By New Releases

James Heather is a talented pianist and composer who we introduced with the first full-length Stories From Far Away On Piano. Now he has announced the release of a new EP called Modulations: EP2 which will be out on May 28th via Ahead of Our Time. According to the press release, it is a collection of original compositions, Heather’s first in 4 years, which documents his deeply personal connection to the piano. The release follows a journey from the tragic loss of his father through learning to cope, overwhelming existential rumination and ultimately, optimism; a journey which started back in 2017 and during which the piano has been ever-present.

Recorded in his homebuilt studio during lockdown, each track on ‘Modulations: EP2’ was performed in a single take and each has its roots in live improvisations. The tracks were originally conceived while touring and performing over the past few years and Heather has memorised each movement then subtly adapted adding more complexities and compositional dexterity over time. His approach to the new compositions, that he dubs ‘Pulse Music’, finds him playing freely, with no metronome or official notation to recall or dictate the piece but instead using just his muscle memory, feel and instinct to decide where each track will go.

Putting it into his own words Heather states:

“The EP is executed with the use of only solo piano and is a love story to the instrument that was my first passion, now that I finally have the piano I dreamed of! I have resisted the temptation to enter and add to the electronic music world I so adore on this release; instead, my current music acts as a lived reaction to music that is more machine than human, but not in opposition to it. To be minimalist in an age where you can do everything so easily, can also hold power, to focus on our strengths. I am still obsessed with the compositional possibilities within a raw song.” 

Check the new excerpt “Beginnings“.