Amazing percussionist and Hang player” – Bj?rk “Intriguingly beautiful… A mercurial sound indeed” – DJ Mag “A man with a head full of ideas” – Longlines "Captivating and compelling… truly mesmerising” – i-D “An incredible musician in everything he plays” – Nitin Sawhney “A masterful and sensitive musician” – The Telegraph Celebrated Hang player, percussionist, producer and composer Manu Delago releases his third solo album on 27th January. 'Metromonk' finds this boundary-testing artist distilling and delicately exploring extremes of dynamics and mood; manipulating the Hang in experimental and inventive ways, the many voices and tones of this rare instrument are given top billing among a minimalistic palette of beats and acoustic sources. “I wanted to create fresh, electronic soundscapes that are generated through live performance and therefore feel organic and human”, Delago explains. Almost all of the effects on the Hang are applied live during one-take performances. “It may initially sound like programming or production, but it's all happening there in the moment”. Additional touches come from vocalists Douglas Dare (Erased Tapes), Pete Josef (a 2016 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Award nominee) and Isa Kurz, and legendary trumpeter Erik Truffaz (Blue Note), while Matt Robertson (Bj?rk, The Streets, Bat For Lashes) reprises his regular role as co-producer. The world’s leading Hang player, Manu Delago has had over five million YouTube views and featured heavily in BBC Radio 4’s recent documentary on the instrument. While his last album saw him diversifying with multiple layers of synths, electronic production and a wide range of instruments, ‘Metromonk’ restores his virtuosic Hang playing to centre stage.
