Markus Guentner – Shadows Of The City

 
 

Progression and fate are two words that immediately come to mind after a few hours spent with Markus Guentner’s new record.

Firstly, I know how proud Moodgadget owner Jakub Alexander must be to have one of his heroes release a record on his own label. Ever since Jakub enlisted Markus on remix duties for his own Heathered Pearls ‘Loyal’ reworks, I had a hopeful feeling it was going to lead to something bigger. With Jakub’s warm, swirling ambient style it’s easy to see how these two have come together – two paths destined to cross.

And secondly, after seeing through a couple of Markus’ own productions recently, namely his Places Series EP ‘Talking Clouds’, and his two stunning remixes on Uncharted Places, it’s clearly evident that his sound is gently progressing into a defining symbol of lush ambient music peppered with hints of techno.

‘Chromatic Fields’, the subtle opener for the powerful six-track EP, with deep tonal-bass changes is a light-hearted lust for more and more…

‘Ashes’ re-ignites the clashing world we saw when Markus took on Heathered Pearl’s music last year, with pale textures, soaring synths and a taught air hanging over a misty landscape.

The title piece, ‘Shadows Of The City’ rekindles Markus’s heritage in techno and his recent travels into beat-driven ambient. A shuffling dark number with simple, dramatic strings.

My favourite of the bunch, ‘The Run’ is one of Markus’ most emotional pieces to date – layer upon layer, the constantly mixing colour palette paints vividness, hope and despair.

‘The Coral Crowd’ is a signature Guentner piece, shrouded in recognisable samples, flat-ended twinkles and a gentle curve upwards into the sky, akin to ‘Saint’.

And lastly, ‘Eternal’. Stepping down from the soaring sky, the focus turns to what seems like a dense jungle floor. Buzzing density and a slow murmuring beat occupy a hazy, very still, shadow-cast lake.

‘Shadows Of The City’ is available to stream on the ISO50 blog and below, and available for just $3.99 on iTunes for the first two weeks. You can also download the title track for free on Soundcloud.

Download Markus Guentner’s Places Series EP for free here. His isolated mix here. Or his two remixes for Uncharted Places here.

 
 

Preghost - Ghost Story

I love it when my musical worlds collide. Like an instantaneous moment of record geekiness, I had a minute of joy when reading the press release for what will be, n5MD’s last release of the year; Preghost’s ‘Ghost Story’.

Preghost is also known as Kosuke Anamizu; a name I became familiar with during my years of obsession over Traum Schallplatten (have a read and listen to this feature/mix if you want to dive into that particular world). Kosuke was responsible for one of my favourite tracks, ‘Moopy’ released as part of the Elektronische Musik Interkontinental 3 compilation, but more specifically, the vinyl flip-side to a Process track (at which point I was buying up every single piece of Process vinyl I could find). It was a track I loved but for the life of me, and the one thing I remember about it, could never mix very well (that darn funky bassline).

 
 

It was also artists like Kosuke that led me to discover Mule Electronic too, another stunning record label worth trawling through (see this small post from back in 2009). Some years later this musical yellow-brick-road begins to sweep back into a more recent world, as Kosuke took on his new (and more infamous) alias, Moshimoss and released the superb ‘Endless Endings‘ on Ametsub’s label, Nothings66. Mastered by Nils Frahm, it was a dive into the realm of Sigur Ros with gentle electronics and angelic atmospheres.

 
 

As if that wasn’t enough for 2013, Kosuke has chosen to debut his latest alias, Preghost on the brilliant n5MD label, with ‘Ghost Story’. Now, I finally made it, apologies it took this long, but it’s worth the read. Now where to begin…

Stunning is a good word to start. Kosuke has gone and mashed every style he’s mastered over the years, From the melodic techno of early Traum, to the atmospherics of Endless Endings, to the beautiful and unique sound which n5MD seem to be cultivating at the moment – a new monster has been born.

