HPM: We’re not sure if you’re aware of it or not, but as far as we can tell, you have the most viewed ‘Hang drum’ video on YouTube, and also the highest rated (at time of writing). That’s quite a feat. Did you ever expect the YouTube community, and the internet as a whole to be quite as receptive to what you’ve been putting out there?
Daniel: You know, its funny, today alone whilst walking around in Central London (with out a hang with me!) I have been recognized 3 times by guys! One knew my name, which was nice, another shouted ‘hang!’ at me as I passed him and the other came up to me whilst I was checking in at the airport with one of my videos on his iphone to verify!
The video you're referring to is one that was filmed when I was in Oslo, Norway back in 2010. It reached 2.5 million hits before he attached my name to it, and even then, he only did so after I began a campaign on facebook to get as many people as possible to comment and message him to try persuade him to include my name… Luckily it worked and my video over took Manu Delagos sometime during 2012. I never expected everyone to be so supportive to what I was doing, I know that when I play live in public many people stop to watch, most taking out their phones and filming a few minutes, but I never expected to gain quite so many views from the world over! If only they all were to see in the street and to drop a coin and not just click ‘like’. ;)
HPM: As an international street performer, you’ve traveled a lot, but where has been your favorite place to play? And why?
Daniel: It's hard to choose a favorite place, I mean, places have been special to me at different times but if I must I would say that to play in India, there is something very special there that I keep returning to. London has always been a pain to survive in, I would do well one day, and then the police or council would come down very hard on the next. This I think is the underlying basis of why I began to travel so much to play. Many players find their ‘spot’ and stay put milking it for all its worth, I enjoy the new scenery.
The Middle East has been incredible to break into, they have next to no street music culture and so has been a real challenge to make-work. Right the way through history there have been troubadours, bards and wandering minstrels present and I feel that I’m tapping into this ancient art form when I move to new places…
Did you know Benjamin Franklin (the guy on the dollar note!) was in fact a busker before he got into politics?
HPM: We know that the idea of busking can be a frightening prospect for some, but you definitely come across as being very at ease. Did you find that this came naturally for you, or were you a little petrified inside the first time?
Daniel: Inside I still feel the feelings that I started with, I think this is where my trademark smile comes from! (yes the nerves!) But I guess over the years I have learnt how to keep these down and not let them effect me too much, I have always figured that I would play music whether in private alone, in the street with a passing crowed or sat on a stage or similar with a captive audience. Coffee has really helped me over the years along with some simple relaxation techniques; the most effective simply taking a deep breathe and realizing that inside of us all there is a simple perfect energy which will always do the right thing at the right time so long as we stay present in the moment and try not to let the past influence the future too much.
I found getting a seat to sit on was fundamental to improving my street ‘status’… Sitting on the floor was never for me so much as I felt energetically; people would look down at you.
HPM: We know that you’ve played a number of ‘Hang-like instruments’ (AKA ‘HandPan’), which of the others has so far been your favorite? And will we be seeing any featured on the new album?
Daniel: Out of all of the handpans I have played up on I have love different qualitites in them all… I would happily accept an endorsement from any of the ‘biggies’ : PanArt, BellArt, Pantheon, or Viktor in St Petersburg…
Scale wise I love the pygmy scales of the early hangs, and obviously the harmonic minor range (my main 2nd Gen PanArt).
HPM: ‘Hang Drum Project’, we’ve got to ask. Is there a story behind this name? While we take no offence to the use of the drum moniker, we suspect that you must be aware that it has its opponents. Innocent name, a name designed for attracting search engine visitors, a statement of some kind, or something else? And how do you feel about the whole ‘Hang’, ‘HandPan’, ‘Don’t call it this’, ‘don’t do it that way’ thing as a whole? Any insight? (and you can tell us to sod off if you don’t fancy answering this one).
Daniel: “The Hang Drum Project” as is called the project from myself and James Winstanley was chosen upon for a few different reasons…
Mostly, when I bought my hang from the makers themselves in Berne in 2006/2007, they were still themselves calling the instruments ‘hang drums.’ So I don’t see any harm in it. By definition, hitting, striking, exhuming a blow and thwacking an instrument which consists of a resonating sound chamber is ‘drumming.’ Ok, don’t hit it hard, but then, don’t hit table with a drumstick either!
As far as the ‘hand pan’ tag. Well, it it what it is. And yes, it did occur to us that this name would be easily remembered and picked up in the search engines. ;)
I do however see it a shame when some players do not make the distinction between a hang and a hand pan from another maker, each maker deserves to be recognized for their contribution to the art and when one day I begin to play a pan from another maker more than I do my hang, then the name will no doubt adapt suitably.
HPM: Daniel, you’re without doubt one of the most recognizable faces in Hang/HandPan music, and have inspired many with your own playing. But which musician from any genre, from any time, has most inspired you?
Daniel: As a teenager growing up at the time I did I obviously I have to sight Curt Cobain as a major influence, but then I also listened to a LOT of 70’s and 80’s guitar based music whilst I was growing up. My father has always played in various blues groups and I was in a Military Marching Band for 3 years too… I love people who pioneer, taking their sound outside of the already made category and finding new ways to work things out.
