I got interested in the sound of the
Hang Drum some time back.
It's a lovely instrument with a unique sound, the broader adoption of which is hampered by the somewhat elitist and precious attitude of its designers. One does not simply go out and
order a Hang Drum. (You can read all about how
that works - along with some additional
faux-mystic blather - on their blog
here.)
We have decided
- to keep on building the Free Integral Hang. We will practice every day to keep the sensual plasticity from fading and the tonal energy from ebbing.
- to pass the traces of this work to interested parties who accept our views and travel on their self-accountable path.
- to make the few Hanghang available on the basis of letters and recommendations.
- to not keep waiting lists.
- to pay more attention to how the Hang is developing in the world of therapy. We are skeptical because we are not convinced that this branch lends itself to a reasonable application of the highly complex Hang. Despite having asked for feedback on this subject, we have received only a few reactions and experiences.
- to not turn our attention to the media such as YouTube and CDs. We know that the high dynamic of the Hang sound cannot be captured by microphones, and loudspeakers only distort reproductions.
- to inform all Hang players on streets and in parks that we are flooded by letters from people who were deeply moved and also want a Hang from PANArt. We are asking all street musicians to contemplate their mission.
Exactly how requiring a potential buyer to "accept our views" while simultaneously and contradictorily insisting they "travel on their self-accountable path" is a mystery to me.
And sad to say, their reluctance to part with their creations has resulted in extremely high prices for the very few Hangs that do come on the open market. (There's one 'first gen' model currently listed on EBay with an $8500 USD price tag!) However, rather than acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, their deliberately making it so difficult to get one is driving the price up, they only have this to say:
For years PANArt instruments have been on the market for exorbitant prices and speculation has flourished. We take issue with this situation and our Free Integral Hang is therefore restricted to clients who agree to keep this delicate object from making its way in the popular market.
Insane. But I guess that's to be expected when you're dealing with Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, who apparently believe they have discovered
GOD in a piece of metal.
<
End of rant>
Anyway, it's still a
very nice sounding instrument.
Here's the duo
Hang Massive playing their composition
Once Again:
