The new project of Helios & Hess called Lump is about customs and Swiss history. The two traditional terms – Reisläufer / Swiss Mercenaries and Alpsegen / Alp Blessing – are set to music by Mike Reber and Christoph Hess (Strotter Inst.). The two musicians work exclusively with analogue equipment and field-recordings.

The listener is taken on a journey to another world of Swiss culture. Alp Blessing is an ancient tradition, which can only be found in the German Catholic alpine region and is still alive today. The actor Marcus Signer proudly agreed to read the original Hail Mary with his striking voice.

Between the Middle Age and the 18th century Swiss Mercenaries – called Reisläufer – were in military service for many European rulers. At that time it, was one of the few opportunities for a lot of families to earn their bread and butter. Nowadays, the Papal Swiss Guards at the Vatican are the last vestige of Swiss Mercenaries.

Lump appears as a cd in a silk-screened book. This medium is chosen deliberately as at that time it used to be the only way to pass knowledge to the people. The book includes information and illustrations of Swiss Mercenaries and the ancient tradition Alp Blessing. It is completed by soldiers‘ pay in form of an embossed coin showing these two Swiss stories.

As silkscreening, bookbindery and coinage are traditional crafts the product and the sound are forming a coherent entity, intended to give rise to an imaginary film in the listener’s head.