Artist: Flocks
Title: s/t
Cat.no.: ZEHRA010
Format: 180gr LP  / CD / Digital
EAN LP: 5050580805293
EAN CD: 5050580805309
Release date: August 25th, 2023

FLOCKS is a new duo, formed by drone specialist WERNER DURAND and ULI HOHMANN. Musical landscapes that move between traditional as well as experimental sounds with influences from Krautrock and JON HASSELL’s „fourth world“ aesthetics.

WERNER DURAND has made himself a name with various projects with Dhrupad singer AMELIA CUNI, playing with URBAN SAX, ARNOLD DREYBLATT, HENNING CHRISTIANSEN, DAVID BEHRMAN, ELLEN FULLMAN, CATHERINE CHRISTER HENNIX, as the co-founder of THE 13th TRIBE, ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER and TONALIENS (with ROBIN AYWARD and HILARY JEFFERY) plus numerous solo albums, released on labels like Black Truffle, Unseen Worlds or Edition Telemark. Having studied saxophone as well as Indian / Persian flutes, the Berlin based DURAND is a highly reputated protagonist in the drone scene, famous for his self-built wind instruments like buzz-clarinets or his PVC neys & horns.
His partner in FLOCKS (and longtime personal friend) is ULI HOHMANN whose early encounters with music from Asia, India and Africa led to studies with the Ghanaian master drummer MUSTAPHA TETTEY ADDY and later Tombak and Daf with NEMAD DARMAN (Iran). HOHMANN played in a couple of projects that explored the language of classical Persian music, and started building his own stringed instruments (being an educated carpenter). In 2014 he joined DURAND and AMELIA CUNI for the album „Clearing“, and 2018 DURAND and HOHMANN decided to continue as a duo: FLOCKS was born.

On their selftitled debut they shape drone-y soundscapes based on their self-built wind- & stringed instruments, Persian percussion and subtle electronics, drawing additional inspiration from Krautrock (listen to the irresistible, hypnotique groove of „Quicksand“) as well as JON HASSELL’s „fourth world“ aesthetics, placing the duo nicely between tradition and experiment!

Recorded at Abendland.Studio, Lengenfeld and Haveli Studio, Berlin between 2017 & 2023
Mixed by Werner Durand & Uli Hohmann
Mastering and laquer cut by Anne Traegert at D&M, Berlin
Cover painting by Sibylle Wissmeyer. Layout by Serkan Sanli

Side A:
Quicksand 20’45“

Side B:
Convergence 15’01“
The Hunter 6’35“

Werner Durand: invented winds (ur-sax, buzz-clarinets, PVC neys & horns), tenor-sax, blown kalimba, mouth harp, drones
Uli Hohmann: invented strings (plugged, bowed & hammered), frame drums, kanjira, riq, electronics