Back in 2004, I found myself in a dusty garage shop full of musical instruments somewhere in Calcutta. I bought an Indian harmonium because I just loved that sound. It felt good and it felt like more. After many more travels, I ended up with an arsenal of quirky acoustic instruments each with their own story. Today, they have become a crucial part of the Suntapes sound and appear on a lot of tunes of my new album that will be released on June 7th.
One of my early tunes "Alone" combines the Phin (a three stringed lute from Thailand), Moroccan bass (Sintir) and lap steel guitar I found in Vietnam. The last one has a Fender sticker on it, so it's definitely good stuff :-). Here's how that sounds:
The tune "Guzheng" evolves around the Chinese harp called Guzheng (no kidding) as well as the Chinese ruan (like a big wooden banjo), the Indian harmonium and many more sounds. Check it out:
I tried all kinds of combinations of instruments and experimented with different effects and field recordings I have made. Of course I kept composing on the grand piano and synthesizers, so you'll be hearing a lot of that too.
More and more I have come to realize that the instrumental music I make are soundtracks for the places I travelled to. Tunes that remind me of vast foreign landscapes or people in traditional clothes chatting in dusty roads. Feels like some kind of sweet spot where music & traveling come together.
On June 7th 2018 I'm releasing the album "Hunting for hills" on all streaming platforms, online stores and also on CD and LP. Release show will be in Theater Tinnenpot.