A stirring mass of atmosphere and harsh distant guitars give way to a floating, echo of a vocal. What seems like a subtle Saxaphone creeps in the distance, but before you know it, the squelchy warm beats kick off and ‘Seeker’ begins the Ghost Story.

‘Snow Leopard’ begins with a very similar feeling to a lot of recent bvdub work (particularly his productions as Earth House Hold) with a sampled, looping vocal leading up to a stomping dubby-beat and dirty underlying bass – my favourite track on the album.

 
 

Intricacies come to clear in ‘Alter Ego’, a dreamy and busy track with a subtle melody and again, a gentle progressive stance that leaves you floating amongst a pattern of violins and complex beat structures.

By ‘Predawn’ I noticed how much of a perfect fit this album was for n5MD’s electronica roster. Elements of Ocoeur, (ghost) and bvdub, shining through by the second, particularly with the clean, clicky ‘Predawn’ beats.

Washes fizzle amongst a mechanical, growing presence on ‘Cliff Edge Ghost’, a dark and haunting repetition that summons you into a euphoric steam of power –  like the morning’s mist rising from the sea over an intimidating cliff-face.

A more conventional electronic beat takes centre stage on ‘Lostus’, prefaced by a creepy vocal and later bathed in swathes of choral ambience – a slightly jarring and uncomfortable juxtaposition that continues Kosuke’s ghostly theme. ‘Siusin’ is also similar in style, with swirling vocals perched on top of a driving dub-techno beat and again, that formidable bass.

Ametsub then provides a remix of ‘Lostus’ staying true to the major elements mentioned above but paying more attention to the complex beat structure. More of a composed ‘song’ structure is present, instead of the long progression you’re used to by now, helped by a break into the main melody half-way through and the keys being pitched slightly higher. It’s the slightly happier version of what is a dark and haunting original by Kosuke.

Ending on ‘Departures’, the album finishes with one of its finest moments. A pounding combination of glittering vocals, melancholic piano, bright ambient pads, and that simple but very present beat you’ve been addicted to throughout the album.

 
 

This is definitely my favourite work Kosuke has produced in the nine or so years i’ve followed him, and i’d go as far to say one of the best electronica albums of the year. An insight into the complexities that adorned his early techno work balanced with the hypnotic and atmospherics of his more recent work as Moshimoss.

It also caps off what has been an unbelievable year of releases from n5MD which have all set the tone for a new breed of electronica artists; Ocoeur, (ghost) and a return of some of the best (bvdub, Arovane). If you’re a fan of n5MD’s output this year, then Ghost Story is the unexpected crowning glory of 2013.

Available now on n5MD.

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters – Tomorrow Is Another Day

 
 

The last few releases with Ulrich’s name against them have been unlike anything we’ve experienced before, with Ulrich teaming up with ASC for the ’77 EP’ and an enlisting of Arovane and Tycho for remixes of ‘I Take Comfort In Your Ignorance’. His highly anticipated 2013 album ‘A Long Way To Fall‘ marked an evident progression in his sound, which some of his fans didn’t entirely enjoy. However, I for one am relishing in Ulrich’s recent electronic explorations.

His latest project sees The Engineers’ Mark Peters return for a second album and more of the duo’s enigmatic guitar and synth harmonies.Underrated Silence (2012) marked a patient stance in the way the duo were to work together, with much more emphasis on Mark’s guitars and a slower, more ‘shoegaze’ approach to their productions (take ‘The Messiah Is Falling‘ for example). However ‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ seems to be Ulrich’s time to shine this time around, and plenty of the signature sounds we’ve been missing since the likes of ‘A Strangely Isolated Place’ and ‘Far Away Trains passing By’.

Their sound has matured and a much more natural balance established, allowing Ulrich to bring the best out of Mark Peters and vice versa. Instead of talking about Mark’s guitars taking the lead, or Ulrich’s synths shining stronger – it’s just a better sound overall – a perfect middle-ground. Yet, unmistakably one that reminds you of Ulrich’s early polished work.

