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Home   >   Projects   >   Philanthropy   >   Press Release

Track Listing:

1
Diversity
 
2
Searching
 
3
Inventions
 
4
Detached
 
5
Limitation
 
6
Nature
 
7
Science
 
8
Loved One
 
9
Generosity
 
10
Magnanimity
 
11
Altruism
 
12
Noie
 

Hauschka :

Philanthropy

Hauschka Unveils “Nature” Video/Single 
From New Album, Philanthropy, Out Today on City Slang

“[Philanthropy] combines traditional and unconventional piano sounds, so that lyrical runs and post-modern flurries of notes coincide with bumps, clashes and otherworldly vibrations.” 
- Aquarium Drunkard

Today, Academy Award and BAFTA-winning composer Volker Bertelmann, aka Hauschka, releases his new album, Philanthropy, out now on City Slang. In conjunction, Hauschka presents a music video for album standout, “Nature,” and announces a 2024 North American tour. An occasion for celebration and reflection, Philanthropy is a carefully considered but jubilantly improvised response to recent years, with its philosophically-inclined but approachable and compassionate creator at the peak of his compositional powers.

The “Nature” video — directed by Tilly Shiner — presents lo-fi footage of a man dancing below a bridge. “‘Henry Dances Under a Bridge’ is a short portrait film that morphed into a music video,” Shiner says. “I cycled past him, dancing solo on a quiet street in London. He played me a message using a voice app and briefly told me his story. It was blunt and moving and full of tragedy and hope. The next day he would fly back to Sydney, but every day when I cycled under the bridge, I would imagine him dancing there. Henry danced in spite of everything. It felt like the perfect fit for Hauschka’s track ‘Nature,’ where the complex sounds are always shifting, sometimes haunting, sometimes shimmering. It is the beginning of a series of portraits in collaboration with Hauschka, to tell simple stories of ordinary people, and the small pleasures and dramas of their lives.”

Bertelmann — whose extraordinary score for All Quiet On The Western Front won an Oscar in 2023 — uses his work not only to move people, whether emotionally or physically, but also to provoke. No one sounds like the Düsseldorf-based Hauschka, which he quite reasonably celebrates on Philanthropy by revisiting past habits. “I really loved how I worked in the beginning,” he smiles. “I wanted to connect with the time I first started.” Most of the record was recorded alone on his piano in his studio, beginning in the summer of 2022, though Bertelmann never restricts his use of his instrument to its keys. Throughout the album, he employs a Turkish davul drum, as well as, more prominently than ever, synthesizers, not least a bass synth. There are also contributions from cellist Laura Wiek and violinist Karina Buschinger, as well as Múm’s drummer Samuli Kosminen.

Next year, Hauschka will embark on a North American tour in support of Philanthropy, bringing his incredible live performance to New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and more. In the midst of the tour, Hauschka will participate in a special performance at Dia Beacon as a part of Rita McBride’s Arena Momentum exhibition. A full list of performances are below, and tickets are on sale now.

 

Hauschka Unveils New Single/Video, “Inventions”

Hauschka — aka  Academy Award and BAFTA-winning composer Volker Bertelmann — presents his new single/video, “Inventions,” from his forthcoming album, Philanthropy, out October 20th on City Slang. The moods across Philanthropy, among the most upbeat in the extensive Hauschka catalog, are emboldened by the mischievous “Inventions.” The stunning video was directed by Wataru Sato, and was filmed around various locations in Japan. Hauschka says, “The video provides a captivating glimpse into the multifaceted aspects of everyday life in Japan. It skillfully captures both the fast-paced, hyper-modern lifestyle and the serene moments deeply rooted in its rich history and culture, finding expression in poetry and carpentry. It showcases that there's not one answer, and that joy and serenity can be found in everything, from arts and crafts to the meticulous work of a train conductor.”

Sato adds: "When people from all over the world think of Japan, they probably envision Tokyo with its towering skyscrapers. However, in this video, I've turned our focus to towns and individuals who hold their culture in high regard, and to those who, upon recognizing the beauty of this culture, create something anew. My intention was to highlight that these often overlooked people and cultural aspects play a pivotal role in our society. With Japan's diverse culture and landscapes, we hope that, through the medium of sound, it can be appreciated by audiences worldwide."

