SCHÖLPEN, THILO - OPIUM (CD)

"Opium comprises ten piano pieces that cannot be clearly classified within any single genre, but which can be aptly described as 'neo-avant-garde'. Opium is conceived like a pop album: short pieces, each of which opens up its own self-contained sonic world. In doing so, they do not follow conventional structures of melody and harmony, but rather develop from noises and everyday sounds - such as the wind in the leaves of trees, boats lapping against the jetty with the waves, engine noises, shimmering and rustling. Thilo Schölpen uses the piano less as a melodic instrument than as a sound generator - to create textures, vibrations and resonances. Dissonant intervals in the lower register give rise to overtones that have an electronic quality; rapidly played sequences of notes can also evoke this impression. The piano sound takes on an orchestral quality and condenses into expansive soundscapes. The album title Opium alludes to the subtle intoxicating quality of this music: the pleasure of the unknown, the encounter with one's own unconscious, the poetry of transience and hidden fantasies. Through his music, Schölpen places the piano within a context of contemporary music, jazz, improvisation, neoclassical and pop-cultural trends. A neo-avant-garde sound aesthetic with a touch of pop, played classically on an acoustic instrument. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)" (label info)