Yann Tiersen unveils his latest two-part album, ‘Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour’, released via Mute.

‘Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour’ is an album divided into two distinct, interconnected parts, each with its own unique sonic characteristics: ‘Rathlin from a Distance’ is eight tracks of introspective instrumental piano, ‘The Liquid Hour’ is an expansive, genre-defying blend of electronic synthesis and dynamic psychedelic rhythms.

‘Rathlin from a Distance’ - named after an island in Northern Ireland - features eight instrumental piano pieces, each named after a location Tiersen visited during his 2023 sailing tour. From the Atlantic’s Fastnet Lighthouse to the Faroe Islands, Shetland and the tranquil waters of the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, these tracks reflect a journey of self-discovery and self. Tiersen’s piano work creates an almost hypnotic atmosphere, each stop on the journey marking a deeper level of consciousness. The music evokes a sense of space, introspection, and quiet contemplation.

While ‘Rathlin from a Distance’ is meditative, ‘The Liquid Hour’ - which Tiersen was working on when he decided things needed to be torn down - is a bold and urgent musical statement, which opens with an epic, sweeping track that channels Tiersen’s desire for social and political change. The inspiration for this section of the album was rooted in Tiersen’s experiences at sea, particularly a moment when he gazed upon the lights of Belfast, alone at the helm of his sailboat in the middle of the night, after nearly two months at sea. This moment of serenity led to deep reflections on the city’s troubled history and its connection to broader political struggles. The expansive sonic palette of ‘The Liquid Hour’ blends atmospheric ambient music, hypnotic grooves and striking electronic instrumentation, with the haunting vocals of Émilie Quinquis adding a powerful dimension to the album’s message.

TRACK LISTING

‘Rathlin From A Distance’
Ninnog
Fastnet
Rathlin From A Distance
Tórshavn
Norðragøta
Papa Stour
Bigton
Caledonian Canal

‘The Liquid Hour’
Stourm
Ninnog At Sea
Arne
The Liquid Hour
Dolores

Yann Tiersen presents the final piece of the Kerber project, Kerber Complete; a CD box set including a brand new Solo Piano version of Kerber, the original album, Kerber Remixes with bonus material, and Tiersen’s live translation of Kerber, 11 5 18 2 5 18.

Kerber was initially released in 2021 and was very much a new chapter in the Breton artist’s work. Although there is piano at the core, the album was the most overtly electronic material he had presented to date. It was recorded in The Eskal, the studio he built on Ushant where he lives, and was named after a Chapel in a small village on the island. This was followed up by Kerber Remixes (a 12” of remixes from Terence Fixmer, Beatrice Dillon, Laurel Halo, Iku Sakan and remix competition winners) and 11 5 18 2 5 18 (a record of reprogrammed, resampled and reimagined tracks from Kerber and additional tracks from his catalogue that serves as the perfect insight into Tiersen’s live interpretation of the original album).

This CD box set exhibits the full evolution of the Kerber story, moving from its origins of stripped back piano into its electronic resolution, 11 5 18 2 5 18. It also see Kerber Remixes available for the first time on CD, featuring a new Terence Fixmer remix of ‘Ker al Loch’, a variety of Yann Tiersen’s remixes of tracks by NEU!, Keeley Forsyth, Michael Price, and Simon Fisher Turner and Edmund de Waal, as well as a brand new song titled ‘Nivlenn’. 

TRACK LISTING

CD1 Kerber (Solo Piano)
1 Kerlann (Solo Piano)
2 Ar Maner Kozh (Solo Piano)
3 Kerdrall (Solo Piano)
4 Ker Yegu (Solo Piano)
5 Ker Al Loch (Solo Piano)
6 Kerber (Solo Piano)
7 Poull Bojer (Solo Piano)

CD2 Kerber
1 Kerlann
2 Ar Maner Kozh
3 Kerdrall
4 Ker Yegu
5 Ker Al Loch
6 Kerber
7 Poull Bojer

CD3 Kerber Remixes
1 Nivlenn
2 Ker Al Loch (Terence Fixmer Remix 2, Edit)
3 Lieber Honig (Yann Tiersen Remix)
4 Ker Al Loch (Beatrice Dillon Remix)
5 Ker Al Loch (Sote Remix)
6 Wash (Yann Tiersen Remix)
7 Kerlann (Laurel Halo Remix)
8 Ker Yegu (Iku Sakan Remix)
9 The Anatomy Of Clouds (Yann Tiersen Remix)
10 A Quiet Corner In Time (Yann Tiersen Remix)

