David August

Before David August sold out classical concert halls from London's Barbican to Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw, he got people dancing at Hamburg's EGO Club as a 19-year-old resident DJ. In electronic music, the classically trained pianist found an energy and power that also characterizes instrumental compositions. This symbiosis became the essence of his work and can be impressively experienced on his new third studio album, named after the Latin word for power or energy, VĪS. It is a sonic revelation through which August has traced the history of mankind from Plato's cave to the digital era in four cycles. Flute melodies, archaic chants, and rhythms are transformed into orchestral drones and beats that allude to the digitized chaos of the information age. VĪS is more than just music; it is an ambitious, multidisciplinary art work. The Moroccan artist Hiba Baddou has developed an imaginary alphabet for this project, which David August performs live with the choreographer Franka Marlene Foth and the visual artist Marcel Weber (aka MFO), creating a kinetic audiovisual live experience.