Born in Timișoara/Romania, Hanno Leichtmann began his musical development as a drummer/percussionist, transitioning into the field of electronic music in the late 1990s following his discovery of a Roland TR-808 drum machine in a cupboard of the HDK / Jazz school where he studied. Whether it be solo as “Static”, or in one of his various collaborations or small groups such as “Denseland” (with David Moss and Hannes Strobl) and “Groupshow” (with Jan Jelinek and Andrew Pekler), or his new duo with Revox B77 maestro Valerio Tricoli, Leichtmann’s output has since become emblematic of a wave of minimalist, cerebral electronic music.His work as a recording artist has been published by many significant labels including Third Ear Rec., Karl Records, Entr’acte, Staubgold, M=minimal, Karaoke Kalk and Kompakt’s imprint Exponate, as well as through his own exclusive handmade Picture/Disk imprint, limited to 23 handcut records per edition.
Leichtmann comes to Aotearoa as the Goethe-Institut’s 2018 artist in residence, and will spend two months in Wellington furthering his engaging practice working with archives, exploring the conceptual implications of context and setting. The 2018 Goethe-Institut Artist Residency is organised in co-operation with the Wellington City Council and the New Zealand School of Music. This Auckland performance of the 2015 work, Minimal Studies, will be his only concert outside of Wellington, and for fans of modern minimalism, dub, ambient and club music, it is surely one not to miss. He will be supported by local electronic musician, Sam Longmore, whose minimal soundscapes explore reduction, texture and frequency with an outwardly minimal ethic.
With Minimal Studies, Leichtmann investigates the remnants of the minimal music movement of the 1970s, catching some of its still audible echoes. As the title suggests, the work begins minimally, with the pulse of an organ. Gradually, a deep bass pulse arrives, unfurling slowly, layer-by-layer. Eventually, subtle melodies emerge from within the pulsing layers of repetition, leaving listeners unsure if they were there before, if they are there now or where they came from.
Friday 6 April @ Audio Foundation, doors open 8.00pm
Tickets available via UnderTheRadar.co.nz
Hanno Leichtmann, Minimal Studies (Mikroton, 2013)
Sam Longmore, Pt. 3 – 5 (mf/mp, 2018)