Constant change and experimentation have always been important constants in Haken's career. With their albums "Aquarius" (2010) and "Visions" (2011), the Londoners documented their amazing stylistic diversity at an early stage and developed into a real insider tip in a very short time. Three great gigs at the "Night Of The Prog" did the rest to put the band on the radar of German prog fans again and again. Already on "Visions" the sextet sounded mature and determined, but with "The Mountain" (2013) it delivered its masterpiece. Hook combine the technical aplomb of Dream Theater, characteristics of Yes, Genesis, Camel, King Crimson and Gentle Giant, the toughness of bands like Meshuggah or Textures as well as elements of the soundtracks of John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore. All this has brought the group together to create a unique sound and outstanding songs.
After the EP "Restoration" (2014) Haken are now ready with their fourth album "Affinity". And the band has changed again. So she opened up the eighties as a source of inspiration for herself, which is also reflected in the artwork, online appearance and the first album teaser via datasette. "Of course, the seventies were the golden age of the prog, and in the past we have always used a lot of the inspiration of that time", says guitarist Charles Griffiths. "For an English band, Gentle Giant, Yes and Camel are quasi cultural heritage, and I feel obliged to honour their progressive spirit. In my opinion, the technical level was much higher at that time than it is today, and we can therefore learn a lot from that era. But in the meantime we have also discovered the eighties for ourselves. You can hear that especially in the song '1985'. For me personally, albums like '90125' by Yes, Totos 'IV', 'Three Of A Perfect Pair' by King Crimson and the soundtracks by Vince DiCola ['Staying Alive', 'Transformers', 'Rocky IV' and others; note] are in first place."
