Hang in Balance

About Hang in Balance

Daniel Waples is truly a pioneer of the newly invented HandPan instrument and is arguably the most recognised player in his field. He is constantly travelling globally to share his passion and introduce his music to new listeners.

His skills on the HandPan are self-taught, and many aspiring players often sight his technique and philosophy of composition as an inspiration.
He works with different styles of music, mixing them and creating something new without it being a complete stereotype.
Personal philosophy
“Throughout 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.
I support myself as an independent musician whist spreading the gospel of the HandPan, an instrument associated with energy work and alternative healing, and one which I see as a Symbol for universal peace and a tool to aid those Inner journeys all people take pursuing their individual Paths.”
Daniel has spent much of his time working with hand-pan makers to make the instrument more widely accessible. Working to help developing communities, children with mental health issues, at yoga festivals, is a community drum circle facilitator and has studied Holistic Gong Therapy.
It is his aim to travel the world to inspire smiles, induce relaxation and promote the art he is passionate about, while sharing good food and collaborating with a vast array of artists wherever possible.
Short Biography
Daniel Waples is originally from Greater London, he took his first HandPan in 2007 and since then has been constantly on the road, having not spent any longer than three months in one country.
Now with around 40 million views across Youtube alone, he has recorded 10 albums, performed in front of thousands of people, at hundreds of events in around 50 countries, spanning 5 continents and been a speaker at 6 TEDx events. He supports himself as an independent musician, spreading the sound of the HandPan, a new age acoustic musical instrument made from hammered steel.

Extended Biography
Daniel Waples is a world-travelling musician born to London on the first day of 1984. He took his first Hand Pan during the year 2007 at the age of 23 and since then he has been living the life of an independent musician, free to express himself, travel as he pleases, play with who ever he wishes, releasing music on his own terms.
He is regularly travelling internationally to give performances and collaborate on projects and as a result, has become one of the world’s most travelled Hand Pan players.
The “Hand Pan” being a tonal percussive instrument, was originally made in Switzerland. It is constructed by from two hemispheres of steel and resembles a UFO.
There is nothing inside of a Hand Pan except air. It is played by striking the central dome and surrounding tone fields with fingers or thumbs.
Daniel is self taught and regarded as one of the leaders of this new art form. The sound created when he plays is both innovative and mysterious. It is this mystery that he looks to shed light on, raising the awareness through thousands of live performances, interviews, online social media platforms and videos.
Waples has given talks at TED x events in London, India and the Netherlands and has introduced Hand Pan to numerous countries, which had not seen the likes of such an instrument before.
Through Music and performance Waples - like many artists - expresses himself most articulately. The result is that his work is always keenly felt and evokes a connection to spirit and self. There are no wasted moments.
In 2005, whilst at a small music festival, Daniel was introduced to African percussion and met the ethereal sounds of the Handpan for the first time. This inspired him to travel to West Africa to learn the true art of traditional African drumming and to connect personally with the makers of the Hand Pan to request his own instrument from them.
In 2006/2007, Daniel was specially invited to Switzerland by PANArt to come and select his hang and so the journey with his own hand pan began...
Since then, just like the development of the HandPan, Waples has undergone his own evolution. From busking on the streets across Europe to giving performances world wide by invitation...
In the past two years alone he brought performances to audiences in over 25 countries across 5 continents and has been deemed ‘HandPan Ambassador’.
2015 was a year of non-stop touring, never spending more than three weeks in any one country and giving countless performances.
2016 has so far seen Daniel on tour constantly, with performances in no less than 9 time zones spanning North & South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
TEDx Talks

Daniel has given talks at no less than 6 TEDx events Globally.

