Helge Engelke Death, Obituary – Dear Everyone, It’s hard for me to believe that one of my closest and longest-standing friends, Helge Engelke, went away so unexpectedly yesterday… It came out of the blue and was completely unexpected for all of us, and it is an enormous loss that is difficult to put into words. Because of his one-of-a-kind qualities, there will never be another Helge.Not only was he a fantastic guitarist, but he was also a producer, song-writer for both Fair Warning and Dreamtide, and on top of all that, he was an exceptional photographer with a terrific sense for visual magic.
He was a genuine multi-talent and master of many very different things. Whatever it was that Helge did, he did it to an excellent standard.First and foremost, he was a genuine friend, not only to myself but to a huge group of people as well. Additionally, he was a close friend of my brother Zeno and collaborated extensively with him back in those days. Aside from that, he was an extremely helpful companion to myself all through the years beginning in 1987, and he assisted me in many different aspects within the studio. In addition, Helge did an excellent job mixing both of my Scorpions Revisited projects.
Helge Engelke was very knowledgeable and had a definite point of view on pretty much everything there is to know about. The majority of the time, I believe that he was correct because he had very good natural instincts and was quite level-headed. Above all else, he was an exceptionally kind and generous person. One of the most wonderful people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting and one of the most helpful people in general imaginable. I am not exaggerating when I say that words are not adequate to truly explain his innate desire to be helpful whenever he perceived a need; on the contrary, I believe that this is the case. In addition, every single one of his suggestions was wholly beneficial and of the highest possible standard.
In everything that he did, Helge maintained a consistent level of excellent performance. Even though he never made a big deal out of it, he lived his life according to this standard rule. It was simply his innate manner of being in the world. It arose from a natural desire to do things right and to do justice to those things, and it originated deep within me. Helge was always available to lend a hand and provide helpful advise and other assistance whenever it was required. His dedication to his work was unparalleled. He attacked each and every technical issue that came in the studio and did not stop working on it until he had found a solution to it.
He is an extremely hard worker. It was incredible and beyond my expectations. When I required assistance with technical aspects of the studio setting, which happened rather frequently, we talked over the phone for who knows how many hours over the course of all these years. He never once voiced his displeasure, despite the fact that the questions I posed regarding the minefield that is Pro-Tools and other applications – many of which he had achieved full mastery of – would have driven most people to insanity. He never did. Helge, on the other hand, had an almost unfathomable capacity for patience.