The title track ‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ and ‘Rosmarine’ drive with subtle inflictions and melodic guitar strums similar to ‘Nobody’s Home‘ on ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’, whilst the likes of ‘Das Volk hat Keine Seele’ (The People Have No Soul’) and ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ is a stark reminder of Ulrich’s famous atmospheric productions such as ‘Molfsee‘ and ‘Monday Paracetamol‘.

To avoid spending this whole review comparing this album to Ulrich’s old works, it’s tracks like ‘One Finger And Someone Else’s Chords’, which help mark a definite progress in sound over the years, with sharper synths, grainy claps and more evident melodies, no longer hidden amongst layer upon layer of progressive synths. It’s the synth-master in his element. All helped of course by Mark’s leading guitar-work and in ‘Walking With My Eyes Closed’, a surprising Depeche Mode style vocal.

The second track to be aired from the album, ‘Inconvenient Truths’ below (exclusive preview), again shows subtle drum patterns to the likes of ‘Knuddlemaus’ alongside some of the best guitar-work on the album.

Ulrich’s progress along the years has been to the dislike of a few of his original fans, but I think everyone can find solace in this latest album. Echoes of his early work, some perfect moments of balance between the two artists and nods towards Ulrich’s more vivid electronic tracks we found on ‘A Long Way To Fall‘. Any which way you look at it, it’s a perfect harmony between an instrumentalist, and a pioneer of the synthetic sound – a ground where many have yet to succeed.

 
 

‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ is out on Bureau B recordings October 25th. Buy direct here. There’s also more previews of the album here on Soundcloud.

Tracklisting:

1. Slow Southern Skies
2. Tomorrow Is Another Day
3. Das Volk Hat Keine Seele
4. Inconvenient Truths
5. One Finger And Someone Else’s Chords
6. Additional Ghosts
7. Walking With My Eyes Closed
8. Rosmarine
9. Bound By Lies
10. There’s Always Tomorrow

 
 

Decibel X In Review

After years watching Decibel Festival unfold across the Atlantic from England, I was finally able to attend this year after my recent relocation to the Pacific North West. Five days later, as I sit on the Coast Starlight from Seattle back to Portland, I feel lucky to have experienced a very special tenth anniversary Decibel festival. Here’s my own personal low-down of the week, but I obviously didn’t get to see it all. So for anybody else who went feel free to comment below with your own experiences.

Wednesday: Venue pit-stops. No Order. Performances by Ben Klock & Kode9.

Arriving early evening on the Wednesday, the only performance I was interested in seeing was Peter Hook and The Light, where he was due to perform New Order’s classic ‘Power, Corruption and Lies’. We arrived at around 10.30pm and couldn’t get in as the venue (Neumos) was already at capacity – I expected it to be busy but it was a disappointing start to my festival experience. I later learnt that Moby went up and performed with him on stage, but after a chat with someone later on in the week, apparently any die-hard New Order or Joy Division fans were cringing the whole way through as Moby destroyed Ian Curtis’ unique and legendary vocals…

A quick walk down the road to ‘Q’ Nightclub and it felt like we had walked into a european super-club; with Funktion One speakers adorning each wall, a glitzy light show on the ceiling and Ben Klock getting down to his dirty business. We didn’t stay long, as the sound engineer that night was obviously intent on demonstrating the lowest spectrum of the Funktion One without any treble, and my trousers were rattling against my legs.

On to The Crocodile for a quick blast of Kode9 – it seemed like a good performance and the perfect venue, but we decided to call it a night as the best was undoubtedly yet to come.

Thursday. The kings of improv. Performances by Peter Broderick, Oliveray, Haushka, Moby.