CD4 11 5 18 2 5 18
1 11 5 18 2 5 18
2 11 5 18. 1 12. 12 15 3 8
3 1 18. 13 1 14 5 18. 11 15 26 8
4 16 1 12 5 19 20 9 14 5
5 3 8 1 16 20 5 18. 14 9 14 5 20 5 5 14
6 11 5 18 12 1 14 14
7 11 5 18. 25 5 7 21
8 16 15 21 12 12. 2 15 10 5 18
9 13 1 18 25 (6 5 1 20. 17 21 9 14 17 21 9 19)

Yann Tiersen presents his brand new album ‘11 5 18 2 5 18’ via Mute. Reprogrammed, resampled and reimagined, ‘11 5 18 2 5 18’ is a collection of 9 tracks that serve as a translation of Tiersen’s live show, taking songs from his 2021 release ‘Kerber’ plus additional tracks from his catalogue, completely restructured to present a brand new album.

‘Kerber’, the new album from Yann Tiersen, is a beautifully textured, highly immersive and thoughtfully constructed piano based album fused with electronic music. Piercing piano keys merge with swirling soundscapes, as Tiersen explores the possibilities of infinite smallness. The album was created and recorded at The Eskal, the studio he built on Ushant (the island where he lives), and ‘Kerber’ is named after a chapel in a small village on the island while each track sonically maps the landscape that surrounds Tiersen’s home. 

TRACK LISTING

1 Kerlann
2 Ar Maner Kozh
3 Kerdrall
4 Ker Yegu
5 Ker Al Loch
6 Kerber
7 Poull Bojer

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2020 RELEASE AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY AS PART OF THE OCTOBER 24TH DROP DAY AT 6PM.
LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

Yann Tiersen’s Lagniappe Session is a special limited edition 12” of 3 tracks recorded for the Los Angeles-based audio journal, Aquarium Drunkard. Originally created to support Yann’s most recent album, Portrait, where he re-recorded a number of tracks from throughout his career, these tracks all fit the mood of that recording and Yann’s most recent tours. Pieces that could be described as minimalist are uprooted and placed into entirely different realms, as Tiersen tackles a 16+ minute Steve Reich piece, a classic Françoise Hardy chanson, and a tune by country gospel musician E.C. Ball. In the hands of Tiersen all become transformed.

Portrait. A collection of brand-new analogue recreations of songs from throughout Yann Tiersen’s career - 25 tracks including 3 new songs. Recorded in Yann’s home studio in Ushant with an array of collaborators. Features 3 tracks originally featured on the Amelie From Montmartre soundtrack including Yann’s signature tune, ‘Comptined’UnAutreÉté (L’Après-Midi)’. Includes collaborations with John Grant, Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Blonde Redhead and Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O)))

All vinyl editions will be packaged with an exclusive 7” single including alternative versions of ‘Comptined’UnAutreÉté (L’ Après-Midi)’ from the Amelie From Montmartresoundtrack and the title track from his debut album, Waltz of the Monsters. These versions will be exclusive to the vinyl and not available anywhere else.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of the most legendary voices in modern classical and sountrackery (who could forget the 2001's 'Amélie'?) joins us with his most recent outing, a revisiting of some of his most unforgettable moments, and joined by some of the most important voices in modern music (John Grant, Stephen O'Malley of Sunn, Blonde Redhead etc.) a stunning collection, and yet more proof Tiersen stands as the figurehead he does today.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Introductory Movement (Feat. Stephen O’Malley)
A2 The Long Road
A3 Monochrome (Feat. Gruff Rhys)
A4 Chapter 19
B1 Rue Des Cascades
B2 The Old Man Still Wants It
B3 Gwennilied (Feat. Emilie Tiersen)
B4 Prad (Feat. Stephen O’Malley)
C1 Diouz An Noz (Feat. Emilie Tiersen&ÓlavurJákupsson)
C2 PorzGoret
C3 La Dispute
C4 Pell (Feat. Emilie Tiersen)
D1 Erc’h (Feat. ÓlavurJákupsson)
D2 The Wire (Sur Le Fil)
D3 The Waltz Of The Monsters
D4 Closer (Feat. Blonde Redhead)
E1 Naval
E2 The Jetty
E3 Koad (Feat. ÓlavurJákupsson)
E4 Prayer No.2
E5 Gronjord (Feat. ÓlavurJákupsson)
F1 Kala (Feat. ÓlavurJákupsson)
F2 Comptined’UnAutreÉté (L’Après-Midi)
F3 Tempelhof (Part 2)
F4 Thinking Like A Mountain (Feat. John Grant & Stephen O’Malley)
G1 Comptined’UnAutreÉté (L’Après-Midi) [Harpsichord Version]
H1 The Waltz Of The Monsters [Harpsichord Version]

