HandPans Magazine

While the connection we’re drawing between Rock Balancing, and Handpan music, is pretty tenuous - relying solely on the following video by YouTube user, PanDaman, we’re running with it. Not least because it is something that we’ve recently found a certain amount of fascination with ourselves (we were introduced to it last year while visiting Thailand, where everybody seemed to be at it), but also because it just seems to be something that fits the tempo of the Handpan well, whatever that means…

What is Rock Balancing?

We expected it to be something that was some kind of ancient Chinese art-form, Buddhist practice, or something of that nature. But research seems to suggest that that is not the case at all. And while it seems likely that throughout history, all over the world, people have balanced rocks one atop the other, for whatever reasons drove them to do so - the art of Rock Balancing in its increasingly established current form, appears to be something quite new.

Similarities have been drawn to such things as “Cairn”, and “Inuksuk”, man-made piles of rock with much longer histories. However, these structures usually served as landmarks, and were intended to stand for a long time. Whereas Rock Balancing is considered to be a transient art-form, with sculptures having life-spans often counted in hours, or even minutes.

The name of the art-form, “Rock Balancing”, is not unlike that of the “Handpan”, in the sense of being quite a practical moniker, that barely hints at its potential for creating truly intricate-beauty. And in much the same manner that those hearing the Handpan for the first time are often deeply surprised that that wok / trash-can looking thing can produce the sounds that it does, the art of Rock Balancing requires a certain degree of sensitivity, with the ultimate goal being to generate that which appears to be impossible, but is in fact, only improbable.

And even if like ours, your own initial attempts are not overly elaborate (see our first effort below), there is something quite "Zen" about the whole process (in terms of being present in the moment), and also something quite satisfying, in successfully stacking even only a small handful of rocks, and stones, to create something, that no matter how short-lived, and volatile, briefly adds a little extra wonder to the world. Before once again being consumed and set-to-purpose, by the appetites of Mother Nature.

>> Center of Gravity: A Guide to the Practice of Rock Balancing<<

We might not have too many bona-fide celebrity ambassadors championing the small but growing world of Handpan, at time of posting. But those that we do have, we hold dearly. As it is with Iranian actress, musician, and singer, Golshifteh Farahani - who to date has appeared in twenty-five movies, and counting - including alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, in the 2008 released, “Body of Lies” (in which she became the first Iranian actress to appear in a Hollywood film since the 1979 revolution). And you'll also find her in the upcoming 2017 instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, “Dead Men Tell No tales”. Additionally, if you’re not ill-at-ease with paddling out into the pools of world-cinema from time-to-time, it is here that you’ll arguably find Golshifteh shine brightest. In movies such as “The Pear Tree”, in which she first gained attention at the age of fourteen, before going on to become widely considered to be Iran’s biggest movie star (before later being banished from her home country for her art), and “My Sweet Pepper Land” a movie we’ll discuss a little more below, which, to our knowledge, featured the Hang / Handpan’s very first foray onto the big-screen, anywhere, ever.

But first, here's a recent video of Golshifteh performing on her seemingly-beloved PANArt Integral Hang...

The Integral Hang

Golshifteh Farahani’s instrument of choice to date has always been an Integral Hang, from the original Swiss-makers, PANArt (and there are a number of videos of her performing upon it around the web). Offered-up by PANArt circa 2008, the Integral Hang are darker, and rougher, than the Second-Generation Hang that preceded them. And in accordance with PANArt’s previous moves to reduce the number of sound-models they offered, the Integral Hang was made available in only one tuning (D3 Ding with seven notes A3, Bb3, C4, D4, E4, F4, and A4 surrounding it in the Tone Circle).