Thursday got off to a great start as my planned interview with Nils Frahm was moved to 1pm. A skip over to the W Hotel to meet the Erased Tapes crew including Peter, Hauschka, Olafur, Nils and label owner Robert, and my excitement for the Optical Showcases that were to begin that night had reached new heights. (More on my interview with Nils and Ólafur to come very soon!)

The Optical Showcase kicked off in the Nordstrom Performance Hall and I was quick to bag a front-row seat. Peter Broderick introduced himself via his choice of outfit – a suit “chosen by a gay friend in Portland” he said. His modest and charming demeanour won the crowd over straight away and his equally brilliant voice was quick to draw gasps from the audience. Switching from the banjo, to acapella and violin, Peter’s warmth and charm shone through as he played new material “he was trying out”. I’m not sure if everything he played that night will make his new album though – his unexpected improvised rapping was the perfect end to his set and the ideal crowd-warmer for Oliveray.

Nils Frahm then joined Peter on stage and as expected took to the piano to accompany Peter’s vocals. What followed, was again more unexpected improvisation as these two musical genius’ decided to tap, drum and loop their way across the stage, intersecting delicate Oliveray tracks with surprise, laughter and smiles from the crowd. Nils was already a magician in my books, but I think he found another partner-in-crime that night.

 
 

Hauschka, the legendary king of improvised piano began with an introduction to his work schedule, apparently consisting of many haunting film-scores, he warned the audience he had been in a dark place recently. With a Grand Piano full of unknown gadgets and tidbits, and a full screen linked to a camera peeking inside the hood, Hauschka pelted out a 45 minute, non-stop piece that went from skittering tight notes to blasts of bass and rolling melodies. Mind-blowing and all-consuming, Hauschka took advantage of coins, tins, drumsticks and what I think were a couple of vibrators pinned down with tape (!) to conjure up scores of euphoria, dictating his very own improvised movie soundtrack. Despite his unorthodox approach, he said he “likes the purity” of the piano, and like a musical cleansing process, proceeded to remove the trinkets that adorned the piano, throwing them on the floor for all to see just how much experimentation and ingenuity went into his performance. An amazing first night of Optical performances.

 
 

From here, we headed over to Showbox Sodo, mainly because it was right next to where we were staying so we could see the night through in comfort. Also, after our first night’s experience trying to get into Neumos we didn’t want to risk turning up late to see Teen Daze (who I heard had a stormer), but on hindsight we could’ve made a better choice. Whilst Moby’s warm-up act were terrible, The Little Idiot did a good job banging out some dirty techno which at times was just perfect, but some atrocious mixing moments and the weirdest crowd i’ve ever been dancing with, put a quick end to the night. More for the energy bank though and the highly anticipated Friday schedule.

Friday. D-day. Decibel Conferences and Performances by Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds, Dauwd, Beacon, Lusine, Shigeto, Max Cooper.

The big day. My Decibel day of choice, started with a visit to the Broadway Performance Hall to get a download on sound-related topics, which are for the most part over my head. An intimate session with Olafur as he took a crowd of twenty through his Ableton setup, his loops and his very earnest approach to production – a sneak peak into what was to come that evening. This was followed with a lecture by Rafael Anton Irisarri who took a room through his surround-sound manipulation techniques. Then, a quick glimpse into Ghostly’s Dauwd and Lusine’s setup before I made a dash back to the Performance Hall to make sure I was in line for the Erased Tapes special showcase with Nils and Olafur.

