Early Trance Pioneer Stevie B-Zet Dead at Age 62

Stevie B-Zet was a producer closely associated with the trance genre’s nascent years in Frankfurt.

The worldwide electronic music community is mourning the loss of Frankfurt music producer Stevie B-Zet, 62, an influential artist during the nebulous origins of the trance genre.

Ralf Hildenbeutel announced the July 27 passing of Stevie B-Zet (whose real name was Steffen Britzke) in an August 2 Facebook post. No cause of death has been disclosed at the time of writing.

“I have no real words and it’s still a shock that Steffen, our Stevie B-Zet, has passed away last Thursday,” wrote Hildenbeutel. “When we met I was 17, we’ve done and experienced so much together. We played in the same band when I was still in school, then the incredible Eye Q years, the Schallbau era, and lots of film scores together.”

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Britzke worked closely with fellow Frankfurters DJ Dag and Sven Väth, collaborating with the latter on the project Astral Pilot. He released music of his own on Väth’s Eye Q Records imprint as B-Zet, but also worked under aliases such as Zyon, Odyssee Of Noises, and The Volunteers. He also played keyboard for mainstream artists like Quincy Jones and Sheila E. in addition to scoring German television series and films including Death Of A Cadet, Around 50 and The Cold Finger.

“With deepest sorrow, today I remember our beloved friend and music partner, Steffen Britzke, known under the artist name Steve B-Zet,” wrote Väth in a tribute. “Steffen was not only an exceptionally talented musician but also a wonderful person whose sensitive nature and dedication to music touched us all.”

Listen below to Steffen Britzke’s 1994 track “Blue Illusion” under his B-Zet alias, and to his and Sven Väth’s 1995 single “The Day After” as Astral Pilot.