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ERASED TAPES

Peter Broderick

Float 2013

    October 2013 will see the reissue of 26-year old American composer Peter Broderick's 2008 debut album Float. Returning to his home in Oregon, where his musical journey began, Peter completes the circle with the release of Float 2013. Remastered by the gifted hands of Nils Frahm, Float 2013 will also include two additional bonus tracks with each album download and will be reissued on CD and vinyl.

    Brought up in a musical household in Oregon, Peter quickly became a popular session musician for the likes of M. Ward in the Portland area. Later discovered by the Danish band Efterklang he joined their live band and spent the next six years based in Europe where he collaborated with many like-minded contemporaries. Through relentless touring, multiple album recordings and film scores Peter has established himself as a solo artist, known for his innate gift as a musical medium to picking up any instrument, turning his musings into poignant songs.

    IN HIS OWN WORDS:
    ’A dialogue was started with Robert, about the idea of one day giving Float a second chance. And a bit later I found myself in the studio of my dear friend Nils, remastering these songs which on one hand felt so far away, but on the other felt right at the core of my musical heart, the foundation of my aspirations as a musician. And what Nils did to the sound, how he worked his magic as he always does, filled me with the conviction that this project had not previously reached its potential. In so many ways I've found myself coming around the circle, back to the place I started, only perhaps the circle itself has moved. But the dream is the same. And my little baby has a new pair of shoes: Float 2013.’ – PETER BRODERICK.

    TRACK LISTING

    01. A Snowflake
    02. Floating/Sinking
    03. A Glacier
    04. A Simple Reminder
    05. Stopping On The Broadway Bridge
    06. Another Glacier
    07. Something Has Changed
    08. Broken Patterns
    09. An Ending
    10. A Beginning

    Douglas Dare

    Seven Hours

      London-based singer-songwriter Douglas Dare releases debut EP Seven Hours as the newest artist on Erased Tapes.

      The EP was recorded in various spaces, including drummer/producer Fabian Prynn’s home-studio in South London. The four tracks are the first recordings the musicians have made together and with all songs written by Dare and all tracks engineered, mixed and produced by Prynn, it is a true collaboration.

      With the songs beginning as poems and short prose, Dare later improvises melodies and piano parts. This process was continued by Prynn with all the percussive rhythms coming from improvising to the original pieces. The performances were captured using a cassette recorder, keeping recording fresh as full takes had to be committed to at the recording stage. This process led to unexpected parts and ideas that now are integral to the sound and feel of the EP.

      IN HIS OWN WORDS:
      ‘‘I'm incredibly proud of this EP. I feel the songs have been captured in just the right way and I hope that, if only for 15 minutes, listeners will be able to escape; if they do, then I have done my job. It's a real thrill to be working with Erased Tapes, a label whose artists have inspired me from the beginning and whose ethos I share wholeheartedly. This is an exciting time to join the family and I'm truly privileged to be a part of it.’ – Douglas Dare

      ABOUT THE ARTIST:
      Douglas Dare is a London-based singer-songwriter, originally from the coastal town of Bridport, South West England. The son of a piano teacher, Douglas began composing instrumental music from a young age but it was not until studying popular music at University in Liverpool in 2008 that he began songwriting. Douglas’ rich and haunting vocals are combined with lyrics crafted from his own poems and short prose, a writing style that gives his intimate songs wisdom far beyond his 23 years. After supporting Ólafur Arnalds on his recent 16-date European tour, Douglas is performing at a few selected festivals and will embark on a UK tour in support of his debut release on Erased Tapes.

      Nils Frahm

      Juno Reworked (Luke Abbott & Clark Remixes)

        After releasing Nils Frahm’s two-track solo synthesiser EP ‘Juno’ in a highly sought after 7” edition, Erased Tapes now re-release the original Juno tracks with guest reworks by Border Community's modular synth wizard Luke Abbott and Warp veteran Clark. Both known for their like-minded use of analogue synthesisers in their music, it makes them the perfect artists to rework the originals. Similar to Frahm’s online project ‘Screws Reworked’, where he invited fans to download his solo piano songs to reinterpret them with their own medium of choice, it’s far from being the typical remix EP.

