U96

Biography

U96 is a German musical project formed by DJ and producer Alex Christensen, and a team of producers named Matiz (Ingo Hauss, Helmut Hoinkis, and Hayo Lewerentz). After a decade-long hiatus, the band returned in 2018 without Christensen and Hoinkis.

Das Boot: 1991–1992

The name of the project comes from the film Das Boot about German submarine U-96 from World War II. The project's first hit, "Das Boot×Das Boot6 March 1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Das Boot5:142Come 2 Gether3:493Der Kommandant3:124No Control4:305Art of U964:146I Wanna Be in Tennessee5:317Ambient Underworld3:518Sporty Animal Loving Extrovert3:009Sonar Sequences6:0010Das Boot (Klassik version)1:59" (1991), is a techno adaptation of the film's title melody, which had been originally composed by Klaus Doldinger. An album of the same name was also released.

Replugged: 1993

The band's next album, Replugged×Replugged7 June 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1War of the Worlds4:552Love Sees No Colour (radio edit)3:463Young Girls3:214Night in Motion4:155The Rainbow Factor3:356You Make Me Wonder3:087Theme From 'Replugged'5:148Je Suis Selected3:269Feel Like a Dum Dum2:3410The One Russian3:0611Brainkiller4:3312Without You4:5513Das Boot (Kennedy-Megamix, I Wanna Be a Kennedy)6:0114Ambient Underworld (Techno mix)5:47 (1993), was inspired by the electro sounds of the 1980s and by ambient and disco music themes. It was less commercially successful than its predecessor, but achieved three top-10 hits: "Love Sees No Colour×Love Sees No Colour1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Love Sees No Colour (radio edit)3:472Love Sees No Colour (version 1)6:003Love Sees No Colour (version 2)5:594The Pop Crisis3:35", "Night in Motion×Night in Motion1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Night in Motion (Video version)3:222Night in Motion (12" version)4:563Night in Motion (12" version 2)5:214Night in Motion (70's mix)5:12", and "Inside Your Dreams×Inside Your Dreams24 February 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Inside Your Dreams (video version)3:292Inside Your Dreams (Phase 1)7:533Inside Your Dreams (Phase 2)8:21", which peaked at number 1 in Finland. Although uncredited, Ingo Hauss provided most male vocals for this album.

Club Bizarre: 1994–1995

The follow-up album, Club Bizarre×Club Bizarre20 February 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Club Bizarre5:002Jack4:063Love Religion3:344Die Mission4:155Movin’5:286If Looks Could Kill6:217Joy4:568Boot II5:179Dark Room Rituals4:58 (1995), radically changed the group's sound. It was dominated by a fast-paced Eurodance sound with a significant rave influence. The hit single releases from this album were "Love Religion×Love Religion1994 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Love Religion (Perplexer remix)5:242Love Religion (Steves Baltes remix)5:283Love Religion (Exit EEE & Mr Moto remix)6:114Love Religion (Damage Control remix)5:305Love Religion (Yentz Highlight's remix)6:59" (with Daisy Dee) as well as the title track "Club Bizarre", with harmonies that were reused later by Brooklyn Bounce. Motor Music also released the Club Bizarre Interactive CD-ROM. The audio part of this CD included several music tracks and the multimedia part featured a discography, interviews with Alex Christensen, and a game for Mac OS and Windows PC.

Heaven: 1996

In 1996, U96's fourth album, Heaven×Heaven27 May 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Heaven3:402Are You Ready? (Space Symphony)4:543A Night to Remember5:074Venus in Chains5:145Drag Queen4:126Try4:207Love Generation5:5181‒900‒Love3:569Heartline/ Lifeline4:3310Life in Paradise5:4211Anthem3:20, was released. It was highly commercial in sound, with greater emphasis on Eurodance, despite retaining some electro and rave influences. On this album, a new singer, Dea-Li (Dorothy Lapi), was featured, who participated in the production of four titles. The chorus in the song "Heaven"—although with a faster pace and different text—closely resembles Cyndi Lauper's 1984 hit "Time After Time". The second single, "A Night to Remember×A Night to Remember1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1A Night to Remember (video edit)3:342A Night to Remember (12″ mix)5:103A Night to Remember (Bassbumpers mix)7:244Anthem3:19", was a top-20 hit in Austria and Finland. The final single, "Venus in Chains×Venus in Chains1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Venus in Chains (video mix)3:342Venus in Chains (In Chains)5:063Venus in Chains (Bass Bumpers remix)7:004Venus in Chains (1-900-Love)4:03", peaked at number 7 in the Czech Republic.

