Kristof Hahn (also known as Christoph Hahn) (born 6 February 1959) is a German guitarist,[1] composer and translator.[2]
Hahn is best known for his lap steel guitar playing in the New York experimental rock band Swans. He joined the band in 1989 to tour in support of the Burning World album tour and played on the subsequent album White Light from the Mouth of Infinity. He left the band in 1992 due to the birth of his first child, and joined Swans’ bandleader Michael Gira’s follow-up project Angels of Light. Hahn was a constant member of the Swans relaunch from 2010 until 2017,[3] and again in 2023.
His approach to the lap-steel guitar is non-traditional, often devoted to playing drones that can serve as either supporting background elements or take a more prominent role in the band's music.