Vintage

There are loads of bandstands in parks across London, but most of them haven't been used much over the past years and they're starting to look tattered and lonely.

Some creative people have decided to bring these bandstands back to life and host live bands on a regular basis. They film the results and post them on the internet at www.bandstandbusking.com.

The three recordings of Hauschka are fantastic -- great music and entertaining to watch. It's a string quartet fronted by a toy piano with beautiful results.

When did you last see [a bandstand] surrounded by hordes excited by the sounds? ...well we hadn't so we decided to do what we could to change that, to fill the parks once more (at least for a wee while every couple of weeks) with some talented people capable of carrying a tune or two.

Here also is:

• Hauschka - Freibad
• Hauschka - Schones Madchen
• Hauschka's website

Hauschka's Ferndorf

I would also highly recommend you purchase Hauschka's album "Ferndorf." You can purchase the album in MP3 format from the Fat Cat Records website.

"Ferndorf" is Hauschka's second album for FatCat's 130701 imprint. Where the previous album comprised mostly solo recordings of Hauschka's prepared piano (with a few electronic and instrumental overdubs), "Ferndorf" is a far more expansive and fully-realised album with many of the tracks also featuring a string duo.

More dynamic, its staccato stabbing rhythms are rendered increasingly rousing and emotive with these additional strings. While his recordings still retain the shivers and tics of the modified internal workings of the piano -- alongside some sweet electronic touches -– these are less central and instead what's featured is the melodic and rhythmic push and pull, and a development towards more orchestrated music and notated compositions.