Door County has a Grammy Award nominee. Here's what to know about his 'ethereal' album

STURGEON BAY - Hans Christian already has earned an international reputation for his work as a musician, composer, recording engineer and music producer.

In February, the Door County-based Christian has a chance to enhance that reputation by doing something he hasn't done before − win an award for that work. And, not just any award, but a Grammy.

The album "Ocean Dreaming Ocean" by cello players Christian and the late David Darling was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category. It will be up against four other albums chosen as nominees from more than 175 entries in that category when the winners are announced during the 66th annual Grammy ceremony Feb. 4 in Los Angeles.

"Ocean Dreaming Ocean" features dreamy, contemplative works composed by Christian around a hodgepodge of unfinished cello tracks Darling recorded before his death in 2021. Christian added his cello work to Darling's, along with a little piano, trumpet and whale noise on some tracks and vocals by Darling on one, and engineered and produced the album in his Studio 330 in Sturgeon Bay.

He describes the album as "ethereal," both in its sound and the way it was made.

It's Christian's 21st album, including six as part of the world music duo RASA with Kim Waters and three recorded on solo cello inside and around the famous Chartres Cathedral in France as part of an artist-in-residence. The classically trained cellist and multi-instrumentalist also played with Indian and Eastern music bands, held meditative gong concerts and, as a studio bass player and producer back in the 1980s, worked with musicians ranging from Robbie Robertson to Billy Idol.

And if you think Christian is one of those jaded music professionals who could care less about a Grammy nomination, think again.

"Honestly, I'm proud of it," Christian said to the Advocate, also saying he was "deeply appreciative" in a news release. "I've been doing music for many, many years, but there's never been any awards for it. So, it's exciting.

"I also believe in this project. It's high-quality in its production and intention and uniqueness. For me to have this opportunity to work on (Darling's) material was incredible."

Working with 'a creative force'

Christian said it was a dream of his to work with Darling, even if in this case it was what he described as an "ethereal collaboration" in that it took place after Darling's death.

Darling was considered one of the most influential and innovative cellists in the world in his lifetime, and his album "Prayer for Compassion" won the 2010 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Christian called Darling a "creative force in the world of cello" and said "he was always an icon in my life."

The genesis of "Ocean Dreaming Ocean" came when Mickey Houlihan, a recording engineer and longtime collaborator with Darling, reached out to Christian after Darling died, saying he had a number of raw tracks, including some off-the-cuff improvisations, Darling had recorded before his passing.

"I had never met (Houlihan) before in person," Christian said. "He said, I have these raw recordings of David. I can't delete them. I don't know what to do with them."

Houlihan turned them over to Christian, who went to work listening to them, trying to suss out what Darling was trying to bring out in them, and deciding how to use them as building blocks for new compositions, with Christian adding his cello to enhance Darling's ideas.

"I had to really listen to the raw material and discover what David's intent was," Christian said. "It was a path of discovery. Once I got that, I had to do some production decisions.

"Then, the vision came through, the ideas came through. It was almost like a dialogue with David, a silent dialogue − is it OK if I do this, if I do this, are you on board with it? As soon as I had that feeling, I went forward with it."

Christian said throughout the whole project, he strived to find balance: as a composer, between Darling's sounds and ideas and Christian's interpretations of them; and as a studio engineer, making sure the finished songs weren't overengineered but remained true to their sounds, with very limited other instruments and sounds mixed in with the two cellos.

"You have to have respect for the project," he said. "You can't just do the trivial tricks you know how to do in the studio."

The end result, released this past April by Houlihan's Curve Blue Records, is something Christian said stands out among all the other notable accomplishments in his musical career.

"'Ocean Dreaming Ocean' is an absolute highlight in my creative career as cellist, composer and producer," he said in his news release. "To have had a chance to collaborate with the late David Darling, even if on an ethereal level, was a once-in-a-lifetime gift."

"Ocean Dreaming Ocean" is available as a download from most streaming services and from Curve Blue Records at curveblue.com.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County artist up for a Grammy Award for his 'ethereal' album