Another slow start to the week and with a new song by Nils Frahm a Berlin based pianist and composer. I featured him several times during the last years at this place and now again because he announced a new album for September. It is the first new album after he released collected works from the last years and what I heard so far is much better than them. Music for Animals sounds like he combined Brian Eno's Music for Airports with very own ambient works. Right Right Right shows him at a peak of his output and fusions his ambient works with krautrock elements.
For two decades now, Ben Lukas Boysen has been composing neoclassical music under his bourgeois name or alias Hecq and matching soundtracks. Over time, the initially much reduced piano sound grew richer, fuller and fuller. Instead of solo instruments it is now dense sound walls, The first bars of "Love" are very reminiscent of his label colleague Nils Frahm and the roaring in the background, based on strings and hinted vocals, could come completely from his Berlin colleague. In spite of this, something of its own has been created here, which is made even better by the remix of Mogwai. Dignified electronic music for a sunny Sunday morning.
Many artists tried to combine classical and modern music and nearly everyone failed. One of those who is able to overcome the gap between classic and electronic music is Hamburg born pianist and composer Nils Frahm. His music stretches from almost classical to massive percussive and electronic elements. Live he use beside a classic piano, Fender Rhodes and synths and combines them with loops and samplings. It was a great and unforgettable experience to see him live. This one is from his latest EP Encores 3 and all the EP's will be released as a complete album next month.
I waited weeks to get to this festival. Finished my works in the office and went to the train to Mannheim. First I got to my brother to leave my luggage at his place and we went off to the festival. Retrospective I have to say that more of the half of the artists were from Germany. And there was a lot of new music from my home country to explore.
The first band we saw live on Friday were Neufundland, a new band from Cologne. Their sound is torn between post-punk darkness, tender impact, electronic dance music and great melodies. And lyrics like Joseph Stalin buys uniforms at Primark or There is nobody prescribes to me how I have to lose makes them different even in Germany.
The next artist that impressed me was SG Lewis, a producer based in Reading that combines classic songwriting with club culture. It was a really great combination of both genres. Filled with a fundamental bass he sings his lyrics in a very entertaining way. Looking forward for his next outputs.
Lilly Among Clouds is a project by a young German female singer from Würzburg. She has a fantastic voice sometimes like a siren but always beautiful. She combines her (pop)songs with massive dubstep ingredients. A voice between Norah Jones and Alanis Morrisette makes her songs something special.
Liima is a project by Danish/Finish collaboration from members of Efterlang and percussionist Tatu Rönkkö. To describe their sound is rather different. Rhythm-based trips by the sound worlds which lift the difference between concert hall and dance floor and added with reverb singing. It worked amazing live.
After a few hours on my feet I went to a smaller spot where I could sit down and listen to well unknown artist. Expecting nothing from Martin Kohlstedt he took me into another dimension. He is a wonderful piano player with huge addicts to electronic sounds. Of course nothing for the main stage but fantastic music for a time of your own. If you like Nils Frahm you could love him.
Late in the evening I went into the smaller tent they built up at the festival and was reserved for the newer heavier and faster sounds. I've gone there to listen once again to a post-punk band from Stuttgart that I featured a few month ago. Loud, fast and emotional music with heavy influence of the early 80's independent sounds. It was loud, fast and awesome to hear them live again. Probably a great hope for German independent music today.
Although we were tired we both wanted to listen to Meute a German Techno Marching Band. And it was worth waiting for them. Only the bass drum made the rhythm and a lot of horns joined it. Nothing more than fun listening to them.
Sasha (born Alexander Paul Coe) is a Welsh DJ and producer and released a record with out-takes made during the last years. Known as one of the best house DJ he has more to offer than this. This songs are a trip through ambient, downtempo, electronic and the music of Nils Frahm. Perfect music for Sunday morning and a cup of coffee.
I have to admit that I love the music of Nils Frahm. He's a German pianist and composer living now in Berlin. From his younger days he was trained into classical piano playing. Later he discovered a Fender Rhodes and loops for his music. All in all it's a kind of quiet music. I used to listen to this mostly later on the evening. A few month ago he released some outtakes from sessions he made with his school-mates almost ten years ago under the name Nonkeen. They accepted for their songs only one take and the result is often random but never bad. Chasing God Through Palmyra is like an electrical trip through post Krautrock and new electronic.
Nils Frahm is a Berlin based German pianist and composer. He released several records during the last years and I love the way he combines classical songs with a heavy influence of modern music. Most of the songs I like when he plays his piano solos. It's a wonderful music for late at night or finishing the day. I know, it's not everybody's cup of tea but it was worth to try it.
Listened to BBC 6 Music the other day and they played this fantastic remix from Jon Hopkins 'I remember' released on RSD. I really like this dubby version with it's little piano parts in it.
