<img class="alignleft" title="Markus Mehr - 'Duck Became Swan'" src="http://www.hiddenshoal.com/wp-content/uploads/store_images/medium/Duck-Became-Swan_MED.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Hidden Shoal Recordings is excited to present ‘<a href="http://www.hiddenshoal.com/wp-content/uploads/index.php?main_page=product_info&amp;cPath=46&amp;products_id=212" target="_blank">Duck Became Swan</a>’,  the second single by German experimental ambient artist Markus Mehr, taken from his latest album <a href="http://markusmehr.bandcamp.com/album/on"><em>On</em></a>, along with its accompanying <a href="https://vimeo.com/49295610" target="_blank">video</a> by the brilliant German video artist <a href="https://vimeo.com/sixtsense" target="_blank">Stefanie Sixt</a>. The track is available for <a href="http://www.hiddenshoal.com/wp-content/uploads/index.php?main_page=product_info&amp;cPath=46&amp;products_id=212" target="_blank">free download</a> and the video can be streamed on <a href="https://vimeo.com/49295610" target="_blank">Vimeo</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGRCY37hMm4" target="_blank">Youtube</a>.

‘Duck Became Swan’ is perhaps one of the most expansive and moving pieces on Markus Mehr’s new album <em>On</em>. Across nine mesmerising minutes, the track masterfully mutates between two wildly different musical environments. The heavy distortion that intermittently tears through at the opening of the track gradually gives way to a heartstoppingly beautiful orchestral refrain and open-ended guitar figure, before being subsumed again into fizzing, electric chaos. ‘Duck Became Swan’ continues Mehr’s ongoing exploration of texture versus melody.

<em>“a cornucopia of samples, field recordings and distorted drones, and is highly recommended to fans of William Basinski, Tim Hecker and Fennesz.”</em> – My Old Kentucky Blog on <em>ON</em>

The accompanying video, created by visual artist <a href="https://vimeo.com/sixtsense" target="_blank">Stefanie Sixt</a>, is like a hypnotic animated re-imagining of the cover of Joy Division’s <em>Unknown Pleasures</em>, an electric monochrome dream/nightmare that vibrates with life in synch with the track’s ecstatic convulsions.

'Duck Became Swan' is available for free download from the <a href="http://www.hiddenshoal.com/wp-content/uploads/index.php?main_page=product_info&amp;cPath=46&amp;products_id=212" target="_blank">Hidden Shoal Store</a>. <em>On</em> is also available on <a href="http://markusmehr.bandcamp.com/album/on" target="_blank">CD and digital</a> formats through Hidden Shoal.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/49295610?title=1&amp;byline=1&amp;portrait=1&amp;color=ffffff" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/49295610">DUCK BECAME SWAN</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/sixtsense">stefanie sixt, sixt sense</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>