Hauschka

Inspired by proponents of the technique from Eric Satie and John Cage to contemporary performers like Max Richter and Yann Tiersen, he's a prolific musician, and his work has continually developed from his early solo improvisations to include electronic elements. (His most recent album, Salon Des Amateurs, indulges his love of dance music experienc... ed in D?sseldorf's club of the same name.) Like Hahn, Hauschka is no stranger to the idea of collaboration, whether with more formal outfits like Music A.M. (where he pairs up with fellow German Stefan Schneider, and novelist and former Long Fin Killie frontman Luke Sutherland) or when recording with members of acclaimed bands like Calexico and m?m, both of whom contributed to Salon Des Amateurs. When it comes to collaborative work, Hahn and Hauschka share a similar philosophy. "A collaboration has to make sense on all levels," Hahn insists, "including instinctive. Both people have to be genuinely interested and curious to explore the working experience, otherwise it founders or becomes forced. If it's an organic development, it's wonderful. Hauschka's thoughts are similar: "It's enormously important to get out of your individual bubble, and also to work with someone opens a lot of doors in your creativity. But I am not a fan of collaborating for the sake of it, or for marketing reasons. All of the collaborations I do come from an interest and fascination in someone else's work." It was presumably this shared vision that led Hahn to perform with Hauschka for the first time on 'Girls,' a track from Salon Des Amateurs. This time, for Silfra, improvisation was the foundation of their work together, whether exchanging files over the net or ideas in rehearsal studios, where they united regularly over two years "to create a kind of natural understanding," Hauschka clarifies, "of how we play things, and to feel comfortable with allowing the music to breathe or with what the other person is playing. They had few specific goals, and certainly no preconceived aesthetic, and ...Read More