Hand Pans
made in Vienna
Introduction
„Handpans“ are very young instruments, originating from the Caribbean steel pan. The innovative new shape was designed and presented by two Swiss steel pan makers in 2001 with the name „Hang“(R). The term „Handpan“ has spread as the name for further developments of this new instrument. Although most of them are tuned in 440Hz, there is no standardization for size or material, nor for the number or range of notes. Each Handpan from PAN LAB is unique – quite similar to a polished diamond. Each tone field is tuned with the hammer by hand with thousands of hammer strokes. Each hammer stroke on a Handpan can also destroy the artwork – or bring it closer to harmony.
At PAN LAB Vienna, maker & tuner Birgit Pestal gained her experience since 2017 with around 90 scales. Custom scales and layouts are also possible.
Birgit likes to think of Handpans as cognition and intuition amplifiers. They have the power to bring music back to people.
With Handpans you can explore sound in a completely new way, combining rhythmic and melodic playing.
Portfolio
Coherence
the eight series is dedicated to this idea of a situation when the parts of something fit together in a natural or reasonable way…
Artefacts
Avantgarde Steeltuning
Signature
the seventh series – rounding it up
Franklin
the sixth series (2020, completed)
Tzu
Fifth series (2019/2020, completed)
Baker
Fourth series (2019, completed)
Rumi
Third series (2019) (completed)
Bingen
Second series (2019) (completed)
Diotima
First official series (2018) (completed)
SPECIAL EDITIONS
Art & Co-Creation
3 quite special handpans have been co-created in summer 2019…
Pandrums
“Pandrums” are new instruments, combining drumplaying with panplaying, invented and created at PAN LAB
Prototypes
Some milestones about my story (a neverending story) of learning the art of steeltuning. To be continued…
Is it art?
is it a musical instrument?
Is it a cognition amplifier?
Is it an archetype of “Self”?
Is it a metaphor for the escape from the postmodern crisis?
Is it a symbol of harmony in a world lost in chaos and complexity?
is it a reminder for the soul?
Is it a piece of bread for a spiritually starving society?
Is it a brain-hemispheres activator?