My Sweet Pepper Land

Unfortunately, despite really wanting to give this movie a proper viewing, we’ve never been able to find a copy with English subtitles (despite the trailer above having them). Which kind of forced us to make up our own dialogue for the characters as we went along - and whether that made for a better, or worse film than is officially scripted, it’s difficult to say. My Sweet Pepper Land is essentially a Spaghetti-Western set in Iran, with an interesting cast of characters, an enjoyable cinematic-style, and of course for us, most importantly in this instance, several Hang performances, and more Hang music sprinkled in between, setting the mood.

Unless you’re the sort of Singing-steel fan who sees Handpan in the sky, and among the trees, and wants to watch this movie purely to catch the Hang’s cinematic debut, unless you either speak Kurdish, and/or read French, you probably won't find too much of interest in My Sweet Pepper Land. However, that said, Golshifteh Farahani’s performance was captivating. And just perhaps, we’ll see Golshifteh, and her Hang, centre-stage alongside the ever-popular, Captain Jack Sparrow, come 2017(?)...

With the Handpan’s shape being strongly reminiscent of the classic “Flying Saucer” type of UFO, it seems only right that we join hand-in-hand with our sky-watching-brethren, to celebrate “World UFO Day”, this July the 2nd, 2016.

World UFO Day is intended to raise awareness of “the undoubted existence of UFOs”, and to encourage governments to declassify their files on UFO sightings. And the date July the 2nd, commemorates the supposed UFO crash in the 1947 Roswell Incident.

However, here at HPM, to celebrate World UFO Day - Handpan-style - we’re going to take a look at the five "most watched" Handpan videos over at YouTube, from over the last twelve months.

Sam Maher - New York Handpan 02

With 35,470 views, Sam Maher, comes in as fifth most viewed, featured at the “BUSKRS” YouTube channel. Sam Maher is one of those Handpan musicians who sneaks off radar from time-to-time, and then pops up again, to remind you of exactly why it is that you remember his name…

1 HOUR Handpan \ Hang drum \ Pantam relaxing Solo Chilout

2, 3, 4 minutes of Handpan music not enough for you in one sitting? You’re not alone. With 39,949 views, coming in as the fourth most viewed Handpan video of the last twelve months, is, Ariel Hillel, and his near-hour-long meditative soundscape…

Gevurah - Tzevaot Handpan (Official Music Video)

Coming in as third most viewed with 47,869 hits is, “Gevurah”, by U.S. Handpan producers, Tzevaot. A cinematic-feast featuring Tzevaot man, Teddy Amkie, shrouded in flames, performing on a Tzevaot Aeolian scale handpan...

Bello Banff - A Time Lapse HandPan Video - Daniel Waples [HD]

Facebook’s most followed, and arguably the most recognisable man in Handpan-music, Daniel Waples, comes in as the second most viewed on our list, at 145,177 views. With his blissfully-serene Hobbit-esque time-lapse offering....

Sam Maher - New York Handpan 01

If you loved our first featured video above, showcasing the Handpan-talents of Sam Maher, you’ll be happy to find that its accompanying performance from over at the BUSKRS YouTube channel, at 187,385 views, ranks as thee most watched Handpan YouTube video of the last twelve months. And we think that you’ll agree, that while "number of views" is not always, and automatically, a metric of quality, Sam Maher’s performance below is as fine a Handpan performance, as you could ever hope to witness...

Old-style Bali (left), 2016-model Bali (right)

The Bali Steel Pan was among the first “Hang alternatives” we learned of here at HPM, back in 2010. And alongside the Halo, the BElls, the Spacedrum, and the Caisa, these Bali-made Handpan were among the first makes to hit the market, in the wake of the success of the PANArt Hang.

Initially, back when there were very few alternatives, the Bali Steel Pan received its fair share of love. But as more and more options have made themselves available, love for the Bali, in its original form, has seemingly waned somewhat. And the instruments have often been criticised of showing little-to-no-improvement, despite the growing number of passing years the Bali guys have been accumulating as makers.

The Bali Steel Pan - 2016 Model

As it turns out though, the Bali-makers have not been sat quite so idly on their thumbs, as some might have believed. And with the recent announcement of their all new 2016 model Bali, we can now take a first look at what promises to be a considerably different beast...

