Published
Wed, Jan 11, 2017, 20:10
- The experimental artist's eighth LP was made with a Roland Jupiter 4 synth and player pianos.
Hauschka has a new album on the way.
What If is the Volker Bertelmann's eighth full-length. In addition to his usual prepared piano, Bertelmann used a Roland Jupiter 4 synth and an Eventide H3000 Haronizer for this record, which imagines where the world will be 30 years from now. He also programmed automated player pianos—AKA pianolas—"exploiting the speed at which they could play," according to the press release, "manipulating the resulting sounds, and building layers to emphasise a composition’s metre."
"I was always attracted by hip-hop, deep rhythms and weird sci-fi electronica," Bertelmann says. "What If is a result of both that and the hundreds of concerts I've played, where I developed a way of mixing all these elements together."
What If follows 2014's Abandoned City, an album about deserted cities, and a particularly inspired period for the Düsseldorf-based artist that included writing music for contemporary dance performances, working with classical musicians and scoring films.
Watch the video for "Familiar Things Disappear."
Tracklist
01. I Can't Find Water
02. Constant Growth Fails
03. My Kids Live On Mars
04. I Need Exile
05. I Can't Express My Deep Love
06. Nature Fights Back
07. Familiar Things Disappear
08. Trees Only Exist In Books
09. We Live A Thousand Years
City Slang & Temporary Residence Ltd will release What If on March 31st, 2017.