Recorded and mixed at The Stableyard

CW: Propellerhead Reason, samples, Hohner JJ bass, editing

Composed by Wilson. Produced and mixed by Wilson. © Deliberate 2023, under exclusive licence to Signatura Recordings.

Copperhead blues

an audio work by Esther Johnson
12' · 2013

'88 Keys' is a poetic montage reflecting on the increased disposal of pianos. The work weaves the tortured sounds of the destruction of one piano, with thoughts from the proprietor of London’s last traditional piano factory, and a series of previous piano owners.

A symbol of nostalgia for the past, longevity, craft and art, pianos are large, heavy and expensive to tune and it is often cheaper to buy a new one than renovate. People increasingly have no room for them in their lives. Removal companies are now turning their trade to disposal and recycling, with many of the instruments destroyed being 80–90 years from a period when pianos became mass marketed. The majority are considered ‘low-grade’ and can no longer be tuned to modern concert pitch.

This programme examines why such analogue instruments are permanently being silenced and whether the cultural relevance of pianos may be fading.

A Sound Bank Commission for In The Dark
http://www.inthedarkradio.org/sound-bank/grant-winners/
http://blanchepictures.com/88-keys/


88 Keys

UK-based artist and filmmaker · lover of creative radio docs and audio storytelling.


88 Keys

Blanche Pictures

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