Bertelmann — whose extraordinary score for All Quiet On The Western Front won an Oscar in 2023 — uses his work not only to move people, whether emotionally or physically, but also to provoke. No one sounds like the Düsseldorf-based Hauschka, which he quite reasonably celebrates on Philanthropy by revisiting past habits. “I really loved how I worked in the beginning,” he smiles. “I wanted to connect with the time I first started.” Most of the record was recorded alone on his piano in his studio, beginning in the summer of 2022, though Bertelmann never restricts his use of his instrument to its keys. Throughout the album, he employs a Turkish davul drum, as well as, more prominently than ever, synthesizers, not least a bass synth. There are also contributions from cellist Laura Wiek and violinist Karina Buschinger, as well as Múm’s drummer Samuli Kosminen.

In the four years between 2019’s A Different Forest and the forthcoming Philanthropy, Bertelmann’s score for All Quiet On The Western Front was part of a major rush of productivity precipitated by the success of 2016’s Oscar-nominated collaboration with Dustin O’Halloran on the score to Garth Davis’ Lion. He and O’Halloran have since worked on several projects, most recently the Kate Winslet-starring Ammonite. Bertelmann’s catalog now includes almost 50 film and TV scores, with 2018’s Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, again nominated for a BAFTA, which in turn led him to work again with its director, Edward Berger, on All Quiet On The Western Front.

An occasion for celebration and reflection, Philanthropy is a carefully considered but jubilantly improvised response to recent years, with its philosophically-inclined but approachable and compassionate creator at the peak of his compositional powers.

 

Hauschka Unveils New Single/Video, “Limitation of Lifetime”
From New Album, Philanthropy, Out October 20th on City Slang
 
Hauschka — aka Academy Award and BAFTA-winning composer Volker Bertelmann — unveils his new single/video, “Limitation of Lifetime,” from his forthcoming album, Philanthropy, out October 20th on City Slang. “Limitation of Lifetime” is one of Philanthropy’s more peaceful tracks, an interlude that evokes a Debussy Prelude as it glides along magical ripples. “It was an idea that I originally composed for another project,” Bertelmann says, “and I always felt a deep connection to it.” Following the “gorgeous and mournful” (Brooklyn Vegan) lead single “Loved Ones,” “Limitation of Lifetime” reveals another mesmerizing expanse of Philanthropy’s distinctive sound.
 
Directed and choreographed by Alexandra Waierstall, the accompanying video features a dance belonging to a film and live performance with Scott Jennings, a former dancer of Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertall. Following its filmed release today, fragments of the piece  will be performed this and next year at Dia Beacon in New York. “I was touched by the choreography’s intimacy and reflection on human qualities based on vulnerability and fragility, which in my opinion is strongly connected with empathy,” notes Bertelmann. “So when we discussed the song release, I asked Alexandra if she could record Scott in a single and pure performance so that we could capture the intimate feelings from the dance and music into a video. And she did.”
 
Bertelmann — whose extraordinary score for All Quiet On The Western Front won an Oscar in 2023 — uses his work not only to move people, whether emotionally or physically, but also to provoke. No one sounds like the Düsseldorf-based Hauschka, which he quite reasonably celebrates on Philanthropy by revisiting past habits. “I really loved how I worked in the beginning,” he smiles. “I wanted to connect with the time I first started.” Most of the record was recorded alone on his piano in his studio, beginning in the summer of 2022, though Bertelmann never restricts his use of his instrument to its keys. He employs a Turkish davul drum, as well as, more prominently than ever, synthesizers, not least a bass synth. There are also contributions from cellist Laura Wiek and violinist Karina Buschinger, as well as Múm’s drummer Samuli Kosminen.
 
In the four years between 2019’s A Different Forest and the forthcoming Philanthropy, Bertelmann’s score for All Quiet On The Western Front was part of a major rush of productivity precipitated by the success of 2016’s Oscar-nominated collaboration with Dustin O’Halloran on the score to Garth Davis’ Lion. He and O’Halloran have since worked on several projects, most recently the Kate Winslet-starring Ammonite. Bertelmann’s catalog now includes almost 50 film and TV scores, with 2018’s Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, again nominated for a BAFTA, which in turn led him to work again with its director, Edward Berger, on All Quiet On The Western Front.
 
An occasion for celebration and reflection, Philanthropy is a carefully considered but jubilantly improvised response to recent years, with its philosophically-inclined but approachable and compassionate creator at the peak of his compositional powers.

 

June 22, 2023 - For Immediate Release - Today, Academy Award and BAFTA-winning composer Volker Bertelmann, aka Hauschka, announces his new album, Philanthropy, out October 20th on City Slang, and presents its lead single, “Loved Ones.” 

