My First Piano book
“Welcome to Earth”
I never thought I would ever write a piano book. My focus was always on being a good pianist and as a composer I focused on other instruments in order to avoid preconceptions, a way to escape my own virtuosity. I merely used the piano as a “found sound” in my electronic compositiions. But working with the theater group “Dender”, we focused on the piano for our new theater play called “De Verdraaide Orgelman” (“The Twisted Organ-player”) and I started writing short piano pieces for certain scenes of the play. Later on, I realized I have enough material for 10 piano pieces and I thought to give a proper end to each of the pieces. I contacted my good friend Nickolas from Editions Musica Ferrum - a modern publishing house for piano books that I use often in my lessons - and I asked him if he was interested to publish it. His reply was very enthousiastic and I’m so excited with the result, such a beautiful edition with a unique cover!
The book is dedicated to my little boy Aster, who was a few months old when this book came out. He was my constant inspiration when composing the music. And of course to my beloved partner Samantha for her dedication, support and love.
You can now order the book online here: Welcome to Earth
You can listen to the midi piano recording of each piece and follow the score here below.
New Album ‘Abstractions’
In the beginning of 2023, my big love for experimental minimal/abstract techno was calling and I’ve produced a few tracks for the anarchist sm-ll label based in London. That led me into a different path of rhythmical explorations and the limits of rhythm perception. An article from the Bill Orcutt (‘The Anxiety of Symmetry’, from ‘Spectres III’ collection of articles, released by Shelter Press) triggered an idea to start experimenting with intense repetition of sequences, something that I consciously avoided using the modular system. My ultimate goal was clear: “bypass consciousness and stop time”.
The 4 tracks of “Abstractions” are using the same fundamental elements: 4 sequenced tracks of sine waves being filtered and enveloped in a slightly different way to create the illusion of polyphony. All sequences are identical but I’m using psychoacoustic techniques in order to fool the brain that there is more variation involved. Additionally, I’m using polyrhythms to escape the brutality of repetition. Sometimes. And then again, I’m deploying delay lines and reverberated spaces in order to blur and disorientate the listening experience even further.
The music should work as an abstraction from all this information. It should suggest a state of being that is no longer needed to be conscious of the listening activity. It demands a certain type of automated awareness where the act of listening becomes an act of life. You just are and you are present. And that’s enough.
LISTEN HERE