Hiatus, Reboot: 1997–present

After their fourth album, the group released the singles "Seven Wonders×Seven Wonders12 May 1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Seven Wonders (Seven Inch mix)3:452Seven Wonders (Seven Sins mix)6:213Seven Wonders II (Seven to Seven mix)5:144Seven Wonders II (Over Seven Mins mix)8:46" (1997), "Energie×Energie11 May 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Energie (video mix)3:302Energie (Hang the DJ mix)5:553Energie (U96 + 4 = U2000 mix)5:564In Your Mind6:56" (1998), "Beweg Dich, Baby×Beweg Dich, Baby21 September 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Beweg Dich, Baby (7" deutsch)3:412Beweg Dich, Baby (7" englisch)3:333Beweg Dich, Baby (12")5:384Don't Wanna Lose You4:48" (1998), and "Das Boot 2001×Das Boot 20012000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Das Boot 2001 (radio edit)3:412Das Boot 2001 (DJ Mellow-D remix)8:203Das Boot 2001 (Cosmic Gate remix)7:434Anthem 20013:19" (2000), before issuing the compilation Best of 1991–2001×Best of 1991–20018 March 2000 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Das Boot 2001 (radio edit)3:412Underwater4:153Heaven3:404Club Bizarre (Steve Baltes remix)4:575Love Religion (video edit)3:346A Night to Remember5:077Inside Your Dreams3:288Love Sees No Colour3:469Night in Motion3:2010Energie3:2911I Wanna Be a Kennedy3:1712Venus in Chains5:1413Seven Wonders (Seven Inch mix)3:4514Rhythm of Life3:3715Lost Paradise4:0916Love Generation5:5117Live at Electrogorsk2:5618Boot II5:17, which included a few songs from the unreleased album Rhythm of Life. They returned to the German Top 30 in 2006 with "Vorbei×Vorbei3 March 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Vorbei (Single Edit)3:392Vorbei (Single Short Version)3:183Vorbei (Groove Mix)3:384Vorbei (Dance Mix)5:205Follow The Sun3:36", which featured vocals by Ben.
Another album, Out of Wilhelmsburg×Out of Wilhelmsburg16 March 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Mr. DJ Put On the Red Light (single mix)3:402Underwater3:373Ist das mein Leben3:574Light Up My Life3:485Most of the Time4:366Good Love Bad Love3:347Follow the Sun3:368Elektroland Is Here4:279Fall Into All3:2010Vorbei (single edit)3:3911Explain the Universe3:5412Das Boot 2001 (radio edit)3:4113Vorbei (dance mix)5:1914Mr. DJ Put On the Red Light (Reiss die Bude ab remix)6:09, was released in 2007, albeit with a different group lineup, before the band went on an indefinite hiatus.
In June 2018, U96 came out with the double album Reboot×Reboot29 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 25 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Intro1:032Angels3:363F......Camera5:054Zukunftsmusik4:22560 Seconds4:586Monkeys4:407Contact Machines5:118I Say Brain4:249Losing Our Time3:4010Timelapse7:0811Hildebrandslied6:0412Quo vadis4:0913Heart of Light4:3014Supernatural3:5415Snow Brain3:2016Another World2:3117Art of Reboot4:48Disc 21Blood of the Rose4:202Dark Matter4:033Human Cosmic4:174Run With It5:325Planet Earth6:246Abhörstation4:457Zukunftsmusik (Radar mix)4:168Human Cosmic (Mellow mix)2:57. Two years later, in collaboration with Wolfgang Flür, they released another double album, titled Transhuman×Transhuman4 September 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Transhuman3:052Hamburg - Düsseldorf3:523Zukunftsmusik (Radiophonique mix)3:034Specimen3:425Clone3:526To the Limit4:407Zufallswelt3:498Planet in Fever4:589Shifted Reality5:1710Kreiselkompass4:0211Data Landscape3:4212Transhumanist3:3813Sexersizer5:2114Maschinenraum4:5215Let Yourself Go3:0416Let Yourself Go (Beatsole remix)6:34.
Helmut Hoinkis died on 19 February 2021. Ingo Hauss died on 21 October 2025. Skadi Lange's death was announced on 29 September 2026.

Band members

Current

Hayo Lewerentz (aka Harry Castioni / Hayo Panarinfo)
Past

Ingo Hauss (aka Bela Lagonda)
Helmut Hoinkis (aka Jeff Wycombe)
Alex Christensen (aka AC 16, AC Beat, Alex C.)
Stefan Hafelinger
Skadi Lange
Dorothy Lapi