Pierce L.

The half Dutch-Swiss, half American Pierce Lohman a.k.a. The Soul is a man with a mission. He is part of the first generation of Hang players and has set himself the task of discovering the possibilities of this divers instrument. The first Hang was made about 8 years ago in Bern in Switzerland. The UFO-shaped Hang is played using your hands, it is no coincidence the name Hang means ’hand’ in the Bern dialect. Instruments like the steelpan and steeldrum were the inspiration to design the Hang, but the Hang itself is certainly not a conventional percussion instrument. What makes the instrument so special is that each individual Hang has it’s own intonation, even though all Hangs have the same special sound that reaches very far without being abrasive.

Lohman already played various percussion instruments when he first heard of the Hang and was quick to decide he wanted to play this brand-new instrument. When Lohman bought his first Hang in Bern the instrument had only existed for a year. The Hang has no musical tradition and therefore no limits or rules. The special character of the instrument presents the Hang player with great challenges and The Soul is more than happy to take these on. Because it is impossible to write a piece that can be played by any Hang, The Soul has to learn and experiment continuously. Playing the Hang is not a technical matter but is done entirely by intuition and feeling. This is why Lohman’s artist name is The Soul!