2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and now 2022: If there's one thing you can't blame Hanreti for, it's inactivity. Over the past seven years, the illustrious group of musicians around leader Timo Keller has not only managed to establish itself as a much-praised secret tip within the Swiss music scene with four albums, but has also revealed itself as a musical chameleon. Sometimes the spotlight was on funk and soul elements, then suddenly more folk or indie rock influences became apparent. And now - with their fifth album - the psychedelic side of rock music is being explored.
The fifth record narrates the fictional story of an Antarctic expedition. What might result in a somewhat contrived concept album in the case of other musicians turns out to be a stroke of luck for Hanreti: The lyrics, sung by Timo Keller, were written by Lucerne author Bela Rotenbühler («Provenzhauptschtadt») and, in combination with the multi-faceted instrumentals, result in a well conceived, coherent and yet remarkably surprising entity. The concept is topped off by art director Isabelle Weber, who lends a visual component to the project with an album film, among other things. Keller himself describes the overall concept as follows:
«The image of the polar explorers represents the arrogance of man to penetrate the last gap of the unexplored and the absurdity of wanting to dominate everything. On the other hand, the Antarctica represents the last blank, the last white spot. I wanted to go for more horizontal arrangements with this album and already early on I draw inspiration from images of Antarctica.»
The Album kicks off with «Cracks», a song that lets the listener assume he or she is in seemingly safe and musically familiar Hanreti territory. But already track number two - «Diamond Road» - foreshadows that the fifth album of the Lucerne band may be somewhat darker and more impulsive than one has been used to so far.
With the record’s first single «Fade Away» (17 November 2021), this premonition comes true: The pace is galloping, the drums and bass lay down an kraut-like rhythm carpet and above it - so it seems - a wavering synthesizer and vigorous guitar riffs warn of impending doom. With their complexity the album’s remaining songs also provide an almost cinematic listening experience and skillfully combine genres such as folk, krautrock and guitar pop - including brass and string parts. Hanreti have never sounded as gripping, urgent and versatile as on their fifth album.
The single «Fade Away» arrives on 17 November 2021, and the album will be released in spring 2022 on Orange Peel Records.
Hanreti are: Timo Keller, Jeremy Sigrist, Lukas Weber, Mario Hänni, Rees Coray
For fans of: The War On Drugs, Steve Reich, Portishead
Contacts: mike@orangepeel-agency.ch (Label), alain@youngandaspiring.com (Promo), arthur@youngandaspiring.com (Booking)
