Lagoon

Description

Here is the new album by FLOCKS, the duo formed by drone specialist Werner Durand and percussionist Uli Hohmann. It offers soundscapes oscillating between traditional and experimental sounds, nourished by influences from Krautrock and the "Fourth World" aesthetic of Jon Hassell. Werner Durand made a name for himself through various projects, notably with Dhrupad singer Amelia Cuni, as well as collaborating with Urban Sax, Arnold Dreyblatt, Henning Christiansen, David Behrman, Ellen Fullman, and Catherine Christer Hennix. He is also a co-founder of the groups The 13th Tribe, Armchair Traveller, and Tonaliens (with Robin Hayward and Hilary Jeffery) and has released numerous solo albums on labels such as Black Truffle, Unseen Worlds, or Edition Telemark. Trained in saxophone as well as Indian and Persian flutes, Durand - based in Berlin - is a key figure in the drone scene, famous for his handmade wind instruments, such as "buzz-clarinets" or his neys and PVC horns. His partner in FLOCKS (and longtime friend) is Uli Hohmann. His early encounters with the music of Asia, India, and Africa led him to study with Ghanaian master percussionist Mustapha Tettey Addy, then to train in tombak and daf with Nemad Darman (Iran). Hohmann has participated in several projects exploring the language of Persian classical music and began making his own string instruments (thus leveraging his training as a carpenter). In 2014, he joined Durand and Amelia Cuni for the album *Clearing*; in 2018, Durand and Hohmann decided to continue the adventure as a duo: FLOCKS was born. With "Lagoon," the duo deepens the aesthetic shaped on their self-titled debut album (released in 2023 on the now-defunct ZEHRA label): DURAND and HOHMANN sculpt soundscapes with "drone" accents, relying on wind and string instruments of their own making, Persian percussion, and subtle electronics. They also draw inspiration from Krautrock (as seen in the irresistible, hypnotic, and constantly evolving rhythmic structure of the title track) as well as the "Fourth World" aesthetic of JON HASSELL, thus positioning the duo at the crossroads between tradition and experimentation.