Arthur Hnatek

Arthur Hnatek (pronounced Na-tek) is a Swiss drummer, composer and electronic artist exploring the point where improvisation becomes electronic music. Working from the physical language of the drum kit, Hnatek cuts, processes and reshapes live performances into intricate electronic structures — music in which rhythm, texture, melody and sound design continually bleed into one another. In 2026, he joins Hessle Audio with *Undertow*, a four-track EP developed from unplanned drum improvisations recorded across Brooklyn, Berlin and Switzerland. Rather than placing drums over electronic productions, Hnatek uses the recordings themselves as the source of the electronic material, transforming them through resonators, vocoders, tuned delays, spectral processing and sampling. The release follows a body of solo work including Adrift, alongside collaborations with Barker and Stenny. His music has received support from Laurent Garnier, Gilles Peterson and BBC Radio 6 Music. Hnatek’s wider practice spans electronic music, composition and improvisation. He leads the Arthur Hnatek Trio, has toured internationally with Tigran Hamasyan and the Erik Truffaz Quartet, and received the Swiss Music Prize in 2022.