onto the dance floor rather than only the club crowd.

Halloween at Rakičan

Rakičan Castle, a Renaissance manor near Murska Sobota, hosts an annual Halloween music festival. Bringing a DJ of Alle Farben's profile to a castle park in Prekmurje made for an unusual setting: historic walls, costumes and an international house set.

See the photos from 2022 and 2019, or browse all galleries.