 
 

Seats taken, and the space filled 20-minutes before the first note was played. Nils and Olafur have become infamous for their performance on this tour and this was destined to be one of the highlights. Nils didn’t waste any time in taking to the piano and beginning his ‘Spaces’ performance with Olafur joining him shortly at the start with a glass of wine (or juice as Nils may have it). My review of ‘Spaces’ pretty much sums up how fantastic it was should you want an overview of the entire performance, however in a twist of fate relating to his album inspiration, a raggae sounding ring-tone interrupted Nils’ flow in the middle of his switch into ‘Hammers’, only for Nils to stop, give a smile to the crowd (as if to thank them for the inspiration of his latest album) and switch from the Rhodes straight back into his emotional flow. This moment happened at almost exactly the same time as it does in his new album ‘Spaces’…

Nils quoted on ‘Spaces’ that the audience are his main inspiration for how a performance will grow and develop, and during “Over There it’s Raining”, the silence felt from the room was almost unreal – it seemed to inspire Nils to approach this particular track even more softly than normal. Some of the most, quiet, delicate and intricate piano playing I’ve ever witnessed, balanced with his multi-piano manipulations.

Nils stood up to end the set with the synth-laden “Says” and powered his way through to a well-deserved crowd joining him with a standing ovation. I experienced his genuine gentleness and humour when i interviewed him the day before, but watching him perform is like witnessing a dark-magician alter-ego conjuring up a musical storm – a genius, mystical, out-of-this-world experience.

Ólafur started with his audience-sample loop, similar to my experience at Hackney Empire last November and continued with tracks from ‘For Now I am Winter’, delivered as always, in spectacular fashion alongside plenty of audience banter. Every girl in the room was swooning at his Icelandic charm and modest jokes. Whilst Ólafur is an easy focus of attention, he gave plenty of room for his violinist to shine, who delivered a ridiculous solo. And the unselfishness continued as Ólafur invited ‘For Now I am Winter’ vocalist, Arnor Dan to the stage to deliver the album’s title track – an amazing voice which really shone on the big stage. As Arnor walked off to leave Ólafur to finsih, he gave a little punch to the air as if to congratulate himself on how well it went.

Like every single Optical performance at Decibel so far, Ólafur was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd and once again, these musical geniuses had won the hearts of every single person in the room.

The night wasn’t even finished and I was rushing over to The Crocodile for another highly-anticipated showcase by Ghostly International. Label newcomer Dauwd began the night amongst a fire-alarm evacuation and finished on spectacular form with his melodic, layered driving electronica. This is only his second tour with Ghostly and he already looks a part of the Ghostly furniture.

Beacon followed and sent the room into a hazy, dreamy state as eager eyes fixed on the duos silhouettes and angelic vocals. Lusine was quick to follow and like a forgotten godfather of electronic music, laid down the dance-floor friendly electronica law – simple, clean and just damn good, people can’t help but smile and enjoy Jeff’s productions, especially as he debuted some brilliant new material.

Two-years ago, Shigeto was warming up for his label-mates, but now takes centre stage after his recent album has caused a stir. Adorning Portland-esque trendy lightbulbs amongst his synths and drum kit, Shigeto wasted no time in sending an expected Ghostly crowd into a hip-chopped electronic frenzy. Amongst thanks to Decibel and gratuities to the other performing artists, Shigeto, as always, gave it 110% and is now a well-deserved head-liner.

One last performance of the night and I was off to catch Max Cooper at Q. Despite the millions of remixes, live sets and DJ recordings i’ve heard from Max this was to be my first time catching him live. Walking in, and you could immediately sense a different vibe from the first night’s experience at Q – the sound was much better, the crowd were already in full flow and Max was dropping his signature sound from one-track to the next. He even paid homage to the earlier Olafur performance with a subtle little remix from (what I can remember) ‘For Now I Am Winter’ – maybe an unreleased gem we can look forward to?

Saturday. The original heroes. Performances by Juan Atkins, The Orb, John Tejada, Matias Aguayo, Thomas Fehlmann.

There was only really one act I wanted to see on the Saturday – The Orb. Everything else took a back-seat, however it ended up being one of, if not my favourite nights.

I chose to skip the Zola Jesus Optical show at The Triple Door, which going by everyone else’s feedback was a mistake – an acoustic set backed by an orchestra apparently. However, my absence meant I got to the Showbox venue early enough to grab a table and wait for The Orb to appear.

