The Voice of Silence

It’s still puzzling that these early Hamel records aren’t seen as part of the broader Krautrock firmament, but here we are. On The Voice of Silence, Hamel starts by spending some time at the piano, notes pouring out of the instrument like the gush of a geyser; it’s like Charlemagne Palestine on helium, and that’s before the droning, guttural vocals join the fray. Droning harmonium centers the title track, with Hamel’s voice chanting and sighing alongside; it’s bewilderingly good. The closing “Ego Loss”, for organ and voice, is tender. Throughout you can sense Hamel’s musical relationship with the space he’s recording in – the hall of the Munich music academy is a ghostly presence on this album of minimal-not-minimalist composition.