nils frahm "the bells" 2009 kning disk
I first met Nils after playing a concert in Berlin in early September, 2008. We had exchanged a few emails prior, in which we had agreed to swap some records in the mail. He came up to me after the show with a beaten brown package, which he had tried to post to me two times, but both times it was returned to him because I was out on tour when the postman tried to deliver it. At any rate, that night he handed me the package containing his first LP "Streichelfisch" and four CD-R's of unreleased material.
Later when I was getting in bed at the hotel, I pulled out my discman and popped in a disc of his that was labeled "Tonalagia: Piano Improvisations". I laid back and pressed play, thinking I would fall asleep to the sound of some nice piano music. But the sound I heard was more than just nice. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it kept me awake staring at the ceiling until the CD was finished. Then I pressed play again. I had to hear it again. I think I managed to drift off at some point in the middle of the second listen, but I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations! The next day I wrote to Nils and told him that very thought, and proposed the idea of him contributing to the solo piano series on Kning Disk.
A couple months later, in mid November, I flew to Berlin to meet up with Nils and to witness the recordings of what was to become "the bells". We rented a beautiful old church in the heart of Berlin for two nights, with a wonderful old grand piano and the most amazing natural reverb I've ever heard. We set up (actually Nils did most of the work while I ran around the church trying out the huge pipe organ and harpsichord) two microphones on the piano, and three more out in the room to capture the sound of the church. And then Nils just played. I laid down on a pew in the middle of the big room and listened to his playing in the same position I had heard it for the first time, on my back, staring at the ceiling. Occasionally I arose and asked Nils to amuse my ears by making him improvise with different rules I spouted out off the top of my head, such as "Make a song using only the notes C, E, and G" (this one will be available as a bonus download track), or "Make a song that you could imagine me rapping over the top of" (track 8 - "my things"). At one point I was even inside the piano, laying on the strings, asking him to make a song called "Peter is dead in the piano."
Those two amazing nights in the church left us with five and a half hours of recorded material, and together Nils and I have compiled what we think are the best pieces into this 40 minute collection. The role I played in putting this album together was a very small one, and yet somehow I feel more proud of this music than anything I have ever created on my own. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.
Peter Broderick -- February 9, 2009
nils frahm "wintermusik" 2009 sonic pieces
he name of the review copy was Nils Frahm ... Plays Piano, celeste, and reed organ. I thought, “oh no.” This sounded like a vanity project or low-budget new age disk, the kind that sells next to Sounds of the Humpback Whale at the Rite-Aid checkout counter. I was determined not to like it … but then I listened to it. Again and again. I began to realize that I really liked this disk, despite the title. Then I learned that the real title was Wintermusik. (A rose by any other name …) And that Peter Broderick, another artist whose music I admire, was also a fan; and that his reaction to Nils Frahm had been the same as mine. Here’s what Broderick had to say: “I laid back and pressed play, thinking I would fall asleep to the sound of some nice piano music. But the sound I heard was more than just nice. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it kept me awake staring at the ceiling until the CD was finished. Then I pressed play again.” Broderick and Frahm are now touring together, and the songs that Broderick had listened to were re-recorded under Broderick’s supervision and will soon be released on Kning Disk.
Wintermusik might have languished in obscurity as well, if not for Monique at Sonic Pieces, who happened upon the disk, fell in love with it and signed the artist for this limited release of 333. The handmade book binding is stark gray, but elegant, and suits the project well; Wintermusik was initially recorded as a Christmas present for family and friends. This puts the disk in the company of Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas, recorded as a series of personal gifts over the years and finally packaged a few years later as a boxed set for fans. There’s certainly a light-hearted, holiday feeling to the music, especially when the bells join the proceedings; one thinks of happy carolers, wandering from house to starlit house as flurries dust their woolen caps. But this is not to say that one should avoid the disk simply because Christmas is half a year away; nor should one feel that the sounds herein represent any specific religion or creed. This is simply a disk of engaging, well-played music, suffused with a positive vibe.
Richard Allen
Anyone into pianos should check out the Nils Frahm CD called Wintermusik on Sonicpieces (the last thing they did was a split CD by Konntinent which was ace). This is packaged in a lush little thick book style sleeve with a wee nipple inside for the CD to rest its weary shiny fat back on. I have to say if all CD's were packaged like this then they wouldn't be in the state they're in now cos it's a lovely thing. I can't keep my eyes off it... It's all textured like a pair of old mans trousers. hand numbered as well. All boxes are officially ticked... But what's the music like? Well, in a word it's gorgeous neo classical wares. It's just lush sounding classical pieces of piano based music which is as beautiful as it is maudlin. It's very emotive with definite nods to folks like Max Richter, Peter Broderick etc.... some of it reminds me of a more sombre Hauschka without the bottletops and keys. It's a really lovely way to spend 30 minutes of your life! The music was originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family but it's obviously been discovered by someone with nice ears and you should be thanking them greatly. Well nice!
norman records
nils frahm "electric piano" 2008 atelier musik
Recorded in only two days »Electric Piano« has to be declared as part of Nils Frahms earlyer improvisational work. Intended as an observation of the phonetic beauty of a simple instrument, this capture of a Wurlitzer electric piano has to be understood as a rare venture between a genuine musical idea and its imediate expression through a very limited and yet beautiful instrument. Walking on a vibrant path of electro akustic truth, this album sheds as much light onto its listeners consciousness as it casts shadows on his wisdom. It is a journey into the essence of the electric piano.
available on itunes
nils frahm "my first - EP" 2007 atelier musik
these somgs were made during 2005 - 2007. there are similarities to nils frahms first album "streichelfisch"
available on itunes
nils frahm "streichelfisch" 2005 atelier musik
available on itunes
my records:
nils frahm "streichelfisch" atelier musik
nils frahm "first ep" atelier musik
nils frahm "electric piano" atelier musik
nils frahm "wintermusik" sonic pieces
nils frahm "the bells" kning disk
i appear on:
nils frahm & anne müller "7fingers" lacie records
peter broderick "not at home ep" bella union
library tapes / nils frahm "3inch cd" sonic pieces
library tapes / nils frahm "live at nbi" sonic pieces
Not Given Lightly "A Tribute To The Giant Golden Book Of NZ..s Alt. Music Scene" morr music
machinefabriek / nils frahm "dauw 7inch" dekorder
bobby & blumm "everybody loves" morr music
Fugues "Unreleased Tracks 2009" Fugues
pingipung blows "the brass" pingipung
pingipung plays "the piano" pingipung
übertonmensch "ultra" atelier musik
übertonmensch "ion on ion" atelier musik
nils frahm & anne müller "7fingers" lacie records
siva "same sights new light" devil duck records
If you get a chance, please take a listen to our first New Age release "Instrumental Piano Music" by Solo Piano Relaxing Music. We'd love to know what you think of it! WE have free downloads at our labels site for you to download.
Thanks for adding me. You sure have some incredible piano lines. I especially enjoyed listening to Said And Done. Emotional and well composed. Keep in touch and take care, Jere
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