The Hamburg Harbor Slowcore Piledriver Experience

The Hamburg Harbor Slowcore Piledriver Experience

On a very warm and sunny autumn day I was riding my bicycle through the port of Hamburg area.

As I was pedaling onward, I began to hear strange noises in the distance, that sounded a lot like work being done on heavy machinery.

But with all the urban reverberation and other sounds, it was not easy for me to make out what the sounds actually represented.

There are few (if any) factories in the area. I thought it might be workers assembling a ship, or maybe constructing a building. But as I came close, I realized the sound was rhythmic, looped.

I was still puzzled, but my curiosity was sparked, too. As my bike ride continued, the sounds became much louder - and clearer.

Now I realized the noise was a "bang...... bang.... bang....", rhythmic, in a loop (as mentioned), somewhere between 20-30 bpm.

Very abrasive and harsh.

I still was not sure what type of machine or work created such sounds. But I thought "Oh, this is going to be really good. I'm gonna experience 'Slowcore' on a loud volume, in a large space, for the first time! (Instead of listening to it at home, or on headphones). Today is my lucky day!".

And I was not disappointed. As I approached the source, the sound became massive, loud, gigantic... now more a "boom.... boom... boom....".

So, as I arrived at the scene, I finally discovered what created this ruckus: a pile driver was hammering a huge metal sheet pile into the harbor basin.

It really resembled the sound of a Slowcore track; the moment when "metal hit metal" creating a noisy bassdrum-like sound. The volume resembled those of some of the loudest hardcore parties I've been at. My ears felt deaf after the experience. It could have used a bit more sub-bass though, but I'm not complaining.

I got off my bike, stood there for a few moments, listening to the sound. I was completely mesmerized and felt like I was going out of my head (I usually feel that way when I'm at places with loud "Hardcore" sounds ;-)

also interesting was that quite a few spectators were standing around or sitting on benches, obviously enjoying this spectacle, too.

I thought, man, this is a great experience, and this type of noise really works on a loud volume; and it attracts people!

Which made me assume that Slowcore Techno is really a way to go forward in music, and could attract people too; and that's about time to play Slowcore at parties, too!

Some might object that comparing heavy-duty machinery work with the sounds of "bassdrums" or even "slowcore" (and parties!) is "nonsense" and "silly".

So for this case, I have created a track to prove my point - well, I also created the track to keep that experience in mind, and because i felt i *had* to do that track.

the track uses the real field recording of a pile driver operating in a port. eventually, drum machine bassdrums come in, and everything gets modulated, twisted, and distorted.

the sounds swell on and fade out over time in this track, just as they did on my bike ride.

So, here it is: my very own Hamburg Harbor Slowcore Piledriver Experience.