What's New?

* It is made from thicker steel and not the bottom of an oil barrel.
* Not painted.
* Oval dimples.
* Smaller size (about 22 inches wide).
* New metal hardening process.
* The promise of increased sustain, and stronger harmonics.

Find more information on the 2016 model Bali Steel Pan over at their website: HERE

Back in the summer of 2013 with the announcement of PANArt’s new instrument, the Gubal, we were understandably excited. Like others we caught a sneak-preview at what the Gubal might look like, when PANArt-submitted registered-design photos appeared online, and we swiftly purchased PANArt’s book, published shortly after, that promised via its accompanying CD, the only way to get a first-listen to the sounds of their newest creation.

With the CD listened to however, and over the following months a string of Gubal-video performances consumed, the excitement faded - with the Gubal leaving us feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Despite the Gubal being relatively Hang-like in appearance (though with considerably more junk in its trunk), the sound of the Gubal failed to enchant us, in any manner close to that which its older sibling the Hang had.

We lamented a little, and then moved on to take joy in the ever increasing number of new Handpan makers that were popping-up near-daily. But even as we pushed the Gubal to the back of our thoughts, a part of us considered that perhaps all that the Gubal was really missing, was its own coming Manu Delago(s). Players who would pick up this new instrument, bulbous-globe straddled between their thighs, make it their own, and deliver performances to reignite some of that lost PANArt-lustre. And inspire us, with the Gubal in mind, to reach for ink and paper, with thoughts of penning a good old-fashioned Bern-addressed begging-letter...

Inviter à la danse - Performed by Alem, on the PANArt Gubal

While we could find no mention of Reto Weber’s part-played in PANArt’s 2013 published book, Hang: Sound Sculpture. Delve back through older resources and you'll find numerous references as to the Swiss percussionist, Reto Weber, being credited as being the man who first suggested the idea of an instrument like the Hang / Handpan, to steel-instrument manufacturers PANArt. Expressing a desire for a “sounding pot in steel with some notes to play with the hands” Which is why back in 2011, we described Reto Weber, as being the “Spark that started a Handpan fire”.

And while evidence appears to suggest (albeit fragmented and incomplete) that an interview published in the Swiss music magazine, Swiss Musikzeitung, named Reto, as the inventor of the Hang. Prompting Hang-maker, Felix Rohner to respond - ‘The slope is not the result of an idea’, ‘The history of the Hang is not the story of an Invention in the classical sense an instrument that such a world great response trigger as the Hang, you can not invent’. It certainly seems possible that without Reto’s suggestion, the Hang might never have been born. And whether you consider the man with the raw idea, or the man who takes that raw idea, and beats it into life with a hammer, to be the inventor - we leave to you.

''it sounds like it was a leap of insight when the right people got asked by someone to realize a vague notion -- people who were able to take that seed and rapidly bring it to flower.' - Aaron Ximm

Reto Weber Where Are You Now?

Sixteen years on from the birth of the instrument that Reto’s 1999 visit to the Hanghaus ignited, and we can see that Reto Weber is still very much playing Hang. Primarily it seems (at time of posting) alongside, Chico Freeman. A modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter, and son of jazz saxophonist, Von Freeman...

And while the video above is a few years old now, the following more recent offering from just four days back, shows that the Hang, PANArt’s take on Reto's imagined ‘sounding pot with notes’ - is still very much in his heart, and in his lap…

Arguably the biggest news item this week in Handpan-land, has been the generous offering made by Handpan-musician, turned Handpan-maker, Colin Foulke. In the form of detailed information regarding, and detailed plans for constructing, your own “Hydroforming” machine (should that be something that you might be interested in building). For the purpose of conveniently producing self-made Handpan shells (the blank canvas from which Handpan are usually made).

