Sep 04 2008 2:00 pm,
Hauschka
‘Ferndorf’
(Fat Cat)
As humanity edges ever further towards self-destruction, so art and music – the real stuff, not what’s so aptly been labelled indie landfill – progress and develop, changing shape along with the world, trying to capture its essence before it collapses. Hauschka, like Sigur Ros, bridge the gap between popular and classical music. The brainchild of German pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann, Hauschka’s fifth album is full of terse arrangements that experiment with the nature of the piano as an instrument, rather than just using it to write and perform music. At times beautiful, at others intense, ‘Ferndorf’ (it means ‘distant village’) is an album that deconstructs most preconceived notions of music yet manages to create something astounding and accessible in the process. Brilliant.
Mischa Pearlman