I forgot that Juan Atkins was also on the bill and as soon as he stepped up with his choppy mixing and energetic detroit techno, I was gravitating towards the dance floor. Not a moment too soon and the legendary Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann graced the stage to a rapturous applause.

What followed may not have been an original performance – it was raw, it was familiar, it was swampy, it had Alex Paterson smiling from ear-to-ear and Fehlmann rocking like a possessed doctor, but it was The Orb and it was great. Edits of ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ amongst other classic cuts, a quick glean at the crowd and every single person, including The Orb were witnessing a rather special reunion set. Apart from the Optical Showcases, this was the only crowd I witnessed at Decibel who seemed 100% obsessed and locked into who they were watching. It was great to see middle-aged balding men (no comment – I’m one of them) and psychedelically dressed hippies grinning and nodding to their heroes from years gone by.

 
 

Any tiredness I had collected until that point was replaced with adrenalin and we quickly stomped over to the Kompakt after-hours at Neumos. Thomas Fehlmann was due to perform a live set, but at 5am this seemed a little unrealistic to stick out. However, I have to thank John Tejada and Matias Aguayo for keeping me rocking until the time came. Tejada, with an emphatic minimal techno set that would lead me to buying every single record played if I had a way of finding out, and Aguayo with a unique vocal-looping-latin-inspired performance that kept the energy rolling. Listen to Tejada’s set here.

Fehlmann arrived on cue at 5am and with a half-empty club, proceeded to rip the place apart with edits of his own productions on the likes of ‘Gute Luft’. Again, Fehlmann gently rocking as he stared into his laptop, only to break out into subtle little arm-dances and cheeky smiles as he realised his beloved following had stayed with him until the very end. Listen to Thomas Fehlmann’s set here.

Sunday. A grand-bient finale. Performances by Raime, The Sight Below, Nosaj Thing.

I was tired by now, but there was one last Optical Showcase and it was set to be a stunner. Arriving early at the infamous Triple Door (it was my first time and is quite a legendary place after hearing many ambient live sets recorded here), I had a brief chat with HC (Headphone Commute) and waited out an unexpected delay to the show as Decibel tried to compensate for Oren Ambarchi’s delayed flight.

My venue inexperience showed as the seats we were given placed us at right-angles with the stage – great for a band, not so good for any AV performance. Raime were up first and the english duo wasted no time in delivering a harrowing soundtrack, whilst hunched over their laptops in the stage’s dark corner. You could tell these two hail from a dubstep background with their subtle appreciation of beats, but the progressive bells and washes were from the (twisted and brilliant) mind of a couple of ambient masters.

After a brief break and a well-deserved Decibel thank-you procession, The Sight Below took centre stage, laden with his laptop, numerous loop pedals and his infamous hoodie. I was lucky to see Rafael perform as himself at Substrata a few months back but i’ve never seen him perform as The Sight Below – the guise which induced my entry into Rafael’s productions. His performance can be summed up pretty simply – #dronelife. Rafael shook The Triple Door to the ground, teetering on the edge of the maximum output, as subtle guitar loops grew into an atmospheric monster. My friend had to leave as he said he was getting heart palpitations – no joke – I wasn’t surprised. This gentle dinner setting was being assaulted by a wonderful, rich ambient performance from Seattle’s finest. The subtle introduction of vocals into the last enveloping track blew my mind, and pretty much everything else in sight.

Oren Ambarchi was due to cap the night but couldn’t make it due to a delayed flight, so Nosaj Thing was lined up at last minute to close proceedings with a debut ambient AV set. I enjoyed it. It was unique and melodic as you’d expect from him, similar to the likes of Sun Glitters and Teen Daze, but I couldn’t help but think Oren’s set would’ve capped this night off perfectly. After The Sight Below, I wanted something dark, dramatic and transcending.  But, i’ve been spoilt and had got used to such perfect programming. Decibel did an amazing job getting Nosaj in at last minute and it was a testament to the hard work put into this festival. For a great in-depth review of the Optical 4 night, have a read of Kexp.