The “How to make a Handpan” page - a loose grouping of videos and information we’ve collected together over the years remains one of this sites most popular reads. And while the process of hydroforming shells may have quietly been in use by other Handpan manufacturers for a while now - information of this detail, shared by Colin in the spirit of the early days of Hang, will be (and has been), gratefully-received.

Hydroforming is the process of using high-pressure-fluids to form metals such as steel, into a desired shape. And not only is hydroforming widely considered to be a “cost-effective” mechanism for shaping metals - for the Handpan-maker using hammers, or even air-hammers to produce their shells, this is surely a production method that promises to be considerably less jarring.

Without further ado, and to put an end to us babbling on as if we know anything more about hydroforming than what we ripped off from Wikipedia above, and what you’ll glean for yourselves from the following video, here’s Colin Foulke himself, to tell you all about it…

To get to the meat-and-bones of the machine, including building instructions, and diagrams, plus a part-by-part Amazon-linked shopping list - detailing all you'll need to build your own Colin Foulke-style hydroforming machine. You'll need to head over to Colin's website, where you'll find all of that, and more. But before we direct you onwards, here's a final video shared from Colin Foulke's YouTube channel, that compares two different Handpan made by Colin himself, one hand-sunk, and the other hydroformed...

>> CFoulke's Hydroforming Method <<

With Handpan virtuoso Sam Maher’s New York subway video going crazy-viral at time of posting, as we often do, we’re seeing a number of people advising others via Facebook comments and the like, as to what the instrument in question actually is. With one answer popping up frequently being that the instrument that Sam is playing, is a “Spacedrum”.

The naming of these steel-UFO-shaped-instruments over the years has at times been a fairly confusing matter. And a matter of significant contention. Particularly with regards to the moniker “Hang drum”, which arguably still remains the most commonly used name for these instruments outside of the core-community that surround them. Despite the protests of the original makers PANArt, that Hang, are not a "drum".

The more generic term “Handpan”, as coined by one of the earliest Hang-inspired makers, Pantheon Steel, is that most widely used by those more familiar with the instrument-type. Though other names such as “Pantam”, and “Disco Armonico” also have their proponents.

Among those a little less familiar with the instrument type though, a new name is spreading fast, and that is the name of “Spacedrum”. This almost certainly has much to do with the heartbeat-like regularity with which Yuki Koshimoto’s video (below) goes viral over at Facebook, and other Social-Media platforms (this remix is also very cool if you haven’t yet seen it). But also quite possibly it has something to do with the UFO-shape of the Hang, and Handpan. Making Spacedrum a relatively easy name to remember off-the-cuff...

What is a Spacedrum?

Spacedrum are a specific brand of Handpan, made in France. And Yuki Koshimoto plays a 13-note chromatic Handpan made by these particular makers, who go by the name Metal Sounds. So that while we actually quite like the name Spacedrum ourselves here at HPM - there is some danger in using it in a general sense. If only to those considering a Handpan purchase, who could, if not careful, find themselves dropping cash on something that isn’t as it might seem (such as this Bali-made instrument being advertised as being a “Spacedrum” over at eBay at time of posting).

*...and if you were wondering what make of Handpan Sam Maher is playing in the video mentioned at the beginning of this post, it's actually an instrument made by U.S. makers, TerraTonz.

If it feels like "Sam Maher Month" here at HPM, with this being the third near-consecutive post featuring him thus far. As far as we’re concerned - he’s earned it. Because while the saying “a rising tide lifts all boats” perhaps sounds a little opportunistic - traffic to this site has tripled over the last week or so, as a result of a recent video of Sam's shared over at Facebook having blown-up in a big way - racking up over five million views in just two weeks. And spreading rapidly. With over 150,000 shares. And over 50,000 likes (and counting). Spreading further still via platforms like Twitter. Introducing an army of new admirers to the sounds of UFO-shaped singing-steel.

