There’s enough space and clarity to feel the notes, the gentle yet powerful hits on the keyboard, the groove, hues and textures of the bass, the twists and sparks of the electronics and the piercing warmth of the cello. There’s something futuristic in the movement and colorfulness of this music, an inventive spirit, an otherworldly charm.
“A harbinger of even better and more crystallized things to come.” That’s how I finished the introduction of an interview I did earlier this year with Tom Hodge and Franz Kirmann—the core members and founders of Piano Interrupted. I was referring to their debut album, Two By Four. I had a feeling about this duo, my instincts shouted that there is real magic here, a special kind of magic that needs a bit more work and development before it can fully shine. Now the Piano Interrupted guys are finally back with their second full length output, The Unified Field, and after I immersed myself in its mysterious intoxicating flavors, I can confidently say that the magic fully shines, brightly and beautifully, like the aurora borealis or a cunning bobtail squid.
On The Unified Field Kirmann’s clever electronic treatments take a much more subtle and seductively elusive shape than before, providing Hodge’s brilliantly expressive and moving piano playing a ghostly, abstract companion. With the hefty contribution of Greg Hall (cello) and Tim Fairhall (double bass), who added a lot of spice with their playing, and with the additional touch of Mark Wyllie on the mix, and final polishing work of Neil Pickles behind the mastering wheels, Piano Interrupted created a very dynamic, intricate, spacious and mystically organic musical mosaic. All the pieces elegantly interact with each other. There’s enough space and clarity to feel the notes, the gentle yet powerful hits on the keyboard, the groove, hues and textures of the bass, the twists and sparks of the electronics and the piercing warmth of the cello. There’s something futuristic in the movement and colorfulness of this music, an inventive spirit, an otherworldly charm.
Forget about genres and definitions, tiny boxes and labels. The Unified Field is not jazz or modern classical nor electronic music, electro-acoustic or experimental. The Unified Field is Piano Interrupted. What is Piano Interrupted? Whatever we want it to be—an escape, an inspiration, a soul booster, a reviving force; there are no limitations. Nowadays, when an album like this comes along, an album that sounds so original and feels so natural and honest, it fills my heart with hope. Hope that there are still some people out there who operate differently and creatively, people who are not affected by the bad sides of the constant development and change of modern technology, and do not follow any trends. People who simply create music in the same way their bodies breathe, naturally.
As always from Denovali, evocative artwork accompanies the CD/LP/Digital release. This time design and photography by Amie Herriott complete the package. This is important music. Essential music. Soulful music.
The Unified Field is available on Denovali.
