Apparat – A Hum of Maybe review

What’s in an album title? Sascha Ring chose A Hum of Maybe because he’d sifted through the turmoil many feel in these most insecure of times and managed to find the grains of possibility; a follow up to the Grammy nominated LP5, strife preceded it, such that when work on it had concluded it felt like finding the end of a tunnel.

Ring had experienced two years of what used to be known as writer’s block following a world tour with his techno side project Moderat. Returning home to his Berlin sanctuary, the walls quickly closed in, a spell broken by his decision to write a song a day, however good or bad the results were.

A Hum of Maybe is perhaps inevitably the story of an artist reclaiming their life, but the tension of such an elemental journey is mirrored on the title track, it’s intimacy bringing listeners closer. Structurally, there are some fine precedents here – Bonobo‘s tribal, understated rhythms, The Blue Nile‘s skeletal drama, Colour of Spring era Talk Talk on Pieces Falling; This like the other collaborative effort Tilth (Where Armenian-American singer KÁRYYN guests) adds some much needed light.

On Hum of Maybe Sascha Ring courageously opens himself up, a process which as the title suggests became his only way to look forward. It’s not always an easy listen, but as the title suggests, the sound of rebirth is never far away.

You can read a full review here.