Willi Langer - Grounded (2022)

Willi Langer was born in Lower Austria in 1960 and began playing electric bass as an autodidact in 1976. Shortly thereafter he founded the jazz-rock band „Zenit“ with Hannes Treiber, with whom he played numerous concerts in the following years (including as a support act for Stanley Clarke and Level 42) and produced several albums.

Still purely self-taught until then, Willi teaches himself to read music in 1984 and begins studying at the jazz department of the Vienna Conservatory, which he later completes with a diploma in jazz bass.
In the mid 80’s he becomes a member of the most important Austrian Jazz-Rock- u Fusion-Bands, like „Ostinato“, „Harri Stojka Express“ and „Incognito“.

In 1987 Willi becomes a member of the „Orchestra of the United Stages of Vienna“, where he works for a total of 7 years and plays various musical productions (Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Freudiana, Rocky Horror Show, Elisabeth, Dance of the Vampires, Hair…..). Numerous other musicals at theaters in Austria and abroad as well as touring productions followed.

With the entry into the band of the Austrian rock singer „Wilfried“ in 1989, Willi Langer establishes himself in the Austrian rock and pop scene. This is followed by collaborations with Boris Bukowski, Stefanie Werger, Bilgeri, Waterloo, Alexander Goebel, Dennis Jale, Sandra Pires, Conchita Wurst, Wolfgang Ambros, Georg Danzer and many more. Willi is a permanent band member of Rainhard Fendrich from 2004 to 2019.

At the beginning of the 90s, the funk band „Ruff’n’Tuff“ develops into the successful follow-up project „Countbasic“ around mastermind Peter Legat. As a Countbasic bassist, Willi Langer is increasingly presenting himself to a worldwide audience. International engagements, for example with „Gloria Gaynor“ or „The Supremes“ as well as various studio productions follow.