Cologne-based multi-instrumentalist David Helm and singer-songwriter Marek Johnson began his musical career with the Limburg Cathedral Boys‘ Choir. In contrast, during this time he devoted himself to the sound of noisy bands at muddy small-town punk rock festivals. In 2015, he completed his double bass studies at the HfMT Cologne.
As a highly acclaimed double bassist and improviser, he received the Cologne Jazz Prize in 2019. David can be heard on over 80 recordings and performs worldwide with numerous bands in a wide variety of musical contexts such as the German/Danish collective Fosterchild, the Shannon Barnett Quartet, Pollon and Own Your Bones. He currently performs as a harpsichordist and pianist in Emily Wittbrodt’s song cycle ‘Wearing Words’.
His own projects include a free improvisating duo with Parisian pianist Jozef Dumoulin, in which David Helm devotes himself to sound art with voice, guitar, objects and electronics. The debut album ‘No-Eyed Deer’ was released in 2022 on the Berlin label Anunaki Tabla.
In the summer of 2025, he released the debut album ‘First Crash’ by the electro-noise band Placebo Domingo together with Philip Zoubek and Dominik Mahnig.
At the end of the year, the third Marek Johnson album ‘Limbs’ will be released on Papercup Records.
Releases:
in a leading role: MAREK JOHNSON - Limbs (Papercup Records 2025) FOSTERCHILD - Order At Agan LIVE (Boomslang 2025) PLACEBO DOMINGO - First Crash (Boomslang Records 2025) Dave Berlin - Continental Baroque (Anunaki Tabla 2024) MAREK JOHNSON - Mumbling On The Floor (Papercup Records 2024) Dave Berlin - Specht Sein (Anunaki Tabla 2023) Headless Society - A (Anunaki Tabla 2023) Zooom Trio - Riding The Bloom(Bandcamp 2023) MAREK JOHNSON - At Home Again, Singing (Papercup Records 2022) Dave Berlin - TIP TOP (Anunaki Tabla 2022) David Helm & Jozef Dumoulin - NO-EYED DEER (Anunaki Tabla 2022) David Helm - Circle Of Life (bandcamp 2021) Dave Berlin - Vakuum der Phantasie (Anunaki Tabla 2021) Axel Pulgar/David Helm/Leif Berger/Anthony Greminger - Memorias Live at King Georg (bandcamp 2021 Dave Berlin - Das Exil (Irrlicht records 2020) FOSTERCHILD - Dear Earthling (ILK 2019) Fabian Arends & David Helm - FOSTERCHILD (Tangible Music 2019) MAREK JOHNSON - Stay Low (Tangible Music 2019) Dave Berlin - Li.Ke (Irrlicht records 2019) frederikfogbruun/davidhelm/janphilipp - tape (self release 2019) Dave Berlin - Happy (self release 2018) Zooom Trio - What's for Dessert? (LEO Records, 2015) Klonk - Confusa (Meta Records, 2014) As a collaborateur:
Delusional Mind - becoming an area (Papercup Records 2025) Leif Berger Quartet - S̶e̶c̶r̶e̶t̶, Normalization (Klaeng Records 2025) Sebastian Gramss - SEEDS – HΞLIX / Risset: Protokol III (Rent A Dog 2025) Shannon Barnett - How Much Is The Moon (Bandcamp 2025) Fabian Dudek Quartet feat. Ingrid Laubrock - This Every Place (Traumton Records 2025) Jan Klare's KIND - Count (Umland Records 2025) Kārlis Auziņš Double Trio - Equilibrium Suite (Jersika Records 2025) Annie Bloch - Four Trips To The Shop (Papercup Records 2024) Simon Nabatov Quartet feat. Ralph Alessi - Lovely Music(Clean Feed 2024) Fabian Dudek Quartet - Distant Skies, We Dream (Traumton Records 2024) Andrew Collberg - Popcorn Graveyard (Papercup Records 2024) Philip Zoubek Trio Extended - Mirage (Boomslang Records 2023) Simon Nabatov - Extensions (Unbroken Sounds 2023) Shannon Barnett Quartet - Alive at Loft (Klaeng Records 2023) Delusional Mind - The Shine Of The Unconspicuous EP 2023 Own Your Bones - Staring Is Caring (Tangible Music 2023) Philip Zoubek Trio - Labyrinthus (WhyPlayJazz 2022) Pollon - △△△ (Anunaki Tabla 2022) Delusional Mind - Melted Into Air (Boomslang Records 2022) Jürgen Friedrich - Semisong (NWog records 2022) Fabian Dudek Quartet - Isolated Flowers (Traumton 2022) Fabian Arends - Fractures (Klaengrecords 2022) Shannon Barnett Quartet - Bad Lover (ToyPianoRecords 2022) Pablo Held - Meet Me At The Loft (2022) Moritz Preisler Trio - Raureif (Klaengrecords 2022) Thomas Sauerborn - Kyiwi (Klaengrecords 2021) Aries Point ft. Bastian Stein, Ronny Graupe, David Helm, Hathor Consort (Outhere Music 2021) Stefan Karl Schmid - Muse (Tangible Music 2021) Jan Philipp - Sillhouettes (bandcamp 2020) Sebastian Gramss - Bassmasse 13/45 (Rent a Dog 2020) Philip Zoubek Trio - Non Places (WhyPlayJazz 2020) Theresia Philipp - Pollon With Strings (FloatMusic 2020) Delusional Mind (feat. Yannis Anft, Leif Berger, David Helm) - Blue (bandcamp 2020) Florian Ross Architexture (Naxos 2020) Florian Ross Reason & Temptation (Toy Piano 2020) Stefan Karl Schmid - Pyjama (Tangible Music 2020) Fabian Dudek Quartett - Creating Meaning (Fixcel records 2019) Gianni Brezzo - New Magic (paper cup records 2019) Giotto Roussies - Reaching For The Intangible (KLAENGrecords 2019) Dierk Peters - Ambrosia (Tangible Music 2019) Moritz Wesp - Recycling Allstars (bandcamp 2019) Niaque - Awake (Float Music 2019) Gianni Brezzo New Magic (Papercup records 2019) Jan Philipp Trio - Fake Folks (KLAENGrecords2019) Jonathan Hofmeister - Emotions (KLAENGrecords 2019) Philip Zoubek Trio - Outside (WhyPlayJazz 2018) Gianni Brezzo - Siro Gravi (Dorfjungs 2018) TheWhereme?! - TheWhereme?! (bandcamp 2018) Jonas Engel OWN YOUR BONES (KLAENGrecords 2018) Aerie - Sonic (QFTF 2018) Jan Schreiner Large Ensemble - You Better Look Twice (Floatmusic 2018) Shannon Barnett Quartet - Hype (Double Moon Records 2017) Fabian Arends - Levitate (KLAENGrecords 2017) Shannon Barnett Quartet - Juan Playschool (independent 2016) Pollon - Herb (KLAENGrecords 2016) Makkro - .why (KLAENGrecords 2016) Subway Jazz Orchestra - Sate of Mind (Unit Records 2016) Subway Jazz Orchestra - Primal Scream (FLOAT MUSIC 2016) Peter Weiss - The Good View (JAZZsick records 2016) Last Chance Dance (feat. Matthew Halpin, David Helm, Fabian Arends) (Toy Piano Records 2016) Jürgen Friedrich - Reboot (NWog Records, 2015) Florian Ross Quintet - Lines & Crosscurrents (Toy Piano Records, 2015) Sebastian Grams' Bassmasse - Schwarm (Gligg Records 2013)
David Helm 