Before German Volker Bertelmann developed into pianist, composer and improviser Hauschka, he was active in hip-hop and techno. He therefore first began to prepare his piano strings with foil, crown caps and other attributes in order to be able to approach the rhythmic electronic sounds of techno. Only then did he discover the composer John Cage with his works and theories for the prepared piano. It
… is also special on his eleventh album Abandoned City that this techno background continues to apply and mixes cleverly with minimal and music by founders of modern piano music such as Debussy and Satie. Inspired by images of cities that have been abandoned and taken back by nature, Hauschka created nine hypnotic pieces that are mainly based on rhythmic piano patterns. The minimal but effective melodies can sometimes, Partly due to an abundance of reverberation, it sounds spooky, but despite the theme it never really gets desolate. His compositions are driven by a pumping energy and a range of visual sounds and themes that make Abandoned City a pleasantly lively album. (MR)more
