What’s in an album title? Sascha Ring chose 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 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 something as easily labelled 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 creative black hole which lasted for two years, a spell broken by his decision to write a song a day, however good or bad the results were.
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. Its not always an easy listen, but you sense that this is the only door that he could open up.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 