From the showcases, to the set-orders, it was an unbelievable week of music and without a doubt the best ‘city’ festivals I’ve been to. It’s not often you get to see the faces of the grafters, nor is it often you see a festival curator such as Sean Horton at nearly every single performance you go to, running around making things happen. Top this off with a dream lineup and it’s one hell of a festival. I missed out on so much; Machinedrum, Aeroplane, Lorn, Âme, Teen Daze, Lapalux, Cajmere, Gold Panda, Zola Jesus to name just a few sacrifices, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Thank you Decibel for a mind-blowing musical week, and here’s to another ten.

Top 5 festival moments (a list of complete performances was too hard)

1. Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann glancing at each other on stage with total satisfaction and happiness (because I was in it with them!)Main picture.
2. The Sight Below rattling the hell out of The Triple Door. Is it still standing?
3. Peter Broderick freestyle rapping at the end of his performance.
4. Singer, Arnor Dan joining Olafur Arnalds on stage – what a voice.
5. Nils Frahm’s emphatic standing ovation at the Optical Showcase. Grins from ear-to-ear.

Five tips for next year:

1. Get to the venue early if there’s something you really want to see.
2. Avoid the pasta at Lost Lake Cafe opposite Neumos.
3. Try not to get a seat down the side of the Triple Door at any AV led performance.
4. Avoid the Neumos / Q area after 2pm. It’s a war-zone.
5. Don’t take a mate with a dodgy heart to see The Sight Below.

Nils Frahm – Spaces

Nils Frahm is single-handedly responsible for my new-found passion and respect for the piano.

I’ve never been one to proclaim extended knowledge on classical, modern-classical or contemporary music. I’ve always lived on the edge, never quite diving in to something to its fullest and often glancing over reviews, albums or such which covered the genre. I am a big fan of soundtracks for example, but I can never quite imagine the type of person, how many takes, or indeed how many people it took to make such monstrous scores filled with elaborate piano or instrumental pieces. Was it one man? One take? The most talented of the bunch, maybe yes. I don’t know.

I’m also sure there’s many of you out there can point me in the direction of a classical piano genius. From years gone by perhaps. But again, i’ll probably never have the patience to dig through an archive without seeing the substance of the material. It seems that when it comes to this type of music, it’s an experience that I need to live outside of my earphones. I didn’t know this until I went to the Erased Tapes 5th Anniversary show last year, and the likes of Ólafur Arnalds, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Nils Frahm absolutely blew me away. It was a experience I wouldn’t forget and one that epitomised live performances, especially for this type of music. Nils has it spot on.

“What I love most about playing in front of people has something to do with a certain kind of energy exchange. The attention and appreciation of my audience feeds back into my playing. It really seems as if there is a true and equal give and take between performer and listener, making me aware of how much I depend on my audience. And since the audience is different every night, the music being played will differ too. Every space I performed in has its own magic and spirit.” – Nils Frahm

Two-years in the making, across various performances and using a multitude of recording devices including old portable reel-to-reel recorders and cassette tape decks, we have ‘Spaces’ – an ode to the live performance. An album that sits halfway in-between a non-stop live recording and a studio produced record, Nils has decided to piece together several live performances which he had referred to as ‘field recordings’, mastered by Mandy Parnell to form a beautiful insight into the world of improvisation and the talent that Nils adorns, and has grown upon these past few years.

So how do you translate experiences into a recorded piece? Nils and Mandy have kept this record as it should be, relatively untouched from the original recordings. Whilst sounding polished, they’ve decided to keep in many of the surprise moments that were captured during the performances including the toilet brush incident – a moment I remember, where Nils began to bang the brush against the piano strings. And as one track details, some accompanying laughs, coughs and a cell phone. But this audible distraction just adds to the pleasurable contradiction in sound; rumbling piano tones backed by subtle ambience transports you to the moment.

