ERLAND COLLABORATES WITH SCIENTISTS, NORWEGIAN GLACIAL CAVES AND MICROPHONES IN BLOCKS OF ICE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL, MINIMAL NEW 8 TRACK COMPANION PIANO EP
A SIBLING RECORD TO HIS FOLDED LANDSCAPES ALBUM
“Rather than take a piano to a glacier, I took the acoustic of that space back to my studio. I hope in these simple variations, it still retains some of its poetry” – Erland Cooper
EUROPEAN TOUR STARTS NEXT WEEK
About to embark on his European tour, composer, producer, performer and conceptual artist Erland Cooper today releases Folded Landscapes (Piano Version), the companion piano album of his latest album, via Mercury KX.
Shaped by the echoes of the glacial caves and the perspective of the ice, this sister record to the original album offers a captivating and meditative journey through music and the natural world. This companion version is a minimal and elegiac solo piano recording of the original 7 movements of his acclaimed chamber strings album earlier this year. Cooper mixed the accompanying piano pieces using the echo captured in the glacial caves of Slavbard, Norway. Scientists working on applied acoustics provided him with impulse responses, allowing him to apply the cave’s unique reverb and sustain to the piano recordings in his studio. The result is a subtle yet profound connection to the sense of place, with every reverb and sound design deriving from the essence of the cave.
“When Erland first contacted me with his idea, I was genuinely surprised, but in the most positive sense. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our scientific work find applications in unexpected areas. This interdisciplinary approach enriches both fields and opens doors for further explorations. Using the acoustic properties of caves for producing music adds a level of immersion and symbolic connection. Our work has primarily been of interest within specialized scientific circles. Now, a broader audience will get to experience and appreciate the captivating acoustics of the Svalbard glaciers and caves” Pawel Malecki, Department of Mechanics and Vibroacoustics, AGH University of Poland
Additionally, one of the microphones used for recording the piano in Erland’s studio was cased deep inside a block of ice. As the ice thawed, Cooper became intrigued by how the ice “Heard” the music, creating a unique and experimental recording process that added another layer of depth to the recording.
Erland said “One of the microphones for recording Folded Landscapes (Piano Version) was a hydrophone placed inside a block of ice. There is a poetic narrative as it thawed but I was also intrigued by the frequency response or how the ice sort of heard the music. I’m interested in the relationship between acoustic spaces, a sense of place, performance and resonance. There is a sort or poetic narrative here of course but I hope a listener enjoys these moments on a deeper level on a walk or perhaps as they work, as it slowly thaws in between things.”
The original album Folded Landscapes is a powerful chamber string work that figuratively thaws over seven movements, unfolding with electronics, poetry, soprano, piano, harpsichord, field recordings and samples. The recording process creatively followed the rising temperature of the piece from glacial to a threatening burn – musicians were recorded in sub-zero temperatures and the audio master tape was sun-burnt on the hottest day in UK history. The heat, moisture, salt and sunlight worked their way into the fabric of the tape, which has been mixed into the finished work, underscoring the work with an unsettling burn that crackles and pops.
The result of a collaboration with Scottish Ensemble, Folded Landscapes features special guests and samples from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, activist Greta Thunberg, visual artist Norman Ackroyd, and author and conservationist Dara McAnulty. Field recordings of the natural world include the California wildfires and crashing glaciers, alongside samples of news reports of Europe’s hottest day.
“If geology could speak its dreams and geography could sing in its sleep, this is what it would sound like”
Simon Armitage
Hailed as ‘nature’s songwriter’, for his work celebrating themes of the natural world, place, people and time, renowned composer, producer, performer and occasional conceptual artist Erland Cooper pushes his musical exploration of the environment into new realms with the release today of Folded Landscapes (Piano Version), the companion piano album of his latest album. Erland will also take Folded Landscapes on a European tour across November.
Listen to Erland Cooper’s ‘Aflame Feat Belle Chen (Mvt. 6)’, taken from ‘Folded Landscapes (Piano Version)’ – a duet with Australian-Taiwanese pianist Belle Chen HERE
As an artist dedicated to the environment and fostering change, Erland Cooper continues to inspire through his work. A percentage of the copyright share from Folded Landscapes will go to Brian Eno’s EarthPercent charity, symbolically embedding the planet as a stakeholder in musical creativity and directly funding organisations addressing the climate emergency.
This companion piano album provides a meditative and transformative experience for listeners seeking to explore a delicate balance between humanity and the natural environment. The album is an invitation for the listener to immerse themselves in the beauty and urgency of Cooper’s vision for this project.
Watch the video from Warming (Mvt. 5) Here.
Directed by Simon Lane, shot on Analogue 16mm film using single shot camera work.