Music > Album Reviews

Hauschka - What If

23/02/17

Formerly half of 90s hip-hoppers God's Favourite Dog, Volker Bertelmann has been making music as Hauschka since 2004 and, by my reckoning, What If is his 14th LP. Based around prepared piano and electronics, What If plays out in a cinematic, wide screen way. Drawing from modern classical, experimental electronica and post-rock with a touch of jazz, this is equal parts Michael Nyman, F**k Buttons, Max Richter and Tortoise. Listening to this on a lazy Sunday, it is easy to drift away, imagining the pieces soundtracking documentaries on National Geographic. That said, it is not all cinemascope. As well as having a great title My Kids Live On Mars is gloriously uplifting whilst the future-funk of Nature Fights Back should fill dance floors everywhere. Being wholly instrumental, this will almost certainly stay underground, maybe popping up on TV from time to time in the occasional advert, drama or documentary. And that will be a shame as this is really rather special. Perhaps the occasional vocal would bring this into the mainstream but maybe that would spoil it. Whatever, I'll be listening to this for a good while to come and will be investigating Hauschka's back catalogue.

8/10