‘An Aborted Beginning’ grabs your attention and settles you in for the ride. It’s an apt title for a track which is probably a misguided direction for the remainder of the album. Heavy echoing percussion is quickly followed by the familiar gentle, progressive stance of ‘Says’ – an outer-space experience that gently meanders, changing in tone across an epic seven minutes until pounding keys destroy every sensory experience for the final minute.

I’ll never forget watching Nils at the beginning of ‘Said and Done’ – wondering how he kept that consistent, heavy piano chord rolling throughout the track. Not a single slipped note or timing adjustment. Like a performance split straight down the middle, ‘Said and Done’ could be misconstrued as two people playing against each other. On one side, drama, on the other a floating melody. In any other recording I would’ve imagined two people playing this, but it was just the one… at 5.41 my mind was blown i didn’t know where else this could possibly go or how much energy Nils had left. But the track still had more.

‘Went Missing’ is the deserved shuffle back into your seat. The love-story, the soundtrack and the peaceful relinquish from ‘Said and Done’ and the mid-ground before the more evocative ‘Familiar’. By now, Nils’ has paced himself well and you’re truly addicted to the developing story-line. And like all good tales, the unexpected keeps you hooked.

The ‘Improvisation For Coughs And A Cell Phone’ does just that. Making sense of the grand-piano and warming the notes for the crescendo in ‘Hammers’. Nils’ head is down and beads of sweat struggle to hang on to a forehead and body pulled apart by hands of their own stretched out across two pianos. Again, Nils has managed to transform into a machine; an emphatic, relentless machine that is somehow producing a dream-state for every single person in the room, ended deservedly by a raucous applause.

Return of the synths and the familiar ‘For‘; a favourite of mine, I cannot express how good this sounds rattling around a performance space. Easing into ‘Peter’, the toilet brush incident and ‘More’, if you’ve watched any performances of Nils on Youtube or similar then you’ll recognise much of this. Again, a sight to behold as Nils is split in two, in a world of his own yet reflecting against an audience waiting with baited breath for any give on this relentless piano assault.

 
 

And then the most beautiful yet; ‘Over There, It’s Raining’. I’m pretty speechless at this point – just an absolutely stunning piece of music that melts every single part of you. Continuing this theme is ‘Unter—Tristana—Ambre’ with it’s reflective soundtrack moments in ‘Tristana’, the more sincere ‘Unter’ and a perfect, complimentary ending in ‘Ambre’.

The end of the record, and you’d be expecting either a majestic sign-off or a heart-wrenching melody but instead Nils opts for a contemplative and unique piece in ‘Ross’s Harmonium’. Perhaps to keep the audience guessing, maybe a nod towards more of what’s to come. I feel like Nils has opened up his world only to leave the door slightly ajar, with a glimmer of light creeping through from a low sunset, and the camera backing slowly into the dark.

This album wasn’t recorded as one, and is made-up of many different experiences and interpretations over many months. But you feel like you’ve been there with him. The roller-coaster of emotion this album invokes is like no other, and luckily for me, I now have the perfect memento to that very special night last October I watched Nils play, control and orchestrate his way into hundred’s of peoples musical minds and memories.

‘Spaces’ will be released in the form of a CD, 2xLP and Download on November 18, 2013 via Erased Tapes. Nils will also be performing at Decibel Festival next week as part of the Optical Showcase where i’m due to ask him a few question so please comment below if you have anything you’d like answered from the maestro himself.

‘Spaces’ tracklist:
1. An Aborted Beginning
2. Says
3. Said And Done
4. Went Missing
5. Familiar
6. Improvisation For Coughs And A Cell Phone
7. Hammers
8. For—Peter—Toilet Brushes—More
9. Over There, It’s Raining
10. Unter—Tristana—Ambre
11. Ross’s Harmonium