Album Notes

Hana is a collaboration between former Sky Cries Mary vocalist Anisa Romero and renowned sound sculptor Jeff Greinke. Hana was formed in the summer of 1997 when the two worked together on a performance art piece. Jeff's unique multilayering sensibilities enhance Anisa's vocalizations, and create backdrops for her to work within. Hana's second record, Omen, displays their characteristic lush and dreamy sound, while moving towards a more rhythmically rich, song oriented approach.

Greinke crafts his beats with care. Layers of sound shift through the spectrum, as beeps and bleeps percolate to the surface. He draws on breakbeat and drum and bass time signatures and rhythms to keep things interesting. Omen evokes minimalist futurescapes and the shifting sands of forgotten land with equal ease. The work brings to mind the ambient movement of the early 90's to some extent, but the cutting edge rhythms keep the record firmly planted in the now. At times the vocals fade away and for a moment you realize you are listening to a very cool electronic record.

The music never competes with Anisa Romero's voice for the spotlight. Greinke is careful to fill the space around her vocal range with complementary tones and textures, allowing the ethereal beauty of her voice to be fully appreciated. Anisa moves smoothly from jazzy crooning to eastern-tinged falsettos, flowing with the sounds around her.