They set sail with cautious optimism, and as they heave to and weave in and out of each other, Hauschka fairly amazes with the sheer flair and unlikely variety of sounds he coaxes out of his instrument, from wind chimes and chattering sea birds to marimba and distressed harpsichord.
[Release page] A unique meeting between two of Europe’s new generation of acoustic experimentalists and one though agreed to in advance is the result of less than one day’s worth of preparation. As Hauschka, Volker Bertelmann has both tickled the inside of his instrument to produce some very unpianolike behaviour, and recorded warm, embracing chamber pieces, perhaps none more lyrical than with the cello duo of Insa Schirmer and Donja Djemberon. How appropriate that serial collaborator (Múm, Pan Sonic, The Knife, David Sylvian) Hildur Guðnadóttir, the Icelandic cellist who more or less treats her instrument the way Hauschka treats his piano, should accept his invitation to meet him in London and comingle.
The festival at which they performed was subtitled “Bubbly Blue and Green,” so the duo chose to compose by colour in order to portray the shifting nuances of the ocean. In a clever tactic, they selected shades out of the patented, Pantone Colour Matching System as points of reference and designated each track after its catalogue name or number.
The performance is captivating. They set sail with cautious optimism, and as they heave to and weave in and out of each other, Hauschka fairly amazes with the sheer flair and unlikely variety of sounds he coaxes out of his instrument, from wind chimes and chattering sea birds to marimba and distressed harpsichord. Guðnadóttir growls and moans – she is the dark undertow, Hauschka the play of light on the surface. Their seas swell and quiesce, toss and froth, threaten to rage and guarantee safe haven is not far off – the closing track is fanfare of triumph and relief at having pulled it off.
Pan Tone is available on Sonic Pieces.
