hang, hanghang

i first heard the sound of the hang at an old edition of the improvised music night, Appliances, in the form of samples that the laptop artist was using. the second time i heard the hang i ended up busking along the South Bank in London with a great guy, Daniel Waples.

and so i found myself telling kit yesterday about the hang, a UFO-shaped pitched percussion instrument that has a beautifully resonant sound, like a mix between steelpans and gamelan. it has the benefit of having a snap and a tone when struck, giving it both a strong percussive, rhythmic quality as well as a haunting tone. the tone of the hang is what particularly attracts me, as it lends itself well to electronic textures and soundscapes.

not too many words from me - it needs to be heard.



p/s the plural of hang is in fact hanghang.