A project by Mike Reber and Christoph Hess (Strotter Inst.), Lump explores Swiss customs and history through two traditional themes: Reisläufer (Swiss mercenaries) and Alpsegen (alp blessing). Working exclusively with analog equipment and field recordings, the duo shapes an immersive sonic document of cultural memory. Alpsegen—an ancient practice found in the German-Catholic Alpine region and still alive today—features actor Marcus Signer, whose distinctive voice intones the original “Hail Mary.” Reisläufer recalls Swiss soldiers who served European rulers from the Middle Ages to the 18th century; today, the Papal Swiss Guard remains the last vestige of that tradition. The release appears as a CD housed in a silkscreened book, deliberately echoing historic methods of transmitting knowledge. The book includes background texts and illustrations on Reisläufer and Alpsegen and is completed by an embossed coin—a nod to soldiers’ pay—depicting the two narratives. Uniting silkscreen, bookbinding, and coinage—three traditional crafts—Lump forms a coherent whole: sound and object designed to kindle an “imaginary film” in the listener’s mind. Edition: limited to 300 copies.