By Thomas Duff

I received a copy of the CD Hangisphere from the publicist for Matt Venuti.  I was moderately interested once I visited Venuti's website and heard a clip of the music produced by this odd instrument called the "hang."  Now that I've heard the CD in its entirety, I'm hooked.  The sound produced from the instrument is incredible, and Venuti uses it to its full musical advantage.  In short, I'm now a Venusian fan. 

The best way to describe the look of the instrument is to imagine someone cutting the top off of a steel drum... actually, *two* steel drums.  Take one of the concave surfaces, flip it over, and join it to the other surface.  You now have a "flying saucer" that makes beautiful music.  Much like the steel drums used in my imaginary construction, the sound is reminiscent of what I hear when I visit the Caribbean.  But instead of a reggae beat, Venuti uses the hang to create a New Age sound that spans a number of feelings and emotions.  Some of the numbers, like "For Virginia," are a bit haunting and emotional.  Others, like "Elephunk," are more playful and jazz-like.  In all cases, the instrumentals are soothing and calming, both as ambient music in the background or a primary listening experience.

Normally I'm not one much for having music playing as I'm working on computer code or writing material for books and presentations.  But Hangisphere is apt to change that, in that I could have this playing as a filter for surrounding noise, while at the same time relaxing me for better productivity.  Now all I have to do is pick up the rest of his works...5 Stars

Matt Venuti is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder/leader of the San Francisco-based ensemble The Venusians. Two of the more extraordinary musical instruments in his repertoire include the Hang and the Electronic Valve Instrument. You'll find the music artist online at www.venusians.com/

Music Review: Sophie Milman--Take Love Easy 

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