Pinô
Otto A Totland is the more elusive half of much loved Norwegian duo Deaf Center - with only one split 7" to his name released a couple of years ago on the Sonic Pieces label. "Pinô" is his long-in-the-making solo debut, a sprawling 18-track suite of solo Piano compositions that take us back to that time about a decade ago when there was a real Satie-inspired renaissance that revolved around the likes of Dustin O'Halloran, Nils Frahm, Gonzales' first 'Solo Piano' album and the prepared piano pieces on Aphex Twins' 'Drukqs'. Ten years on and it's easier to separate the wheat from the chaff (and let's face it - there was plenty chaff) - but one track we've always returned to is Deaf Center's 'Eloy', the closing track on their gorgeous 'Pale Ravine' album from 2005. Happily, "Pinô" is like a full album of the stuff, a perfectly balanced arrangement of minor-keys, reflective, bittersweet pieces that rarely break the 2-minute mark - never outstaying their welcome. It's a beautifully recorded album too, you can hear the keystrokes and the creaking of the pedals, lending the material a warm, human dimension that's genuinely moving - no surprise to discover it was recorded by Nils Frahm at his own Durton Studios. If you're a fan of Deaf Center, this is a no-brainer.
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Otto A Totland is the more elusive half of much loved Norwegian duo Deaf Center - with only one split 7" to his name released a couple of years ago on the Sonic Pieces label. "Pinô" is his long-in-the-making solo debut, a sprawling 18-track suite of solo Piano compositions that take us back to that time about a decade ago when there was a real Satie-inspired renaissance that revolved around the likes of Dustin O'Halloran, Nils Frahm, Gonzales' first 'Solo Piano' album and the prepared piano pieces on Aphex Twins' 'Drukqs'. Ten years on and it's easier to separate the wheat from the chaff (and let's face it - there was plenty chaff) - but one track we've always returned to is Deaf Center's 'Eloy', the closing track on their gorgeous 'Pale Ravine' album from 2005. Happily, "Pinô" is like a full album of the stuff, a perfectly balanced arrangement of minor-keys, reflective, bittersweet pieces that rarely break the 2-minute mark - never outstaying their welcome. It's a beautifully recorded album too, you can hear the keystrokes and the creaking of the pedals, lending the material a warm, human dimension that's genuinely moving - no surprise to discover it was recorded by Nils Frahm at his own Durton Studios. If you're a fan of Deaf Center, this is a no-brainer.
Otto A Totland is the more elusive half of much loved Norwegian duo Deaf Center - with only one split 7" to his name released a couple of years ago on the Sonic Pieces label. "Pinô" is his long-in-the-making solo debut, a sprawling 18-track suite of solo Piano compositions that take us back to that time about a decade ago when there was a real Satie-inspired renaissance that revolved around the likes of Dustin O'Halloran, Nils Frahm, Gonzales' first 'Solo Piano' album and the prepared piano pieces on Aphex Twins' 'Drukqs'. Ten years on and it's easier to separate the wheat from the chaff (and let's face it - there was plenty chaff) - but one track we've always returned to is Deaf Center's 'Eloy', the closing track on their gorgeous 'Pale Ravine' album from 2005. Happily, "Pinô" is like a full album of the stuff, a perfectly balanced arrangement of minor-keys, reflective, bittersweet pieces that rarely break the 2-minute mark - never outstaying their welcome. It's a beautifully recorded album too, you can hear the keystrokes and the creaking of the pedals, lending the material a warm, human dimension that's genuinely moving - no surprise to discover it was recorded by Nils Frahm at his own Durton Studios. If you're a fan of Deaf Center, this is a no-brainer.