A selection of tracks from Piano Day 2020 arranged for continuous listening. 

http://www.pianoday.org

Photo by Ilenia F. on Unsplash

Piano Day 2020 Selections

Usually I do a million takes when I record a new song. This time I stopped around take 10 to prevent perfectionism taking over.. 
So, it’s not super precise, but hey! I finished something! 
I hope you enjoy it. 

*Alice

Unverzagt

On October 4th 2019, Penguin Cafe released 'Handfuls of Night', the highly anticipated follow-up to their much applauded 2017 album 'The Imperfect Sea' 

Using gut-stringed violins, viola, cello, bass, percussion, upright and grand pianos, synthesiser, harmonium and more, Arthur Jeffes and his cohorts have crafted a vivid series of panoramic sonic landscapes, that are as rich in cerebral poignancy as they are in emotional depth.

Bookended by the atmospheric ambient piano pieces ‘Winter Sun’ and ‘Midnight Sun’, the album traverses glacial minimalism with ease, combining their signature contemporary classical panoramas, such as the melancholic yet upbeat lead track ‘At the Top of the Hill, They Stood...’ and the colossal cinematic piece ‘Chapter’, with the crystalline folktronica on ‘Pythagorus on the Line Again’ — a re-visiting and continuation of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s 1993 Union Cafe song on the principles of harmonics.

'Handfuls of Night' began life after Greenpeace commissioned Jeffes to write four pieces of music corresponding to four breeds of penguins, to help raise awareness for the endangered Antarctic seas . A fundraising evening at EartH in Hackney followed, where Penguin Cafe premiered the four songs named after their feathered counterparts to a sold out audience; the rousing contemporary folk inflected ‘Chinstrap’, the mournful and minimalistic ‘Adelie’, stoic and rhythmic ‘The Life of an Emperor’ and the wistful, string-laden ‘Gentoo Origin’.

“Such is its mastery of slowly uncoiling drama you can almost taste the salt in the breeze" ★★★★ — MOJO⠀
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"Arthur Jeffes' music has a direct clarity. Dramatic swells and sweeps showcase the jaw-dropping landscape. Most importantly, though, the music carries an environmental message, which is a critical issue for this generation" — A Closer Listen ⠀
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"One of their most impeccable moments to date" ★★★★ — Music OMH ⠀
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"Elegiac strides across epic landscapes... Arthur Jeffes is doing the legacy of his father proud" — Prog Magazine ⠀
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"Another winner from this group, with Jeffes and company mixing minimalism, folk music and classical string writing into a charming combination” ★★★★ — All About Jazz ⠀
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"A sensitive, frequently lovely follow-up to 2017’s ‘The Imperfect Sea… Handfuls of Night’ conjures pastoral panoramas and weathered vistas" — DJ Magazine⠀

Handfuls of Night

Midnight Sun

Buy LP/CD/DL

Penguin Cafe - Midnight Sun

"Transitions II" is the second chapter of the "Transitions" trilogy concept which began with the previous EP, back in November 2019. 
All these songs, mostly around 1 minute and half of length, are part of the "piano microstores" project, which has been developed last year on my IG profile consisting in releasing one short piano story per day during all the summer season.

That Feeling, Though

Strangers is a transformation of my previous released song We Are Just Strangers, part of the award winning short film ‘Andras’. It is transformed into a neo-classical solo piano version.

Strangers - Sofia Dragt - Pianoday2020

on the 88th day of the year, we celebrate Piano Day.
I hope you enjoy my contribution for 2020.

https://sptfy.com/92Ni
https://apple.co/38lUHlG
https://www.themountainhowl.com

Stille Piano - Piano Day 2020

The uplifting and reflective closing track from the documentary 'Chasing the Present'. 

Scored by Icelandic composer @snorrihallgrimsson, this intimate piece for piano and cello gently pulls the listener from the stresses of everyday life, immersing them for a moment in a peaceful, dream-like world. 

Stream the full album OST : https://orcd.co/chasing-the-present

Chasing the Present

Acceptance

Download

Snorri Hallgrímsson - Acceptance

thesisproject.bandcamp.com/album/thesi…artyn-heyne

Ben Lukas Boysen - editing, zen garden.
Martyn Heyne - guitar, organ.

Composed, mixed, and mastered by Martyn Heyne + Ben Lukas Boysen at Lichte Studio Berlin.
Additional engineering by Matthias H. Franz Hahn. Vinyl cut by Mike Grinser.

Thank You!
Gregory Euclide, Matthias H. Franz Hahn, everyone at Manners McDade, Erased Tapes Records & Publishing, Claudia Gödke, and Karolina Zenobia Heyne.

Dedicated to Frieda and Frau Bellmann.

Thesis 16

& Martyn Heyne - June

Part of 1631 Recordings' Piano Clouds volume five.
As it is a solo piano piece, it's listed under my own name, not OUTER.

Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/2J23RJN
Spotify: http://bit.ly/dcmbr29

Tom Paul Soetaert - December 29th

An improvisation exploiting the sensitive sound of the Una Corda piano, the unique instrument created by David Klavins.

