Kristof Hahn, seines Zeichens Pere Ubu-Veteran und Lap Steele-Gitarrist der Swans, kündigt für Anfang November ein Soloalbum an. Das lakonisch “Six Pieces” getaufte Werk entstand, was den Großteil der verwendeten sounds betrifft, im Rahmen der bislang letzten Swans-Tour, bei der Hahn immer wieder neue Skizzen mit seinem Instrument anfertige, Loops und andere Effekte kreierte und weitere Elemente hinzufügte. Das Album erscheint auf CD bei Room40, der Song “Cape Horn” ist bereits zu hören. Als weiterer Auftakt wird Anfang Oktober eine digitale EP namens “Prelude” erscheinen, die zwei Albumtracks und zwei Bonusstücke enthält – einer davon ist ebenfalls bereits veröffentlicht.

“Six Pieces, a record that is essentially born from the ashes of the final SWANS reformation line-up tour, uses various found elements, stored loops, thematic notes and other acoustic debris. The results are spiralling cascades of shimmering guitar cut against thick brooding washes of timbral intensity. Six Pieces is a work of restless intent, a collection of instrumental interrogations that test for the boundaries of harmony, texture and emergent variation. The pieces of the album bare the marks of touring life, sometimes intensely claustrophobic, other moments languid and at times euphoric, each piece creates a vista of sound that describes a kind of fluid landscape without relying on the perceptual landmarks we might fall back on. Hahn’s music is one of repetition and unfolding variation, it is unsettled, but never rushed or careless.” (Chiara Lee)

“n 2012, I had the good fortune to be in Sydney when SWANS toured on the back of their most recent master work The Seer. The show was, as one would expect, an all out consumption of body and ears. Before SWANS took the stage however, Kristof Hahn performed a solo set. It was in many respects a stark contrast to what would come from SWANS, but it also laid bare the role Kristof plays in the group. As Kristof moved through the phases of his performance, he staked out a territory of tonal and timbral activity that was deeply revealing, not just of the very personal language he had developed for his instrument of choice, but moreover for how he created unexpected pairings between harmony, texture and even melody.

Six Pieces, a record that is essentially born from the ashes of the final SWANS reformation line-up tour, uses various found elements, stored loops, thematic notes and other acoustic debris as a means for launching off a series of interrogation into solo guitar composition. The pieces bare the marks of touring life, sometimes intensely claustrophobic, other moments languid and at times euphoric, each pieces creates a vista of sound that describes a kind of fluid landscape without relying on the perceptual land-marks we might fall back on. Hahn’s music is one of repetition and unfolding variation, it is unsettled, but never rushed or careless. He knows that music is an art form of time and is not afraid to allow his compositions to build, evolve and finally arrive with a casual sense of hushed determination.” (Lawrence English)