        ‘Peter Broderick loved the sound of this synthesiser so much, he asked me to record some solo sketches with it. This is what I came up with. I didn't use any overdubs or punch-ins. See it as a synthesiser solo performance.’ – Nils Frahm

        The cover photograph was taken by Peter Broderick and is a result of an unexpected double exposure between his image and the one taken by the camera’s previous owner. Dedicated to his dear friend, the Juno tracks carry the titles ‘For’ and ‘Peter’ and were recorded and mixed by Nils Frahm in his Durton Studio in Berlin.

        Nils experienced an unfortunate accident, which saw him fall from his bunk bed located directly above his studio, which resulted in a broken thumb. But through inspiration from his fans and despite the 4 screws that had just been surgically placed inside his thumb, he started recording with 9 fingers, which later resulted in 9 intimate piano recordings. Nils chose his 30th birthday to offer these recordings as a free download to his fans via screws. durtonstudio.com where they have been freely available since.

        IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I am sitting in front of a sheet of paper. My right hand is bending over my left thumb. The first day I got out of my cast I could bend it by 15°. Now I am already at 50° and that makes me happy. Things are going uphill… As you can imagine, it is really bad news for a pianist when he gets diagnosed with a broken thumb. That day I was sitting in the emergency room, feeling rather dizzy while thinking of a zillion shows coming up and all the people involved around it. I realised in that moment how busy things have become. It is hard to turn down interesting projects and opportunities, since I surely love my work. It actually never felt like work. Playing piano and playing it for wonderful people is the greatest joy I can imagine. For a couple of days I felt like this could all be over. How pathetic, but hey – also feeling sorry for yourself has its place somewhere. All of a sudden I had so much time, an unexpected holiday. I cancelled most of my schedule and found myself being a little bored. Even though my doctor told me not to touch a piano for a while, I just couldn’t resist. I started playing a silent song with 5 fingers on my right and the remaining 4 on my left hand. I set up one microphone and recorded another tune every other night before falling asleep. The day I got rid of my cast I had recorded 9 little songs. They have helped me feel less annoyed about my accident and reminded me that I can only achieve something good, when I make the most of what I’ve got.” – NILS FRAHM.

        Michael Price

        A Stillness

          Erased Tapes gives us a taste of something for 2013, a fantastic 10" debut: Recorded at Phoenix Sound inside the world-famous Pinewood Studios – home of the British film industry and a location chosen by Michael Price as 'a haven for me in a noisy world' – December 17th marks his debut release as the latest addition to the Erased Tapes family in the form of 'A Stillness'; a four-track limited edition vinyl including printed music sheets and high quality downloads. Renowned for his work as film composer, producer and awardwinning music editor, this small collection of songs shows a more personal side of Price, a chance for him to create music without any scripts and guidelines.

          IN HIS OWN WORDS: 'I'm trying to create a small Stillness in a noisy, hyper-connected world. I wanted to make something personal and real, with musicians that I've known for a long time. Usually we've all got headphones on, chasing click tracks and fitting our performances to picture. It was time to get the headphones off, stop all the clocks and ticking, really connect musically and try to capture a moment. To be able to make something intimate and authentic in an often noisy world is a real pleasure. When I heard what we had, there was only one collection of musicians and artists that felt a natural fit, and that was Erased Tapes. I'd always admired Robert's artistic vision, and the way that he created a nurturing, collaborative environment around the artists he worked with. It's a privilege to be even a small part of that.' – MICHAEL PRICE.


          Peter Broderick

          These Walls Of Mine (Deluxe Edition)

            LIMITED EDITION CD VERSION OF THE NEW PETER BRODERICK RELEASE: ITS COMES IN A SPECIAL SLIPCASE, WITH AN EXTRA BOOKLET, EACH ONE AUTOGRAPHED BY PETER BRODERICK.

            October 22, 2012 will see Peter Broderick release his brand new studio album on Erased Tapes, entitled These Walls of Mine. Held together by a dialogue of voices, this album reveals Peter’s innermost thoughts in an intimate yet playful way. An exploration from gospel and soul to spoken word, beatboxing and rap – this is Peter at his most natural.

            IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I had recently been experimenting at home with a microphone and a laptop, recording and uploading new songs for free online, each one alongside a photo and some words, and open to comments from the outside world. At some point Robert (Erased Tapes label founder) started listening to the music and felt compelled to encourage me to compile an album with all this material. His reaction to ‘These Walls of Mine’ (the song, not the album) was exactly how I felt about the music. I wasn’t sure if I loved it or hated it. But I loved the feeling of that uncertainty, of surprising myself and others around me. And in the end Robert got behind all the songs, which gave me the courage to finish the music for this release. These songs are best viewed as a collection of lyrical and vocal experiments. Of course the instruments and the music are important, but this album is held together by a dialogue of voices. Conversations with myself and with others. Several tracks contain lyrical contributions from friends and strangers, made possible with the help of the internet. And then I sang and sang and sang. I love singing. And I love cats.” – PETER BRODERICK.

            Peter Broderick

            These Walls Of Mine

              October 22, 2012 will see Peter Broderick release his brand new studio album on Erased Tapes, entitled These Walls of Mine. Held together by a dialogue of voices, this album reveals Peter’s innermost thoughts in an intimate yet playful way. An exploration from gospel and soul to spoken word, beatboxing and rap – this is Peter at his most natural.

              IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I had recently been experimenting at home with a microphone and a laptop, recording and uploading new songs for free online, each one alongside a photo and some words, and open to comments from the outside world. At some point Robert (Erased Tapes label founder) started listening to the music and felt compelled to encourage me to compile an album with all this material. His reaction to ‘These Walls of Mine’ (the song, not the album) was exactly how I felt about the music. I wasn’t sure if I loved it or hated it. But I loved the feeling of that uncertainty, of surprising myself and others around me. And in the end Robert got behind all the songs, which gave me the courage to finish the music for this release. These songs are best viewed as a collection of lyrical and vocal experiments. Of course the instruments and the music are important, but this album is held together by a dialogue of voices. Conversations with myself and with others. Several tracks contain lyrical contributions from friends and strangers, made possible with the help of the internet. And then I sang and sang and sang. I love singing. And I love cats.” – PETER BRODERICK.

              The British Expeditionary Force

              Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu

                The B.E.F. return with a shape-shifting prog-rock indietronica record. March 26th will see the return of The British Expeditionary Force with their highly anticipated next installment on Erased Tapes Records, entitled 'Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu'. The British Expeditionary Force, short The B.E.F., was formed in 2007 by Northerners Aid Burrows, Justin Lockey and his brother James Lockey. Whilst their trademark indie-electronica marriage 'Chapter One: A Long Way From Home' was solely created via email, the long-awaited sequel 'Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu' was recorded in one room, with two drummers and mad professors on synthesisers contributing to an even broader sonic palette. A sound that producer and ex-Yourcodenameis:milo mastermind Justin Lockey likes to describe as 'prog rock, innit'. 'The tactic we've used is the 'more' method. More sounds, more layers, more people. More face to face, more angles, more songs. If we've done our sums right, it should total more than the individual pieces', explains singer Aid Burrows.

                Ólafur Arnalds

                Living Room Songs

                  Icelandic contemporary composer Ólafur Arnalds created and released a new song, one per day for one for one whole week during the month of October 2011. The songs were recorded and filmed live in the living room of his Reykjavik apartment and released instantly for free as streamed videos and mp3 downloads. Thousands of fans followed this exciting project online at: livingroomsongs.olafurarnalds.com

                  Following in the spirit of Ólafur Arnalds' critically acclaimed Found Songs (2009) where he wrote, recorded and released a free song every day for a week - now comes 'Living Room Songs'. This time Ólafur takes the idea further and invites the audience into the comfort of his living room, where the songs were recorded live and the whole process filmed. The songs were instantly released in form of a free mp3 download and video stream- straight from Ólafur's Reykjavik apartment.

                  In his own words: 'One night I was just playing my piano here in this apartment and I was writing a new song and I didn't have my phone on me which I usually use to record ideas. So I actually took out my MacBook and I didn't want to open like a proper recording program, so I just opened Photo Booth and recorded a video of myself playing the song so that I would remember the song. And I really liked the atmosphere of that video and that's when I thought I should do a series of songs in my living room...' - Ólafur Arnalds


                  Oliveray

                  Wonders

                    Being musical companions and label mates for years, it was just a matter of time until modern contemporaries Peter Broderick and Nils Frahm would start their first standalone project together.

