Hania Rani
Home

Beauty !

Charlemagne Palestine's majestic 1976 work The Golden Mean, originally performed by Palestine on two pianos, is revisited here as The Goldennn Meeenn + Sheeenn, a new collaboration between Palestine and enigmatic musician Rrose.March 2018: the Festival Variations in Nantes commissions Charlemagne Palestine to reinvent The Golden Mean for two pianists. Palestine chose Rrose to join him in this new rendition of the work. Together, they performed The Goldennn Meeenn + Sheeenn onstage at the main opera house in Nantes -- the sumptuous Théâtre Graslin – with extraordinary results.The concept of the 'golden mean' goes back to the roots of mathematics, and ancient Greek philosophy. It is an important work in the Palestine mythos, embodying his total immersion in the power of the interval. "It's probably his most systematic work . . . a step-by-step journey through the intervals of the octave," says Rrose. "When we rehearsed it, we were noticing how each interval is like a universe of its own -- with its own history, emotions, and sonic qualities all mixed up together. Every time you move from one interval to the next, it feels like moving into another world.""I love the interval," Palestine told me in a recent interview. "I love when it plays with itself. That's what I learned from organ musics too. You can just do an interval, and if they're just slightly out of tune with each other, then they shimmer . . . they play themselves. And it sounds like somebody's playing lots of notes. In your ear, it's like an aural phenomenon . . . that's my whole concept. I make something that then does itself somehow. It continues by itself. So I don't have to always be there. And that makes my music a little less egocentric. So there's more space. Also for the listener — the ear plays with these things, and you're not always being given orders. Your ear isn't given orders all the time of what to listen for."Beautifully recorded, with mastering by Rashad Becker of Dubplates and Mastering, The Golden Mean + Sheeenn feels expansive, radiant and hypnotic, opening new ears to its enduring mystery.Rrose adds this note to listeners: "Do not focus your attention on the notes being played, but on the ocean of overtones swimming, suspended, overhead, brushing against one another, kissing one another, melting into one another."(notes by Geeta Dayal)

En décembre 2011, Chilly Gonzales déménagea son piano au studio Pigalle à Paris. Tout seul pendant 10 jours durant, il enregistra une sélection de ses compositions parmi une centaine de mélodies composées depuis les 8 années qui le séparent du mythique album Solo Piano. Après des années passées à distraire son public avec sa personnalité « larger than life », à défier tous les artistes du monde, les obligeant à se surpasser pour atteindre l'excellence qu'ils doivent à leurs fans, Chilly Gonzales nous présente aujourd'hui son argument le plus persuasif : les 14 titres de Solo Piano II. La route fut riche jusqu'à Solo Piano II pour « le génie musical auto-proclamé ». Porté par une nomination Grammy et un record du monde Guinness Book du concert le plus long, Chilly Gonzales est LE pianiste sollicité par Drake, Feist, Daft Punk. et même Steve Jobs pour sa campagne mondiale pour iPad 2. À travers ses albums et tournées, Chilly fascine par sa polyvalence en tant qu'interprète et sa virtuosité en tant que pianiste. Rare est l'artiste qui fait danser son public sur les rythmes les plus branchés du moment, puis fait appel à un orchestre symphonique pour l'accompagner durant son concert de rap. Avec Solo Piano II, Chilly Gonzales se distingue une fois de plus comme un authentique « entertainer », conscient que la plus belle marque de respect pour ses fans est avant tout de « shut up and play the piano » (dixit Chilly Gonzales dans The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales, 2011)

Hania RANIEsjaGondwanaSince launching a few years back, Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records has released some terrific albums from a string of talented but often little-known artists. This brilliant set is another. It comes from Hania Rani, a pianist, composer and producer better known for her collaborative work with the likes of Christian Loffler, Dobrawa Czocher and Hior Chronik. "Esja" is Rani's solo debut and sees her sashay between atmospheric, often poignant pieces that put her impeccable piano playing at the heart of the action. It's exceedingly elegant and picturesque, with Rani's subtle use of field recordings and crackling background noise only enhancing the listening experience.