"ALL" is the first album to be recorded at Tiersen’s new studio, venue and community centre, The Eskal, built in an abandoned discotheque on the island of Ushant, a small island positioned in the Celtic sea between Brittany and Cornwall, Tiersen’s home for the past 10 years. The album, mixed and co-produced by Gareth Jones, continues the themes of environment and a connection to nature first explored on EUSA, incorporating recordings from outside of Brittany, such as the redwood forests of California as well as field recordings from Tempelhof airport in Berlin (on ‘Tempelhof’), plus guest vocalists.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Since the Amelié soundtrack, i've been in love with Tiersen's work, and this is most certainly the culmination of all of his previous works. It's a stunningly delicate, but beautifully emotive collection, more classically focused than Arnalds or Frahm but as tender as either (i'm not throwing shade here, i'm mad for a good pianist). Beautiful.

TRACK LISTING

Tempelhof
Koad (Wood)
Erc’h (Anow)
Usal Road
Pell (Far)
Bloavezhioù (Years)
Heol (Sun)
Gwennilied (Swallows)
Aon (Fear)
Prad (Meadow)
Beure Kentañ (First Morning)

Yann Tiersen has sold hundreds of thousands of records worlds wide and even more soundtracks. Since 2009 he has been focused on playing live, with 270 shows spread over three world tours, which touched every continent. This Autumn Tiersen returns home and is releasing four beautifully re-mastered editions of his first four albums; La Valse Des Monstres (1995), Rue Des Cascades (1996), Le Phare (1998) et (Tout Est Calme 1999).

With his whimsical, melancholy music, Yann Tiersen has become a sought-after composer, not only for his soundtrack work, but in his own right. Borrowing from French folk music, chanson, musette waltz and street music, as well as rock, avant-garde, and classical and minimalist influences, Tiersen's deceptively simple style has been likened to Chopin, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman. Tiersen became popular outside his native country for his score to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film Amélie, but this was no over night successes. He had been working for years before the film's success brought him international acclaim.

Tiersen was also composing soundtracks for short films and accompaniment for plays. Several of these pieces ended up on his first album, Valse des Monstres, in 1995 and introduced his delicate but deeply emotional style, and which also featured intricate arrangements incorporating instruments as varied as toy piano, banjo, harpsichord, melodica, and carillon, as well as piano and guitar. If Valse des Monstres and its follow-up, 1996's Rue Des Cascades, were intial slow burners Tiersen’s third album, 1998's La Phare, met a different fate; its single, "Monochrome," which was sung by French pop star Dominique A., was a radio hit and propelled the album, and Tiersen, to mainstream success in France. As Tiersen's acclaim grew, so did the scope of his records. That year's Black Sessions -- a live album of a radio performance -- featured collaborations with Dominique A. and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, as well bands like Les Têtes Raides and the Married Monk, who also appeared on 1999's more the rock-oriented album Tout Est Calme. Soon after, Tiersen was preparing his next album when he was contacted by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who wanted Tiersen to score his next movie, Amélie. Jeunet had heard Tiersen's music while driving and had been so taken with it that he bought all of Tiersen's albums. His Amelie score featured new and old compositions, and the film's success spun off to Tiersen's music. 

TRACK LISTING

1/ J'y Suis Jamais Allé
2/ Rue Des Cascades
3/ Pas Si Simple
4/ Comptine D'été N°2
5/ Comptine D'été N°3
6/ Déjà Loin
7/ La Chambre
8/ Mouvement Introductif
9/ La Muette
10/ Noami
11/ Soir De Fête
12/ Le Vieux En Veut Encore
13/ Toujours Là
14/ C'était Ici
15/ Prière N°2
16/ Comptine N°1
17/ La Fenêtre
18/ Prière N°3
19/ La Pièce Vide
20/ La Vie Quotidienne

Yann Tiersen has sold hundreds of thousands of records worlds wide and even more soundtracks. Since 2009 he has been focused on playing live, with 270 shows spread over three world tours, which touched every continent. This Autumn Tiersen returns home and is releasing four beautifully re-mastered editions of his first four albums; La Valse Des Monstres (1995), Rue Des Cascades (1996), Le Phare (1998) et (Tout Est Calme 1999).

