Oliver Riedel

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Riedel co-founded Rammstein in 1994 with Richard Kruspe and Christoph Schneider under the name Tempel (sometimes spelled Temple). Till Lindemann joined the lineup later. Together, they entered the Berlin Senate Metrobeat contest in 1994 and won a recording session in a professional studio. Paul Landers and Christian "Flake" Lorenz later joined, and the band was renamed Rammstein. Before Rammstein, Riedel played in a folk/punk band called the Inchtabokatables starting in 1992.

In Their Own Story

Growing up in Schwerin, Riedel was not a good student but made his way through school with his mother's assistance. He was quite shy, especially during his teenage years; while his friends partied, he would often be found just "hanging around." He had relatively good relationships with both of his parents, which he attributes to the small gap between their ages. Riedel has two children and enjoys photography and sports, especially skateboarding and surfing. In 2022, he auctioned off two of his signature Sandberg basses as part of the Gear For Hope music auction, with proceeds donated to aid organizations in Ukraine.

Reader's Guide

As a musician, Riedel is primarily a fingerstyle player, although he uses a pick for most songs when playing live. In certain softer songs, he has been known to play with a banjo style plucking technique with his right hand to play arpeggiated chords, such as in "Seemann." He also plays the acoustic guitar introduction to "Tier" and "Frühling in Paris" during live shows. His known gear includes Sandberg California PM, Sandberg Terrabass signature model, MusicMan Stingray (used during the early days), ESP Eclipse bass (used during the Sehnsucht tour), Sandberg Plasmabass 4-string custom built model, Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, Glockenklang Heart-Rock Amp (later rig), Ampeg SVT-II (early rig), and Ampeg 8x10 Cabs. He also uses selected overdrive/fuzz pedals for songs such as "Mein Teil" and "Rosenrot." Riedel's discography with Rammstein includes Herzeleid (1995), Sehnsucht (1997), Mutter (2001), Reise, Reise (2004), Rosenrot (2005), Liebe ist für alle da (2009), Rammstein (2019), and Zeit (2022).

Did You Know?

• Oliver Riedel was born in Schwerin on 11 April 1971.
• He is the tallest member of Rammstein, standing at 6 ft 7 in (2 m).
• Before Rammstein, Riedel played in a folk/punk band called the Inchtabokatables starting in 1992.
• Riedel is said to be the most computer-literate member of Rammstein.
• In 2022, he auctioned off two of his signature Sandberg basses for aid organizations in Ukraine.