                    Blog post by Peter Broderick: 'I am super excited to announce the debut release from a project very dear to me! Oliveray consists of me, Peter Ray Broderick, and one of my greatest friends in the world, the incredible musician / producer Nils Oliver Frahm. We've been collaborating in many ways these past couple years and traveling a lot together. Now finally we have arrived with our first truly 50/50 collaboration effort entitled Wonders. It all started when I was asked to create a cover version for my great friends Efterklang. I asked Nils if he'd like to work with me on the project. So one day we got together in his studio and ran through the song (Harmonics) a couple times and then laid it down to tape in the most relaxed way possible - me playing the guitar and singing and him on the piano... We were both really happy and inspired with how easy and fun this process was. We thought you could hear and feel that relaxed atmosphere in the song. So when our Japanese friends Cote Labo asked us to prepare some kind of release for our Japan tour, me and Nils set aside a couple days to record some music in a similar manner. Without much preconception we just set up the mics and started recording, with an aim to create a short album of half instrumentals, half vocal-based songs. We ran through a few fresh musical ideas that each of us had, improvising along with each other, sometimes just improvising entirely. And before we new it we had a nice little collection of eight intimate pieces of music. The first official output of what will hopefully be a lifelong collaboration, Wonders feels really special to me. Here comes Oliveray!'

                    Peter Broderick

                    Music For Confluence

                      New-Berliner Peter Broderick has established himself as a composer in his own right, may it be as a touring member in Efterklang, collaborating with label mates Nils Frahm and Dustin O'Halloran, or most recently, working on the Last Night soundtrack with Clint Mansell. His innate gift as a musical medium, picking up any instrument to turn his musings into songs, has won the 24-year old American composer many hearts worldwide. Following on from his contemporary dance scores Music For Falling From Trees and Music For Congregation, November 28th, 2011 will see Broderick return with a brand new work released on Erased Tapes Records, entitled Music For Confluence. Created for documentary filmmakers Jennifer Anderson and Vernon Lott, the soundtrack takes the listener through waves of stark emotions. The release of Music For Confluence will be preceded by the double A-side single Old Time / Solace In Gala on November 8th.

                      IN HIS OWN WORDS: "It was November 2010 when I started to seriously think about relocating to Berlin. I knew my Danish visa would run out sometime in 2011 and if I wanted to stay in Europe I'd need to either renew it or get another visa elsewhere. Berlin pulled me in like a magnet, with so many of my friends and inspirations living and working there, and also being so central for my frequent European travels. And just when I started to think about finding a place, I heard about a friend of a friend who was renting out a spacious two-floor apartment in the middle of town. I was told the building was owned by a man who only wanted musicians to live there, so I could make all the noise I wanted, and on top of that I was given a key to the piano store on the bottom floor so I could play anytime the store was closed... the place was made for me! All winter, when I wasn't traveling and playing concerts, I was locked away in this new space creating. I had been asked to make the score for a documentary film called Confluence. The film is based in the Lewiston, Idaho area, not too far from where I grew up in the USA, and it chronicles several mysterious cases of young girls found murdered or gone missing around 1980, all of which seem to lead back to one man who for a variety of reasons has not been able to be charged with these crimes. So with my minimal equipment and a key to Die Klavier Etage (the piano store), I set out to create some textural soundscapes which could compliment the building tension of the story without being too intrusive or suggestive. Days and nights, snowed in and experimenting with layers and layers of whichever instruments I had around, finding a murky atmosphere that fit with the uneasy feeling which the film gave to me. On New Year's Eve I was inside, recording the final notes for the score. I had finished everything except the piece for the credits. After speaking with one of the directors of the film, Vernon Lott, we decided the song for the credits should be different from the rest of the score. So while the fireworks were exploding outside my window, I was recording Old Time, a song which for me felt like a breath-of-fresh-air after story which can only leave you wondering..." - Peter Broderick.

