Laraaji - Moon Piano
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Moon Piano

Label All Saints ‎– WAST059LP
Format Vinyl, LP, Album
Barcode 5060384618524
Country Europe
Released 09 Oct 2020
Genre Folk, World, & Country
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This item is imported from Netherlands.

€30,99
A1 Prana Light
A2 Stillness
A3 Lightly
A4 Quiet Journey
A5 Through This Moment
A6 Bathed In A Glow
B1 Pentatonic Smile
B2 Feeling Lovely
B3 Trance Gaze Pt. 1
B4 Trance Gaze Pt. 2
Design, Layout – Darryl Norsen
Edited By, Co-producer – Christian Havins
Engineer, Mixed By – Jeff Zeigler
Mastered By – Stefan Betke
Photography By – Daniel Oduntan
Producer – Matthew Jones
A companion volume to the Sun Piano album, this LP was recorded at the same session in a Brooklyn Church. Whereas the former record lent itself to the more uplifting side of Laraaji’s keyboard improvisations, Moon Piano explores the more introspective and minimal pieces captured by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Mary Lattimore) and edited by Christian Havins (Dallas Acid).

Laraaji describes this set of tracks as “Contemplative sound painting, embracing quiet tranquil unfolding of nurturing reflection”. In a recent interview with Aquarium Drunkard, Laraaji described the improvisatory process of making both piano albums: “I’d sit down, touch the piano and through free association, also blending it with my prepared mental state, I was able to tune in and affirm my highest sense of presence. The piano became an instrument for the imagination to suggest higher or finer worlds, to suggest a joy, euphoria, bliss, also to suggest silence, minimalism, relaxation, and contemplation. So, all of that music was spontaneous but with those influences shaping and guiding it along the way.”

Whilst Moon Piano almost shades into melancholy with a contrasting nighttime vibe to Sun Piano’s daytime joyfulness, certain themes from the first record reoccur - side two’s “Pentatonic Smile” is a longer edit on the central riff underpinning the former album’s “Temple Of New Light”.

Recorded at the First Unitarian Church, Brooklyn, NY, December 10 & 11 2018. Engineered and mixed by Jeff Zeigler on behalf of Uniform Recording. Produced by Matthew Jones. Edited and co-produced by Christian Havins. Mastered by Stefan Betke at Scape. Photography by Daniel Oduntan. Design and layout by Darryl Norsen. All compositions by Edward Larry Gordon, Warp Publishing Ltd.

A note on the recording - this is essentially a ‘live’ session, tracked inside a working church in a busy part of Brooklyn. Whilst Laraaji was playing, different community groups would pass through to use the church’s facilities, and a number of distinctive city sounds would sometimes penetrate the walls of the church, from police car sirens to the noise of schoolchildren. There are no overdubs, and Laraaji’s spontaneous performance is captured vérité style, with minimum application of artificial techniques to clean up what was captured on the microphones. Please note therefore that whilst chair scrapes, door slams and the breathing of the pianist are all audible, the full dynamic range and authentic spirit of the session are captured on this record. Some of the longer pieces have been edited into shorter sections thanks to careful attention and skilful work by Christian Havins of the band Dallas Acid, who have both collaborated with Laraaji previously and released their own album on All Saints Records.
Barcode (Scanned, sticker) – 5060384618579
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