And while we’ve probably all stumbled across YouTube videos with few views that were awesome, that we felt were deserving of more attention. In the instance of Sam Maher’s ‘New York Handpan 01’ (featured below), it’s clear that “the people” have chosen wisely. With it being one of the finest Handpan performances that a person could ever hope to witness.

Over at Sam’s Facebook page it suggests that he’s from Perth, Western Australia. Though it’s possible that that is just where he finds himself currently. A few years back we followed his travels around South America (with his Handpan) via his Facebook posts. And in addition to insane Handpan talents, Sam Maher is also a truly-inspirational travel-writer/blogger. And while we’d certainly encourage you to visit his Facebook page and skip back through his older posts if you’d like to grab a read of that - this podcast episode featuring Sam Maher over at MissionControl also makes for a very enjoyable listen. In which he also discusses the New York City busking-scene - as featured in the video in question…

What you don't hear in the video over at Facebook, that you do hear in the YouTube version above, is the ending. In which both Sam, and the guy from BUSKRS exclaim, "That's the one!". And you find yourself nodding firmly in agreement. We haven't heard it thrown around much in recent times, but in the earlier days of the Hang, the sound of the instrument was often described as being like a "Chorus of Angels", which we believe originated with Hang-maker, Felix Rohner, himself. And listening to Sam play, it is especially easy to imagine a Choir of Angels imbued within the steel, conducted and enticed to sing, by Sam Maher's dancing hands and fingers.

For those who are interested, the Handpan played by Sam Maher in the video above is a Terrapan brand of Handpan, made by U.S. makers, TerraTonz. And for comparison, below you can watch one of the first videos we ever stumbled across of Sam on Handpan, performing on an Innersound, in the middle of a Perth shoe-store, from back in 2013...

And catch his most recent video (at time of posting) below...

To get the latest from Sam Maher you can subscribe to his YouTube channel: HERE. Or follow him at Facebook: HERE

While it’s very tempting to keep our heads well below the parapet on the following topic, for fear of drawing accusations of Demonic involvement ourselves (just don’t play our sampler album backwards). Certain articles posted on the KaribPAN website in recent times, have proven intriguing. And should it be a rabbit hole that you're willing to dive down for yourself, if nothing else, you should emerge thoroughly entertained (more so than reading this website - if you believe the same "Blessings of love and light" type critics who probably set KaribPAN off in the first place - here's a present for those guys :p).

To our knowledge it began with a blog post titled, “The HandPan Mafia”, that was essentially an all-out attack against the Handpan instrument, and the culture, and community that surrounds it (Facebook reacts here). Just previous to its posting we witnessed several (arguably overly-enthusiastic) public criticisms of the sounds of the KaribPAN over at Facebook. And the whole thing had the air of a feeling-underappreciated new-maker to the scene, retaliating.

And you might have expected that, to be the end of that. But it wasn’t.

>> Listen to KaribPAN's now infamous

"Slimer" green Handpan<<.

Over the last few weeks (and the author shows no sign of stopping anytime soon), the blog posts have taken many a strange turn. From a fairly broad and generic attack against the entire Handpan scene, through to accusations of theft against the peoples of Trinidad and Tobago, the home of the Steel Pan. Before settling for now (at time of posting) firmly in the area of the occult. With prominent members of the Handpan community being called out, one-by-one, on their Demonic affiliations.

While some of the posts have arguably gone too far in terms of the personal attacks involved, even going as far as to make target of a much-loved, and recently deceased member of the industry - our main issue with the posts, is our own befuddlement with them...

Are they the retaliation of an aspiring-maker whose initial-offerings fell victim to the oft-sharp-tongues of Facebook’s Handpan-critics? The first signs of genuine backlash against the newer Handpan-scene, from the older Steel Pan scene of the Caribbean that birthed it? An elaborate joke? The bona-fide ravings of an aluminum-hat wearing madman? Or is the Handpan-world indeed the hive of ungodly activity that KaribPAN would like you to believe that it is? Deserving of the Holy-war that KaribPAN is currently waging against it (their most recent post almost had us convinced - almost)...