                      Having recorded his last album live in a large, reverberant church, Nils Frahm now invites you to put on your headphones and dive into a world of microscopic and delicate sounds - so intimate that you could be sitting beside him. Recorded late at night in the reflective solitude and silence of his studio in Berlin, Frahm uncovers a new sound and source of inspiration within these peaceful moments: 'Originally I wanted to do my neighbours a favour by damping the sound of my piano. If I want to play piano during the quiet of the night, the only respectful way is by layering thick felt in front of the strings and using very gentle fingers. It was then that I discovered that my piano sounds beautiful with the damper.' Captivated by this sonic exposition, he placed the microphones so deep inside the piano that they were almost touching the strings. This brought a host of external sounds to the recordings which most producers would try their hardest to hide: 'I hear myself breathing and panting, the scraping sound of the piano's action and the creaking of my wooden floorboards - all equally as loud as the music. The music becomes a contingency, a chance, an accident within all this rustling. My heart opens and I wonder what exactly it is that makes me feel so happy.'

                      Berlin-based pianist Nils Frahm is already a firebrand in the modern classical world, collaborating with contemporaries such as Peter Broderick, Ólafur Arnalds and Anne Müller. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. As announced by Drowned In Sound, he finally returns on October 10th 2011 with the successor to his highly acclaimed solo piano works Wintermusik and The Bells. Released on Erased Tapes Records and entitled 'Felt', the album will coincide with a European tour in November 2011 - a truly memorable and magical live experience.


                      A Winged Victory For The Sullen

                      A Winged Victory For The Sullen

                      'A Winged Victory For The Sullen' is the first installment of the new collaboration between Stars Of The Lid member Adam Wiltzie and L.A. composer Dustin O'Halloran. The duo agreed to leave the comfort zone of their home studios and develop the recordings with the help of large acoustic spaces, hunting down a selection of 9ft grand pianos that had the ability to deliver extreme sonic low end. Other traditional instrumentation was used including string quartet, French horn, and bassoon, but always juxtaposed is the sound of drifting guitar washed melodies.

                      The recordings began with one late night session in the famed Grunewald Church in Berlin on a 1950s imperial Bösendorfer piano and strings were added in the historic East Berlin DDR radio studios along the River Spree. One last session on a handmade Fazioli piano in a private studio on the Northern cusp of Italy, before the final mixes took place in a 17th century villa near Ferrara with the assistance of Francesco Donadello. All songs were then processed completely analogue straight to magnetic tape. Their secret to harvesting new melodic structures from the thin air of existence was for the duo to push themselves to dangerous territory, realising that clear thinking at the wrong moment could stifle the compositions.

                      The final result is seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination. In 'Requiem For The Static King Part One' - created in memory of the untimely passing of Mark Linkous - they have taken the age-old idea of a string quartet and then shot it out of a cannon to reveal exquisite new levels of sonic bliss. Of the 13 minute track 'Symphony Pathétique', Wiltzie says 'after almost 20 years of struggling to create interesting ambient drone music, I feel like I have finally figured out what I am doing'. Notable guest musicians include Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, as well as Erased Tapes label comrade Peter Broderick on violin. A Winged Victory For The Sullen is not a side project - it is the future of the late night record you have always dreamed of.


                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Martin says: The coming together of Stars Of the Lid and Dustin O'Hallaran is a happy marriage of the sweeping, contemplative drones of the former and the filigree piano led delicacy of the latter. An exquisite and meditative neoclassical wonder.

                      World's End Girlfriend

                      Seven Idiots

                        World's End Girlfriend is a Japanese composer whose work blends complex sound structures with beautiful melodies, reaching from electronic glitch to jazz-infused rock to modern classical. Captivating, enthralling and like nothing you've heard before, WEG makes for a surprising yet central addition to London contemporary music label Erased Tapes.

                        His brand new album "Seven Idiots" will finally be released outside of Japan this April. Shifting seamlessly from catchy pop hooks to elaborate orchestrations and brutal IDM drones, it's an irregular pop album - filled with twists and turns that will have you reaching for the repeat button. At first recorded with vocals, he took the unusual composing method of building up the songs before erasing all of their vocal parts. By dismantling and re-constructing each track, WEG has produced a genre-defying album that truly transcends categorisation.

                        World's End Girlfriend hails from Nagasaki Kyushu, Japan and currently resides in Tokyo. Fascinated by his father's classical music collection, he began his foray into sound at the tender age of 10, creating his early compositions on keyboard, guitar, tape recorders and computers. To date he has composed more than 600 songs, for the most part unreleased testaments of his early experimentations.

