David August

David Nattkemper (born 7 July 1990), professionally known as David August, is an Italo-German composer, producer, mixing engineer, DJ and classically trained pianist and a graduate from Universität der Künste.

August released 4 studio albums and multiple EPs since 2010.

In 2018, the release of the cinematic album DCXXXIX A.C. marked the debut of his newly founded record label 99Chants, followed by D'Angelo in the same year which was released on PIAS.

August has collaborated with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, with the Coro Polifonico Cittá Del Palestrina, as well as with other musicians, including Cansu Tanrikulu, Sushma Soma, Anastasia Markopoulou among others. He is the son of German pianist Ralf Nattkemper.

Early life August was born in Hamburg, Germany. His first approach to music happened at age 5 through the piano, focussing on classical repertoire. His first teacher was Gisela Stumme, taught by Conrad Hansen. Subsequent teachers were Marian Migdal from 2009 to 2011 and Rolf Koenen from 2013 to 2017. At age 10, August started programming his first compositions in notation software as well as composing pieces on guitar.

In 2013 David August released his first album Times, a first exploration in electronic songwriting with acoustic and electronic instrumentation and a detachment from playing traditional DJ gigs in favour of developing a new language. With Times, David adopted a different approach to shows, presenting for the first time his own music in a club environment with a live set. It is during these more explorative years that he landed numerous official remixes for the likes of Max Cooper (2014), Stimming (2014), Kollektiv Turmstrasse (2014) and The Acid (2015) In 2014 he released Epikur, his debut EP on the Berlin label Innervisions.

His debut for Boiler Room, a showcase of unofficial works that remains a signature of David's live performances and a significant turning point in August's career was broadcast in 2014. Several appearances in annual polls followed with "4th-best live act of the year in the Resident Advisor annual poll" among them

In August 2016, debuts a collaborative project and broadcast live performance X-Poème Symphonique with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, a 50-piece classical symphonic orchestra. David met Mark Wyand who played the saxophone within the orchestra, who eventually becomes a collaborator for other live performances at Elbphilharmonie and studio recordings The Life of Merisi and Dorian Space A live summer tour across the European continent followed to promote these two EPs, including a live session for Red Bull Music Academy's showcase series See.Hear.Now. where he performed live versions of his Counter catalogue.

After this tour, August took a break from performing to focus on graduating from university.

2018–2020 In March 2018 August released his second album DCXXXIX A.C. accompanied by an hour-long video filmed by August in Palestrina, birth-place of his mother. In October of the same year, August released his third album D'Angelo, on PIAS. The writing sessions began in Florence in 2016, and were concluded in Berlin two years later. August cooperates with the Coro Polifonico Città del Palestrina, whose featured on every track of the album

Showcasing a variety of musical directions, from post-rock, ambient and club influences, the album connects throughout a continuous cinematic aesthetic and experimental songwriting. Ascetic House affiliate JS Aurelius contributes the design and packaging of the record as previously on DCXXXIX A.C. To promote the album, August embarked on an 85-date world tour. Gigi Masin, Paquita Gordon, Louis Sterling and Neonlichter were supporting the tour in Europe and the United States.

In summer 2019 August broadcast The Life of Merisi, a cooperation with Argentinian artist and painter Francisco Bosoletti. August deconstructed the material of D'Angelo and presented unreleased works.

In early 2020, August released Reminiscence Of A Jewel, the sixth "chant" on his imprint 99Chants.

In September 2020, 99Chants released Bunita Marcus' 1985 composition Lecture for Jo Kondo. The original composition is accompanied by 20-minute long recomposition by August, characterised by a process of "deconstruction" rooted in experimental sound-design and modern counterpoint, divided into 5 chapters. It is also August's first attempt to accompany his music with a visual score.

2021–2023 In 2021 August curated a 12-month residency at Palestinian based Radio Alhara inviting guests such as Suzanne Ciani, Donato Dozzy, KMRU, SSIEGE, Marta de Pascalis and more.

In 2022 August was involved in the release of Aurōra through his label, a solar panel instrument and design object for modular synthesizers. Later in 2022, he released non-profit compilation Imaginary Landscapes with music by KMRU, Yu Su, Karem Lotfy, and others, donating all the proceeds to help restoring mangroves in India. August contributed with two collaborative side-projects, Aşa (with jazz-noise vocalist Cansu Tanrikulu) and Madrā (with Carnatic vocalist Sushma Soma). He is intrigued about necessary utopias and the social impact of sound.

In 2023 August released his 4th studio album VĪS. According to its press release, the album "is the result of a lengthy process of self-discovery, collaboration and research". The album features an imaginary alphabet, made in collaboration with Moroccan graphic designer Hiba Baddou. The packaging was designed by Saeed Abu-Jaber and Mothanna Hussein at Turrbo, a Amman-based graphic design studio.

For a concert tour, August translated VĪS to a stage setting. Supported by visuals by Marcel Weber/MFO and choreography by Franka Marlene Foth. August is joined on stage by 2 dancers and percussionist Andrea Belfi. The concert tour spanned multiple dates across Europe, including Barbican Centre, Le Trianon and Bozar.

Discography LPs 2013: Times 2018: DCXXXIX A.C. 2018: D'Angelo 2023: VĪS 2024: VĪS Reinterpretations

Broadcast 2014: Boiler Room DJ Set 2015: RA Session 2016: X - Poème Symphonique with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin 2019: The Life of Merisi at Melt! Festival

Selected Singles & EPs 2010: Instant Harmony EP 2014: Epikur EP 2014: Diynamic Revisited EP 2015: Patria feat. Sissi Rada 2016: J.B.Y./Ouvert EP 2016: The Spell/A Golden Rush EP 2020: Reminiscence of a Jewel 2024: Workouts EP

Mixes 2014: Innervisions #50 2017: NTS Radio 2019: No Fun Radio w/Neonlichter 2019: The Lot Radio 2019: Worldwide FM 2020: Tomorrow Is Forever I 2020: Tomorrow Is Forever II 2020: Tomorrow Is Forever III 2021: Tomorrow Is Forever x Radio Alhara 2022: Refuge Worldwide 2023: NTS Radio VĪS Special 2024: Aeyde Radio 2024: Crack Magazine 2024: The Lot Radio 2025: Rough Radio Roma 2025: NTS Radio

Selected remixes & edits 2013: Rebekah Del Rio – "Llorando" (David August Remix) – Unofficial 2013: Grizzly Bear – "Yet Again" (David August Reconstruction) – Unofficial 2013: Syl Johnson – "Is It Because I am Black" (David August Edit) – Unofficial 2014: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – "Last Day" (David August Revision) 2014: Stimming – "Der Schmelz" (David August Revision) 2014: Max Cooper – "Origins" (David August Remix) 2015: The Acid – "RA" (David August Remix) 2016: Hamlet Gonashvili – "Orovela" (David August Edit) – Unofficial 2016: Nina Simone – "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (David August Edit) – Unofficial 2016: Ashford & Simpson – "Don't Cost You Nothing" (David August Edit) – Unofficial 2017: Leonard Cohen – "You Want It Darker" (David August Remix) 2018: Pino Daniele – "My Way" (David August Remix) – Unofficial 2018: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - "Missa Papae Marcelli" (David August Reconstruction) – Unofficial 2018: Frescobaldi – "Toccata Seconda" (David August Deconstruction) – Unofficial 2019: Pino Daniele – "I Know My Way" (David August Edit) — Unofficial 2020: Bunita Marcus – "Lecture for Jo Kondo" (David August Deconstruction)