TEDx Hackney – Happiness (London, UK - 2011)
TEDx Videkanenden – Design for Change (Bangalore, India - 2013)
TEDx Twentu – Internet Fame (Twentu, The Netherlands - 2013)
TEDx Clemont - Other Ways (Clermont, France - 2015)
TEDx Charlottesville – What if… (Charlottesville, USA -2015)
TEDx Nicosia – Perspectives (Nicosia, Cyprus - 2015)


Past Corporate Clients

Kia Automobile, Vivo, Kyocera, VH1, Omega, Bloomsburg, Infosys, British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Cisco, KPMG, Viacom, Drupa, Nokia, Reliance Mobile, Bahrain Grand Prix, London Fashion Week, Bologna Fashion Week, Davines, Armenia EU Delegation, Coca Cola, Islamic Relief, London Boat Show at Excel, Mind Body &, Spirit, Hashoo Foundation, LAK China, Eid in Canary Wharf, Sublime Boudoir, Madras Doctors Association, Suhana Spice, K-Start.

Projects

Current Projects:
Daniel Waples and Thaalavattam
Hang in Balance – Solo Project
The Hang Drum Project – James Winstanley
Synchromstix – Kev the Poet, Mike Stanton, Jack Jennings, Ben Tree, James Watts, Craig Reynolds, Arthur Young

Past Projects:
The Hang Playing Hedge Monkeys – Danny Cudd
DA-Harmonics – Alexei Levin
Hang in Balance, Hang & Violin – Flavio Lopez


Collaborations

Recordings and Live shows with:
Thaalavattam, MC Xander, Baka Beyond, Joanne & Leah Shenandoah, ThePete Box, Antonio Seminara, Dave Crowe, Sainko Natchymic, Digital Samsara, Madelane Alberto, Lars La’Ville, J-Rokka, Ellie Lawson, AeroSol Arabic, Davide Swarup, Danny Cudd
Remixes by:
Subaquerous, Subsqwad, Concious Kalling, Jnana, Maejus/James Watts, Animatronix, DubCOling, Gridwork, Nas-ja, Halo Refuser, Cranky, Sephira

Discography

Albums:
Vesica Picsis – The Hang Playing Hedge Monkeys (2008)
MMX1 – Hang in Balance (2010)
Hang & Violin – Hang in Balance (2011)
Crystal Waves – Hang in Balance (2011)
Live at Saint Stephens – Hang in Balance (2012)
Lisn – Daniel Waples & Friends (2014)
Banyan – The Hang Drum Project (2014)
Lisn Remixed - Hang in Balance & StreetRitual (2014)
Flow – The Hang Drum Project (2014)
Sunset in India – Daniel Waples & Lars La’Ville (2015)
EPs:
Live in London – Hang Playing Hedge Monkeys (2008)
Nail Evaded – Dave Crowe & Daniel Waples (2012)
City Side Shamans- Synchromystix (2012)

Official Endorsements

The tuners who regularly work on his instruments are ‘Mannettes Musical Instruments’, the founder of which, Ellie Mannette was born in Trinidad in 1929 and is now sighted as the father of the modern day steel pan, he was the first ever person to sink a 55 gallon oil drum and create a chromatic scale on a steel instrument.
http://www.mannetteinstruments.com/

Daniel travels around the world with his HandPans in the most integral yet convenient cases that are in production.
He has been endorsed since the founding of the Italian company known as ‘HardCase Technologies,’ working closely for improvements on their products and is the UK distributor.
http://www.hardcasetechnologies.com/

For recording sessions and when live situations call for it, Daniel will use DPA Microphones (Dutch pro Audio,) he mostly uses the 4061 model.
www.dpamicrophones.com/

For live performances and also in the studio Daniel is supported by the Schertler Group, he uses ADYN Uni & ADYN UNIP48 pickups & the Guilia Amp both in live situations and in the studio.
http://www.schertler.com/

Some Figures
(as of July 2016)
• To date videos featuring Daniel have amassed around 40 Million views collectively on YouTube alone.
• Over 8,000,000 plays and 70,000 subscribers on his own Youtube channel
• Around 130,000 followers on his Facebook page
• More than 7000 followers on Soundcloud
• More than 1,000,000 plays on Bandcamp
• Has travelled and performed in around 50 countries to date

Social Media Links

Official Website: http://www.hanginbalance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hanginbalance
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/hanginbalance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hanginbalance
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/HedgeMonkeyA
Instagram: https://instagram.comhanginbalance

Contacts

daniel@hanginbalance.com