                        WEG first came on Europe's radar in 2002, invited to perform at Barcelona's renowned Sonar Festival. On the back of the collaborative album 'Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain' with Japanese post-rock band Mono, he embarked on extensive tours in Europe and North America in 2005, returning for an appearance at ATP Festival in 2008. Recently performing as a seven-piece ensemble, WEG's ostentious live show is currently selling out 800 capacity venues in Asia. Filmmakers seem smitten too, with the Go Shibata directed movie 'Late Bloomer' (2004) and the internationally renowned 'Air Doll' (2009) by award-winning director Hirokazu Koreeda both featuring soundtracks created by World's End Girlfriend. The music video for 'Les Enfants du Paradis', taken from 'SEVEN IDIOTS', has already received over 90.000 views on YouTube. Directed by Yohei Saito, this beguiling visual represents the high level of interest given to WEG's music, not widely available outside of Asia - until now.

                        Nils Frahm & Anne Muller

                        7 Fingers

                        Fans of the Berlin based Nils Frahm are by now familiar with his beguiling live shows where more often than not fellow touring artists are encouraged to join Frahm on stage – the likes of Rachel Grimes, Rob Lowe of Balmorhea as well as label colleagues Peter Broderick and Ólafur Arnalds have all obliged with fascinating results. It will come as no surprise then that Nils Frahm, an accomplished composer and producer who signed to Erased Tapes in 2009, has extended his collaborative live musings to encompass the recording studio, working for the first time with noted cellist and fellow Berliner Anne Müller to produce "7 Fingers".

                        With their first collective release Frahm and Müller have built a world where modern classical and electronica collide creating an ‘intoxicating and delicious’ collection of songs. Primarily a pianist Nils Frahm provides evidence with "7 Fingers" that he can effortlessly turn electric throwing in loops, samples and glitches to accompany and showcase Müller on cello. Anne Müller, a renowned musician noted for her work with the Wolf-Ferrari-Ensemble, Phillip Boa and recent tours with Agnes Obel, proves an amp musical partner for Frahm. As the recognition continues to grow for Nils Frahm’s previous solo piano works Wintermusik and The Bells, 2011 sees a new side to this young talent as he embarks on a detour into strings, symphonies and glitch beats alongside the estimable Anne Müller.


                        Codes In The Clouds

                        Paper Canyon Recycled

                          Codes In The Clouds, the quintet of Morahan, Peeling, Smith, Major and Power from Dartford, Kent have found a firm place in the vast growing instrumental rock scene. With their harmonious and blissful sound they weave guitar melodies, liable to explode any minute. If you still can’t imagine intense music without vocals then you will be surprised how easily these boys will let you forget this prejudice. Energetic and charming at once, surprising and unpredictable at all times.

                          October 18th, 2010 will see the release of a remix album entitled "Paper Canyon Recycled" featuring the likes of Paul Mullen (The Automatic), Tom Hodge, Maybeshewill, Worriedaboutsatan, Machinefabriek and Library Tapes – not to mention contributions from label mates Rival Consoles and Nils Frahm. "Paper Canyon Recycled" stemmed from an open call, giving fans and fellow artists the opportunity to submit a remix of CITC’s 2009 debut album release "Paper Canyon". The band received over 100 track submissions. The skills of one particular entrant, Brighton-based producer and musician Guy Andrews (iambic), impressed the band so much that they have invited him to produce their next studio album at Brighton Electric in September.

                          Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski – a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O’ Halloran amongst other fellow musicians. As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk’s Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new album of piano improvisations – the result is "The Bells", which will now be released on the London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes in the UK, Ireland and North America.