Interlude for Una Corda (Piano Day 2020)

www.1631recordings.bandcamp.com

#PianoDay2020

Akira Kosemura - Asymptote

Anne Lovett - Sur Un Fil

Released in celebration of Piano Day 2020.

All original songs written by Codes In The Clouds
Reworkings composed by Ciaran Morahan, Stephen Peeling, Joe Power, Jack Major

Mixed by Ciaran Morahan
Mastered by Jon Youell
Artwork by Joe Power

The Trip (Piano Rework)

Featured on Sonder House’s Recollections, Vol. 4 compilation, “Silver Fleece” is Blurstem’s first release since the 2019 debut album, Among the Oaks. It was recorded as a one-take improvisation on his friend John Hayes’ piano (who is also on the compilation) - a glimpse of peace and calm in our world’s chaotic times right now.

Recollections Vol. 4: https://open.spotify.com/album/55i8j01A0o78CsKI2OWrMT?si=roFyXMdiQdCR5gx33xeSbg

Blurstem - Silver Fleece

Love you dad X
Stay safe everyone and isolate ..@pianodayofficial

For My Father during Covid Isolation (For Piano Day 2020) #pianoday2020

To mark this year’s 88th day and as an acknowledgement to these unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, Piano Day founder, pianist and producer Nils Frahm releases a collection of eight solo piano pieces titled 'Empty'. 

Stream and download 'Empty': https://idol.lnk.to/nils-frahm-empty

Conceived of just before Nils broke his thumb and composed the similarly intimate solo piano album 'Screws', 'Empty' is a soothing vessel of eight simple and serene pieces originally recorded as the music to a short art film he shot with his friend and film director Benoit Toulemonde. Drifting through emotions from the stark and sobering opener 'First Defeat', to the gently euphoric 'No Step On Wing' and the contemplative but hopeful closer 'Black Notes', with its poignant minute of silence, 'Empty' is a comforting score for these turbulent times.

“When I came back from the hospital with a broken thumb and listened to the recordings, I felt they were unfinished. I decided to put them aside and started to work on my small album, 'Screws'. 

Many many other notes of the piano have been struck since these days, and before we all forget about this, I thought it would be a good moment to share these lullabies with you. I hope they help you stay all strong and calm in these days of solitude – despite the hardship, we can discover introspection and reflection unexpectedly. Who knows what it is good for.  
 
Much love, Nils”

Empty

No Step On Wing

Stream & order LP · CD

Nils Frahm - No Step On Wing

Singer songwriter and producer Tom Adams @oceantemple returns to his classical roots for this special number for piano day. Sweeping broken chords on the piano are interspersed with delicate and ambient electronics, coalescing toward a melodic and emotional farewell to his recent home of Berlin. 

Stream on Spotify, AppleMusic, etc : https://orcd.co/goodbye-berlin

Watch : https://youtu.be/iauYfemeJxs

Particle XIX (Goodbye Berlin)

Spotify/AppleMusic

Tom Adams - Particle XIX (Goodbye Berlin)

London based pianist and composer Mike Lazarev @headphonecommute celebrates Piano Day 2020 with this delicate offering. 
. . . 
far beyond a time-slice of the past lies a short-lived moment
in that memory, I played the piano and you listened
now all that/s left is that memento and this music
and while i/m forgetting it lives on...
 . . .
Stream on Spotify, AppleMusic : https://orcd.co/forgetting-almost

Forgetting, Almost

Mike Lazarev - Forgetting, Almost

Happy #pianoday2020! Once again, I've uploaded a little EP with a songs recorded in the last few days. This year: lots of felt, inspirations from the traditional Japanese Shō and Bach. 

https://woolookologie.bandcamp.com/album/piano-day-2020

piano day 2020

Name your price

Night sky, blanket | Piano Day 20

Spotify Bandcamp etc.

Okno(preview) - Piano Day 2020

A little over a year ago I moved into a new house in a new city, new country. One of the many things the house had going for it was the fact that there was an old upright piano in the living room. I've never really sat down to learn to play the piano properly but I enjoy tinkering around on the keys, so moving into this house has given me the opportunity to do so a little more often.

This recording is one of the results of my explorations, a mournful stroll around a few basic chords and a G# pulse. I recorded it several months ago, before it mutated into another more finished song which will be on my upcoming full album, but because today is "Piano Day" I thought I'd revisit this sketch and add a little guitar layer to it. "Binnen" means "inside" in Dutch. As most of us are spending most if not all of our time indoors now it felt appropriate as a title for this little chamber music piece. 

Stay safe, stay sane, stay inside.

Binnen

Stationary Travels is a personal music blog covering ambient, electroacoustic, modern classical, post rock & experimental music.  Outside of ST, I enjoy a variety of other genres which you may see mixed in here as well.  Please feel welcome to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress (links below).  If you are an artist and would like to submit something for consideration of promotion or review, you can message me to discuss the details. 

 "He who does not travel, who does not read, who does not listen to music, who does not find grace in himself, she who does not find grace in herself, dies slowly" - Martha Medeiros