With his whimsical, melancholy music, Yann Tiersen has become a sought-after composer, not only for his soundtrack work, but in his own right. Borrowing from French folk music, chanson, musette waltz and street music, as well as rock, avant-garde, and classical and minimalist influences, Tiersen's deceptively simple style has been likened to Chopin, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman. Tiersen became popular outside his native country for his score to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film Amélie, but this was no over night successes. He had been working for years before the film's success brought him international acclaim.

Tiersen was also composing soundtracks for short films and accompaniment for plays. Several of these pieces ended up on his first album, Valse des Monstres, in 1995 and introduced his delicate but deeply emotional style, and which also featured intricate arrangements incorporating instruments as varied as toy piano, banjo, harpsichord, melodica, and carillon, as well as piano and guitar. If Valse des Monstres and its follow-up, 1996's Rue Des Cascades, were intial slow burners Tiersen’s third album, 1998's La Phare, met a different fate; its single, "Monochrome," which was sung by French pop star Dominique A., was a radio hit and propelled the album, and Tiersen, to mainstream success in France. As Tiersen's acclaim grew, so did the scope of his records. That year's Black Sessions -- a live album of a radio performance -- featured collaborations with Dominique A. and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, as well bands like Les Têtes Raides and the Married Monk, who also appeared on 1999's more the rock-oriented album Tout Est Calme. Soon after, Tiersen was preparing his next album when he was contacted by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who wanted Tiersen to score his next movie, Amélie. Jeunet had heard Tiersen's music while driving and had been so taken with it that he bought all of Tiersen's albums. His Amelie score featured new and old compositions, and the film's success spun off to Tiersen's music. 

TRACK LISTING

1/ Plus Au Sud
2/ Les Grandes Marées
3/ La Crise
4/ Tout Est Calme
5/ La Rupture
6/ La Relève
7/ La Pharmacie
8/ La Terrasse
9/ L'étal
10/ La Découverte

Ten tracks. Ten locations. Ten field recordings. One piano.

Eusa, the brand new album from Yann Tiersen comprises 10 new solo piano pieces, each relating to a specific location on the island of Ushant off the coast of Brittany (‘Eusa’ in Breton), where Tiersen lives.

The album, recorded in Studio 1 at Abbey Road features Yann on piano accompanied by field recordings from the exact spot referred to in the piece of music. Between each piece we hear the sounds of the island, and Tiersen’s improvisations that are all titled ‘Hent’. Hent translates from Breton to English as Path – Tiersen is leading the listener across the landscape to the new location.

Eusa is the album fans have been waiting for and sees Yann return to the piano and the music the world fell in love with on the soundtrack to Jean-Pierre Jeunot’s 2001 movie Amélie.

‘∞’ (Infinity) is the follow up to 2011’s ‘Skyline’, which was described by Mojo as “life affirming”, by Clash as a “remarkable musical talent” and in Drowned in Sound’s 8 star review as “euphoric”.

Conceived in Iceland, where work began on the album, and in Ushant Island, Brittany. The album was produced by Yann Tiersen and mixed by Gareth Jones with Yann Tiersen and Daniel Miller.

For this album Tiersen has worked with native language speakers to include tracks sung and spoken in Breton (‘Ar Maen Bihan’), Faroese (‘Grønjørd’) and Icelandic (‘Steinn’). ‘Ar Maen Bihan’ is a story written by Emilie Quinquis in the Breton language, and was then translated by Amiina to Icelandic to create the track ‘Steinn’. Elsewhere on the album Aidan Moffat (Arab Strap) and Ólavur Jákupsson (a member of Tiersen’s live band) both contributed tracks on the same theme - stones - Moffat’s in English and Jákupsson’s in Faroese.

Hailing from Brittany, Yann Tiersen is one of the most revered artists of his generation, with a reputation first established by his studio albums (which included 1997’s ‘Cascade Street’, 1998’s ‘The Lighthouse’ and 2005’s ‘Les Retrouvailles’). The early albums were combined and used for the ‘Amelie’ soundtrack (2001), earning him global recognition. Recent Mute albums ‘Dust Lane’ (2010) and ‘Skyline’ (2011) has seen his prominence build, along with projects such as the recent live score to the Fantômas series which he curated at the Théâtre de Châtelet with guests Tim Hecker, James Blackshaw, Loney Dear and Amiina.

"I'm Gonna Live" is the second single taken from the album Skyline and is presented in limited edition 7" format. Inspired by the title of the Alan Lomax's Southern Journey 1959 album "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die" the title track focuses on the tiny pleasures of life as Yann sings about the tiny moments that make him feel alive.

The single is backed with an instrumental version of "Vanishing Point" in which Yann uses samples of instruments and noises from all the other tracks on his own album 'Skyline', compiling them together to form this haunting final track.