The word “philanthropy” is defined as “the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions” or “the love of humankind in general.” Perhaps too modest to consider his music a benevolent or charitable act, Bertelmann unquestionably displays “a love of humankind” through the compassion and openness of his new music. Perhaps not the obvious choice for an instrumental album dominated by the distinctive sound of prepared piano, the renowned composer named his 14th studio album Philanthropy, his first Hauschka album since 2019’s A Different Forest.

Aptly titled, lead single “Loved Ones,” a beautiful composition buoyed by lush strings, is an expression of Hauschka’s feelings for his loved ones. He sees both independence and the desire to care for each other - musically expressed here by combining felt piano and cello - as the fuel for making plans and being creative. The video for “Loved Ones,” made by UK-based director and filmmaker Tilly Shiner, is adapted from the short film I Haven’t Told This to Anybody Before / Finding Nick Ayer. The film imagines the story behind a found reel of black and white 16mm film of New York in the early 1980s, showing glimpses of ordinary lives on the streets of the East Village and is cut with contemporary iPhone footage. This contrast emphasizes the fragility of our existence and the inherent challenges in preserving and capturing true meaning within the vast sea of visual information.

Bertelmann — whose extraordinary score for All Quiet On The Western Front won an Oscar in 2023 — uses his work not only to move people, whether emotionally or physically, but also to provoke. No one sounds like the Düsseldorf-based Hauschka, which he quite reasonably celebrates on Philanthropy by revisiting past habits. “I really loved how I worked in the beginning,” he smiles. “I wanted to connect with the time I first started.” Most of the record was recorded alone on his piano in his studio, beginning in the summer of 2022, though Bertelmann never restricts his use of his instrument to its keys. In addition, he employs a Turkish davul drum, as well as, more prominently than ever, synthesizers, not least a bass synth. There are also contributions from cellist Laura Wiek and violinist Karina Buschinger, as well as Múm’s drummer Samuli Kosminen.

Though Bertelmann started in pop music, he adopted his solo guise as Hauschka in the early 2000s, earning a reputation as a pioneer of what would come to be known as New Classical music. However, he hesitates to silo himself in one genre, saying “The only way to survive is actually to leave the ship when it starts to get going,” he laughs. “Otherwise it’s the last ship you take.”  The combination of Hauschka’s classical training, chamber music sensibilities and pop-cultural interests ensure that the sometimes-playful results were far more than an academic, experimental exercise.

In the four years between A Different Forest and the forthcoming Philanthropy, Bertelmann’s score for All Quiet On The Western Front was part of a major rush of productivity precipitated by the success of 2016’s Oscar-nominated collaboration with Dustin O’Halloran on the score to Garth Davis’ Lion. He and O’Halloran have since worked on six more projects, most recently the Kate Winslet-starring Ammonite. Bertelmann’s catalog now includes almost 50 film and TV scores, with 2018’s Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, again nominated for a BAFTA, which in turn led him to work again with its director, Edward Berger, on All Quiet On The Western Front.

Bertelmann is back as Hauschka, and Philanthropy lives up to its name. An occasion for celebration and reflection, it’s a carefully considered but jubilantly improvised response to recent years, with its philosophically-inclined but approachable and compassionate creator at the peak of his compositional powers. If “music be the food of love,” then, here it’s also food for thought. That’s surely a gift worth giving and, even more, receiving.

Philanthropy Tracklist
1. Diversity
2. Searching
3. Inventions
4. Detached
5. Limitation
6. Nature
7. Science
8. Loved One
9. Generosity
10. Magnanimity
11. Altruism
12. Noie

Hauschka Tour Dates 
Mon. Nov 6 - London, UK @ Barbican, Milton Court Concert Hall
Wed. Nov 8 - Berlin, Germany @ Tingel Tangel, Theater Des Westens
Fri. Nov 17 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Misty Festival
Sat. Nov 18 -  Porto, Portugal @ Misty Festival 
Fri. Dec 15 - Leuven, Belgium @ Het Depot
Sat. Dec 16 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli Vredenburg
Thu. Feb. 22 - Montreal, QB @ Lumiere Festival
Fri. Feb. 23 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
Sat. Feb. 24 - Beacon, NY @ Dia Beacon*
Sun. Feb 25 - Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
Wed. Feb. 28 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Thu. Feb. 29 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Fri. March 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Forever
Sat. April 27 - Madrid, ES @ National Music Auditorium