[Photo credit: Matthew Parri Thomas]
Tom Rogerson is pleased to share a new track “March Away,” taken from his forthcoming debut album entitled Finding Shore – a collaboration with Brian Eno – out December 8thon Dead Oceans. A perfect example of the studio setting the two artists worked within – Tom improvising at the piano and Brian twisting those signals with the Moog Piano Bar – the track is a prime introduction to this unique release.To accompany the track’s release, a live studio version of the track is also available. Directed by Robert Sieg and shot in Berlin, the performance beautifully illustrates the processes Rogerson and Eno used to create the original work.
Finding Shore is the sound of Rogerson distilling the essence of what he does after a protracted musical journey from childhood until now. As a 17-year-old he had the odd contrast of being taught by the composer Harrison Birtwistle but also working as lounge pianist in a dilapidated hotel in Peterborough. He then spent some time in New York playing jazz, recording with Reid Anderson of The Bad Plus, and had a successful career with post-rock group Three Trapped Tigers, yet however enjoyable that experience was, he admits it was “definitely a diversionary tactic.” Everything seemed to be an escape from the classical world or, as Rogerson himself puts it, “falling out of my ivory tower very slowly.”
After a chance meeting with Brian Eno, the two began to collaborate. Eno’s influence on Finding Shore began by enabling Rogerson to overcome his fear of committing any one piece to its own album. As a way to open Rogerson up, Eno suggested they try experimenting with the Piano Bar, an obscure piece of Moog gear that works by using infrared beams focused on each piano key; these are then broken as the keys are played, transforming the piano’s note into a midi signal that can then be used to trigger or generate new, digital sound. As Rogerson improvised at the piano, Eno improvised with the midi signal to create a unique piece of music.
Watch video for “March Away” –
https://youtu.be/jGHlez90VZ8
Listen to “Idea of Order at Kyson Point” –
https://youtu.be/UZri_BOuRy0
Listen to “Motion in Field” –
https://youtu.be/SroYdHuv9z8
Pre-order Finding Shore:
https://tomrogerson.lnk.to/FindingShore
Keep your mind open.
[Find updates in your e-mail inbox by subscribing.] |
