Guest
Live at L'institut Franco-Japonais Hauschka's second album for FatCat's 130701 imprint offers a brilliant advance on 2007's Room To Expand. Where the previous album comprised mostly solo recordings of Hauschka's 'prepared' piano (with a few electronic and instrumental overdubs), Ferndorf is a far more expansive and fully-realised album, with many of the tracks also featuring a string duo, enabling an increased solidity. More dynamic, its staccato stabbing rhythms are rendered increasingly rousing and emotive with these additional strings. Whilst he recordings still retain the shivers and tics (as by-products of) of the modified internal workings of the piano - alongside some sweet electronic touches -- these are less central and instead what's foregrounded is the melodic / rhythmic push and pull, and a development towards more orchestrated music and notated compositions. Order the album here:
