track 5 from "Melodies in the Garden" by Sachi Kobayashi (@sachi_kobayashi)

https://stereoscenic.com/sachi-kobayashi-melodies-in-the-garden

Melodies in the Garden

Sachi Kobayashi - Nurture

track 5 from Willoweald by Loneward (aka Altus)

https://stereoscenic.com/loneward-willoweald

Willoweald

Loneward - Petal and Leaf

Glacis is London-based Scottish composer Euan Millar-McMeeken, who some may recall from his previous collaboration work on Whitelabrecs including ‘Nothing Hurts Forever’ with Gavin Miller and as one half of Dead Bell, alongside The Green Kingdom. Euan also records as Civic Hall with Craig Tattersall and as Gallowglas alongside Johan G Winther. His most recent work 'Distances' with Adrian Lane was released on vinyl via Oscarson.

As a frequent collaborator, it is fitting that Euan’s debut for Whitelabrecs is in fact further partnered music in the form of ‘Interpretations’. He invited 11 artists to adapt, distort and deconstruct a collection of his original compositions, realising these into an album in its own right. Interpretations are not simply remixes. Euan explains that he’s never really liked the term ‘remix’ as it simplifies the process of working with original material. He never intended for this record to be a remix record and now it is complete, this feeling remains.

Euan aimed high in curating his artists, enlisting the likes of Tape Loop Orchestra, the Humble Bee, C.Diab and Satomimage and placing them alongside friends and regular collaborators including The Green Kingdom, Simon McCorry and Adrian Lane.

The tracks contained on Interpretations are all careful sonic studies of the original work that respond and react in different ways. Some of the pieces contain moments of the original pieces, some are unrecognisable, all are fascinating examinations. A rebirth, of a kind, from the original idea. Through these interpretations, the tracks are given new meaning and new life. Remarkably, this hour of music stands together as an album experience, despite the variety of the line-up and each artist’s approach to composition.

interpretations

wlr142 glacis - interpretations

from 'ÉCLATS (PIANO WORKS)' - out on 03.11.2023 - GIZEH RECORDS
CD / Digital / Streaming : https://christineott.bandcamp.com/album/eclats-piano-works
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Two years after Time to Die, French composer Christine Ott returns to Gizeh Records with her fifth album, Éclats (Piano Works), a collection of twelve pieces for solo piano, twelve impressionistic miniatures, instrumental and cinematic fractals celebrating the beauty of life.
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Éclats (Piano Works) is a kind of mirror image to Chimères (for Ondes Martenot) (2020, Nahal Recordings), which showcased her other favourite instrument, and for which Christine Ott is particularly renowned - as she is through her past collaborations with Yann Tiersen, Tindersticks, and this year with Chilly Gonzales. But here, there's no vintage electronics: the musician unfurls acoustic landscapes in black and white, alone at the piano, behind a Steinway, a Fazioli or her father's old Prestel. The album opens with Pluie d'arbres, a powerful yet delicate allegory of deforestation. This duality runs through the album, whose energy is sometimes melancholy, sometimes hopeful, but always generous and full of empathy.
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Sometimes nourished by revealing improvised gestures and crystallised during live performances, these new pieces by Christine Ott also make the link with various projects by the artist, both on stage and in film. Die Jagd nach dem Glück (The Pursuit of Happiness) is an extract from her original composition for Lotte, mon amour, a film-concert created in 2014 based on 4 short films by Lotte Reiniger, a German director from the first half of the 20th century. Lotte Reiniger was a true pioneer of animated film, and her films are still incredibly modern and human. Originally composed for piano, Martenot ondes and viola, this highly romantic piece is presented here in its simplest orchestration. Vulcano also foreshadows another film-concert work by Christine Ott, to come in 2024, for Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran. Set on a storm-swept island off the coast of Ireland, the film depicts the daily life of a fishing family in the 1930s. In a film-concert with an ambitious, physical and immersive score, the musician pays tribute to the courage of these inhabitants, united by a strong sense of solidarity, in constant battle with the elements.
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Éclats (Piano Works) presents works recorded over a long period of time; a clear homage to Hitchcock, the writing of Vertigo undoubtedly has its origins in the composer's youth. Some pieces, such as Étreintes and Amours étoilés, were recorded during the sessions for Only Silence Remains (2016), and Christine has regularly performed Golden Valley on stage since its creation in 2018 - whether as solo piano or rearranged in groups as part of her parallel projects (Snowdrops, Theodore Wild Ride...). Other compositions, such as Clouds of Dreams, are much more recent. So it's a real gift to finally discover on record the variety and richness of these twelve original compositions, which have long remained in the shadows.
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And to bring these melodic bursts to life, Christine Ott called on the services of visual artist Léa Barbazanges, who creates sculptures and installations using assemblages of plant, mineral and animal materials. The works that adorn the album cover come from her Optiques series; 12 photographs of crystals seen through a lens, like a poetic prism that brings us closer to living things, their textures and ramifications, as obvious as they are complex, and that give a formidable visual echo to the 12 compositions on the album.
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Out November 3rd on CD and digital. Pre-orders are now open.

Pluie d'arbres

This previously unreleased track can be found on the Side B CD that comes with the book, "Time Released Sound: A Decade Of Handmade Music Packaging”. Pre-orders start on November 18th, 2023.

Time Released Sound: A Decade Of Handmade Music Packaging (CD 2)

Hoshiko Yamane "The Distance Between You, The Difference In Time"

Long-term collaborators Fabian Rosenberg (aka Klangriket) and Sjors Mans return to piano and coffee records, six years after the release of their celebrated debut EP The Amsterdam Sessions, with an enthralling full-length record titled Origami Birds.At the heart of this album lies the poignant legend of the thousand origami birds, a narrative inspired by the resilience of Sadako Sasaki, a survivor of the Hiroshima tragedy. It unfolds as a poem penned by Fabian, eloquently translated into both English and Swedish, and narrated by three generations of women, weaving a world around the delicate folds, ascents, and descents of paper origami cranes.
Open the window. Let the cold air in.
Fold one and make another. An identical twin.
Make them in different colors and shapes. 
And when you’ve folded a thousand
look what a difference it makes.

They spread their wings they fly away.
They go places where you’ve never been.
Caught by the wind they swirl around and around.
And when you, and I fold a thousand. 
They form rainbow clouds. They will cover the sky.
Thousands of thousands become a million.
And then they fall. One by one slowly slowly to the ground. 
The creation of the music unfolded over three years and more than 500 video calls, a collaborative process devoid of face-to-face meetings. The soundscapes underwent a metamorphosis as they were printed and reworked, resulting in new sonic experiences. By the project's end, Fabian and Sjors found themselves unable to discern the original sources of the sounds, forging a unique and unprecedented sound palette. Multiple layers of samples, seemingly disparate elements, warped and twisted, blend seamlessly in this environment. The album boasts the contributions of acclaimed musicians such as Dan Berglund (known for his work with Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Ane Brun, Tonbruket) and a string quartet featuring some of Sweden's most frequently recorded musicians. 

The music in Origami Birds is a tapestry of emotions—heartfelt and perhaps even naive, with dark and ambient undertones, yet it displays a profound sense of hope. The album encapsulates a journey both musically and thematically, exploring the intricate interplay of light and shadow, despair and optimism.Origami Birds releases on the 1st of March 2024, featuring artwork by London-based illustrator Jordan Amy Lee.

Origami Birds

They Fall One By One To The Ground

Purchase

Klangriket and Sjors Mans - They Fall One By One To The Ground

Last year I was fortunate to go to Visby in Gotland, Sweden and spend one week in the International Composers Residency, in a private studio with adhered piano room. This is one of the tracks that was created during my stay there, more to come.
I saved all my creative ideas with the names of the relevant day of the week. When I got back home I went through my ideas and this one I actually liked. So here, this is Tuesday.

Tuesday

A generative drone with some calming piano chords

The Floating Garden (Interlude)

méditation

We are delighted to premiere an exclusive new track from Seattle-based ambient artist Benoît Pioulard. The ethereal ambient bliss of ‘Rook’ is taken from a brand new, handmade, tour-only album of recent works, limited to 100 copies, which will be for sale during Benoit Pioulard’s upcoming European tour (tour dates below).

The first Benoît Pioulard European tour in three years will take in the following cities:

04 Mar: Cork, Ireland @ Triskel Arts Centre
05 Mar: Dublin, Ireland @ Bello Bar
07 Mar: Reykjavik, Iceland @ Mengi
09 Mar: Paris, France @ Supersonic
10 Mar: Ghent, Belgium @ Dauw HQ
11 Mar: Brussels, Belgium @ Huis 23
12 Mar: Girmont, France @ Une Figue dans le Poirier
14 Mar: Geneva, Switzerland @ L'Usine
15 Mar: Zurich, Switzerland @ Zukunft
16 Mar: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland @ L'Entre Deux
18 Mar: Trieste, Italy @ Tetris

At all shows, a brand new, handmade, tour-only album of recent works, limited to 100 copies will be available at the Merch table.

https://www.facebook.com/pioulard/
https://pioulard.bandcamp.com/

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Lignin Poise

First Listen: Benoît Pioulard - “Rook”

This is a series of sketch-like works that arose out of the need for me to create an atmosphere when working in the studio. A loop would be made then I'd start the prep work for that session. The loop may even inspire the output and work created for that day.

The release is pay what you like and I'd appreciate if you took a moment to go over to Dewtone and check this out.

Many thanks and I really hope you enjoy this small and beautiful release with artwork from photographer Courtney Smith and mastering by Pheek over at audioservices.studio.

Hope you enjoy it.

'Untitled Quiet Loop #5' - Quiet Loops - [Dewtone Recordings, 2020]

A relevant spot for artists from all over the world who cross the borders between ambient, electronic, and contemporary classical music.

label@pianoandcoffee.com

Vargkvint / Sergio Díaz De Rojas / Klangriket / Plinki Plonki / Manos Milonakis / Cedric Vermue / Sjors Mans / Justina Jaruševičiūtė / Didacte / Adrien Casalis / Leon den Engelsen

Klangriket and Sjors Mans - They Fall One By One To The Ground

piano and coffee records

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