>> YOU DECIDE<<

Over the last six years of writing this blog we imagine that more than one post has begin with “just when you thought you’d seen it all...”

However, as frequently as we might start to believe that we have. We are always proven wrong.

Vision KUNDA - A Stringed Handpan Instrument

While the original Hang-makers have experimented in recent times with stringed Pang-instruments. And other makers such as Aciel’s, Micheal Colley, have experimented with the concept the of the stringed-Handpan. The newly annouced KUNDA, from Italian Handpan makers, Vision Instruments, approaches the concept very much in its own way. Utilising the Handpan’s natural reverberating cavity in the same manner as an acoustic guitar. Presenting some really interesting possibilities - particularly for vertical play.

Described as being ‘A Handpan based instrument with strong resonances between strings and Handpan tonefields’, despite the instrument names unfortunate Czech translation (Google at your own risk), we’re liking the early sounds of the KUNDA a lot. And look forward to hearing them make their way into the hands of players…

>> Seek further information at the Vision Instruments website: HERE

Finger-stretching Exercises

In recent times we’ve noticed a number of posts around the interwebs from Handpan players suffering from Hand-pains. Often from extended-playing. Performing any particular task repetitively for long periods of time presumably comes with its own risks, and playing Handpan is seemingly no different. Especially if, as some street performers might, you’re playing for periods of 4-5 hours (upwards).

If you were to say to us, “Hey, no pain, no gain…”, you’d find us in agreement. But even the great Rocky Balboa warmed-up. And just as Rocky had Mickey Goldmill, we present to you, Dr Levi Harrison, Orthopedic Surgeon, and his hand, finger, and joint stretches - near-guaranteed to bring out your inner Handpan-playing CHAMPION. Primarily intended it seems for Gamers, but - hands-be-hands. And should you find yourself suffering from ill-digits, perhaps this is something that could help to lessen future discomfort...

When Handpan musician Lauri Wuolio asked Russian Handpan maker Victor Levinson, what he thought would happen to his instruments over the next thousand years, Victor replied, “Rust will eat them…”. And while some basic rust-prevention should keep your Handpan in tip-top condition for the foreseeable future, ultimately, time will most-likely prove him right.

And with summer still lingering, should you be looking for an interesting book to read on the plane, by the pool, or simply curled up in your favourite chair. In the interests of “Knowing thy enemy”, you might do worse than to grab a copy of, Jonathan Waldman’s, “Rust: The Longest War”. An entertaining “Man Vs Nature” journey into the world of corrosion. And a real-world analysis of that which has been known as the “Great Destroyer”, and the “Pervasive Menace”...

‘It is the hidden enemy, the one that challenges the very basis of civilization. This entropic menace destroys cars, fells bridges, sinks ships, sparks house fires, and nearly brought down the Statue of Liberty’s torch. It is rust—and this book, full of wit and insight, disasters and triumphs—is its story.’

>> Find it for sale at Amazon<<

When a used Halo popped up for sale at eBay yesterday, at the price of $8000 - we knew it wouldn’t be long before the amount being asked came into question (see below)...

If it were nearly any other make of Handpan being offered for sale at near-three times what they are currently being sold for, it would be easy to write it off as "Chancing it", or "Greed", if you prefer. However, when it comes to the Halo instruments of Pantheon Steel, things are not quite so clear-cut in the secondhand market.

While recently Pantheon Steel have been selling their Handpan for around the $3000 mark, flash-sale style when available, via their web-store. Starting in 2011 Pantheon Steel began to hold near-monthly auctions via eBay, and as recently as eighteen months ago, Halo were selling via Pantheon's eBay store for as much as $15,000. So that while when a used Halo pops up for sale with a "large" price-tag attached it could be very easy to point the greed-finger - it could just as easily be a past Halo auction winner simply attempting to recoup the amount that they themselves paid (something that has historically been fairly easy to do with a used Handpan)..