                          Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what on the surface appears to be an entirely pre-planned and composed body of work comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised. These two friends share a common affinity in that they now be released on the London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes in the UK, Ireland and North America. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what on the surface appears to be an entirely pre-planned and composed body of work comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised. These two friends share a common affinity in that they both possess an absolute mastery of melody, composition and performance – able to deliver with devastating effect. The modest Mr. Broderick states ‘I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations!’ Recorded in a rented, beautiful old church in the heart of Berlin over two nights, Nils ‘just played’ with the occasional instruction from Peter ‘I spouted “Make a song using only the notes C, E, and G”, or "Make a song that you could imagine me rapping over the top of" (Track 8 – ‘My Things’). At one point I was even inside the piano, laying on the strings, asking him to make a song called "Peter Is Dead In The Piano". The resultant work "The Bells" shares the same excitement and air of playfulness. In contrast, his debut release "Wintermusik" consists of three piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celesta and reed organ parts.

                          Most recently Frahm and Broderick re-interpreted Pink Floyd’s "Is There Anybody Out There?" for MOJO’s covermount CD "The Wall Rebuilt!". According to MOJO ‘Hamburg-born pianist Nils Frahm spent the last few years creating wondrous, haunting music. Together they accentuate the orchestral qualities of Pink's lament, the track's sense of paranoia amplified by the choral resolution of this version". For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work.

                          Ólafur Arnalds

                          Dyad 1909

                            A contemporary dance score for award winning British choreographer Wayne McGregor inspired by Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872-1929). 'My composer for Dyad, Icelandic musician Ólafur Arnalds, is coming in next week to finish work on the score. It’s an amazing piece of music – it's melancholic and spatial then cuts to extreme rhythmic violence - it's hauntingly inspiring' – Wayne McGregor (Random Dance).

                            Born in 1987, Ólafur hails from the suburban Icelandic town, Mosfellsbær, just a few kilometres outside of Reykjavík. He has immersed himself completely in a world of delicate symphonic compositions generating near weightless orchestral pieces. Arnalds explores the crossover from classical to pop by mixing chamber strings and piano with discreet electronics which makes him a perfect fit for cinematic pop label Erased Tapes. His motivations are clear: 'The classical scene is kind of closed to people who haven't been studying music all their lives. I would like to bring my classical influence to the people who don't usually listen to this kind of music... open people's minds'.

                            Nils Frahm

                            Wintermusik

                            Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski – a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians. The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release "Wintermusik" are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record’s equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again. The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes.

                            Peter Broderick

                            Music For Falling From Trees

                              Born January 20, 1987, he grew up in a small town in Oregon. Coming from a musical family, he started violin lessons at age 7, and in high school became interested in all different kinds of instruments. He started to play piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, musical saw, and anything else he could find. After high school he moved to Portland, OR, where he studied music theory and filmmaking. During this time he began to play in multiple bands around town, and was able to establish himself as a regular session musician at various recording studios for artists like M. Ward. In late 2007 he was miraculously invited by some of his musical heroes, the Danish band Efterklang, to move to Copenhagen and join the live band. So he did, and since then he has toured with the band all around the world, playing hundreds of concerts, and opening many of them as a solo act. Since this move he has released several solo recordings as well. Starting with a few primarily instrumental, piano-based releases in 2007, then branching out into a completely different world with the more folky "Home" in late 2008, which has all but established Broderick as the young composer to watch – with critical acclaim from music magazines (NME/Mojo/Uncut) and broadsheet press alike. "Music For Falling From Trees", a 30-minute piece, in seven sections, created for a contemporary dance by London-based choreographer Adrienne Hart (Neon Productions). Adrienne was looking for a score of piano and strings, so he left the guitar and his voice aside and focused entirely on those two timbres. 'I decided to take this literally and make a rule not to use any other instrument. In the script it called for the sound of a ticking clock. I made this sound by tapping on the body of the violin with my fingernails.'

                              Finn

                              The Best Low Priced Heartbreakers You Can Own

                                Finn is German singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and fashion designer, Patrick Zimmer who splits his time between Hamburg and London, where he recently found a new home with cinematic music label Erased Tapes – a conceptualist with the voice of Leonard Cohen on helium. Born in 1977, yet combining influences that span decades, Finn had to wander through a playground of electronica and low-fi recordings to get here. His third album "The Best Low-Priced Heartbreakers You Can Own" shows a surprisingly mature and cohesive collection of haunting and mesmerizing songs as a result from his consequential musical progression. Finn lived, recorded and produced the album over the course of seven months in the catacombs of an old 14th century church underneath the streets of St. Pauli. With this release, Patrick Zimmer prescribed himself a concept album.


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