December, 2015

Pantheon Steel's eBay auctions ran near-monthly between 2011-2015, and while the highest price reached was $15,000. Prices of $8000+ were fairly common. And seemingly prices as high as $10,000 were also paid for Halo via Pantheon Steel's annual silent-auction style lottery system (how many we don't know).

Mid-2015, in correlation with a large increase in the number of known Handpan makers, we noticed that the prices reached for Pantheon's monthly eBay offerings had dipped significantly. Meaning that while if you paid an extra-pretty-penny for your Halo via eBay auction, are fully content, and have no intentions of ever parting with it - you wouldn't catch us referring to you as a "Loser" - they're beautiful instruments - and you can't take your money with you. But from a purely financial perspective, attempting to recoup anywhere near some of the prices paid for Halo at eBay (or lottery) just a couple of years ago, in the current secondhand marketplace, could prove to be something of a struggle.

Pantheon Steel's Official (no longer monthly) March, 2016 offering...

The Original Bali Steel Pan

One interesting point of note learned via the recent announcement of a new 2016 model Bali Steel Pan Handpan, was the confirmation of something that we already suspected. That there is now more than one make of Handpan going via the name of “Bali Steel Pan”.

‘Please be aware not all hand pans sold under the name "balisteelpan" are from the original makers. I am not selling any of our instruments on Amazon.com - I only sell our hand pans with Ebay on my account Santasmusicshop…’. Came a recent announcement on the Bali Steel website.

The "Other" Bali Steel Pan

The original Bali Steel Pan was among the first “Hang Alternatives” to hit the market, back in 2009. And the original Bali Steel Pan team consists of: I Ketut Suda, I Neghah Resna and Chris Andersen. With all genuine Bali Steel instruments being produced on the island of Bali, in Indonesia. Though that last part also seems to be true of these “other” Bali Steel Pan.

Despite the possible confusion,these “imposter” Bali Steel do appear to use videos of their own instruments, hoodwinking only in name (and arguably look) - so feel free to consider them under their own merits. But in the interests of being an informed buyer, if it’s an “original” Bali Steel that you’re looking for, you might want to double check exactly what it is that you’re buying, and whom you are buying it from.

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The ways in which people discover the sounds of the Handpan (or as they are often known at that point, "weird metal turtle-shell wok drum things") are many and varied. And while others first heard the instrument in a movie, a video gone viral, on the streets, at a Bjork gig, and as a catchy tune in their favourite video game (to name a few examples) - others have more recently been introduced to the Handpan’s sound via hit Netflix television show, Orange is the New Black.

Poussey loves a bit of Handpan

‘The series revolves around Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman in her 30s living in New York City who is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary, a minimum-security women's federal prison (operated by the "Federal Department of Corrections", a fictional version of the Federal Bureau of Prisons) in upstate New York. Piper had been convicted of transporting a suitcase full of drug money for her girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), an international drug smuggler. The offense had occurred 10 years prior to the start of the series and in that time Piper had moved on to a quiet, law-abiding life among New York's upper middle class. Her sudden and unexpected indictment severely disrupts her relationships with her fiancé, family and friends.’

And in season four, episode 13, "Toast Can’t Never Be Bread Again" (the season finale), Handpan musician, Jerry Walsh, plays what looks to be a second generation Hang for a sleepy yet appreciative New York City subway audience, and provides soundtrack to the beginning of a young Asian boy’s descent into crime (it’s a slippery-slope kid).

Reportedly alerted to the opportunity by Handpan ambassador, Daniel Waples, Jerry Walsh wows for roughly one minute and seventeen seconds, Poussey, her fellow passengers, and roughly 7 million Netflix viewers across the episodes first two days of release (if figures roughly match those seen for the season’s premier). Take a listen below…

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With the Oktava Mk 12 being one of the microphones awarded special commendation by Handpan musician, David Kuckhermann, in his recent Microphone comparison video - with this post we’ll be presenting a little more video footage from over at YouTube, of various Handpan recorded using them.

The following video from George Gain's YouTube channel titled, “Oktava MK-012 Pair TEST” tests a number of singing-steel instruments against a pair of the Mk 12s. Including Hapi Drum, RAV Drum, and an Overtone Handpan. While for extra good measure also demos a whole bunch of other instruments too. To provide a solid look into how the Oktava holds up, against pretty much anything that you might choose to throw at it.

While the following videos offer further example of how the Oktava Mk 12 sounds in use by Handpan musicians around the world.

Jean-Matthieu Bourgeot presents his Meraki Kurd9 Handpan recorded using a pair of Oktava MK-012 plugged into a ZOOM H4N…

An official video from Ayasa Handpans pits a pair of Oktava against an Ayasa Adiyuga - E Kumo...

While YouTube user, djimbej, demos a Saraz F# Minor 9, again using two Oktava MK012's...

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Interesting variations on the classic Handpan design are always fascinating. In the past we’ve had the Ohm from Dave’s Island Instruments, an instrument made of the steel tongue drum, mixed with the Handpan. More recently the KUNDA, from Vision Instruments, a stringed Handpan instrument. And even arguably the Gubal, from Hang-makers PANArt themselves, is a hybrid-Handpan of sorts.

And while the following new instrument, the Hudeel, like PANArt’s Hang Gudu, defensibly has more in common with an Udu, than a Handpan. Listening to it under the hands of a well-known player like Kabeção (below), you can clearly hear that the instrument shares certain tonal qualities with the Handpan. In addition to having a familiar Handpan-esque shape. And transferable skills.

We recently took a second look at the concept of PANArt's Gamelan-style Pang orchestra, and while we can see the appeal of an instrument like the Hudeel regardless of any Handpan connection (real, or imagined), with PANArt having turned their backs on the Handpan scene a-whiles back, if the Handpan is ever to have a legitimate steel-orchestra all of its own, instruments like the Hudeel, will likely form a part of it.

For more information you can find the Hudeel at Facebook: HERE

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While it’s not something that we stumble across as frequently as we'd like to over in YouTube land, one of our personal favourite things about the Handpan instrument here at HPM, is the way in which one instrument can be comfortably shared between more than one player. Duets featuring more than one Handpan are common. But we’ve always found something quite special in watching, listening to, and even experiencing for ourselves from time-to-time, steel shared...

The Handpan's shape fits perfectly between two people, and with the instruments specially designed sound-models / scales, that in general make it near impossible to hit a "wrong" note - playing Handpan with another, is always a lot of fun. And while saying that it's a little like making "musical-love", might sound a little cliche. We'd encourage you to try it for yourself (if you haven't already), and see if you don't feel - just a little flustered...

So that while with our reference above still in mind, the following may sound questionable - If two isn’t enough for you, well, the more the merrier. As can be seen in the following Handpan-gang-bang from this years GRIASDI Handpan Festival - in which five “morally-loose” Handpanners, all share one Handpan, to great effect...

And should you be world-renowned for your “Magic Hands”, all the better...

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A few days ago we took a look at the Hudeel, a Handpan-esque steel Udu drum, as part of our imagined Handpan-orchestra. But an orchestra needs more instruments. Sure, we could add in some Bass Halo from Pantheon Steel, on the deep-end. But to reach those particularly twinkly places, we might consider the Tielldrum, a Kalimba-like singing-UFO, with a strange wibbly-wobbly quality to it..

Interestingly these have been around since 2014, and this is the first time we’ve seen one. Rammerdrum were around for a few years before that making classic-type steel tongue drum, but at some point in-between then, and now, they snuck the Tielldrum into their arsenal under our radar. And now that we know about it, we’re claiming it as a contender, for our fantasy Handpan-centric-ensemble…

Find more information over at Rammerdrum's website: HERE Or find them at Facebook: HERE

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