Piano Day 2024 Free EP released 27th March 2024
A five track EP for Piano Day 2024. The first, third and fifth tracks are new, and the others are reworks of pieces from my first album, 'Lights are Very Deceptive at Night'. That album was my first using the piano as the main writing instrument, so I thought it would be interesting to revisit it. Are the new versions better? I am not sure, but they are certainly different, extra layers of melody, better production, maybe wiser. I still like the original as there is a certain interesting grittiness to that first album, and I feel that the music represents a 'me' from another time.
The poem below, by Neil McRoberts, was produced in response to the then untitled track, 'The Dancers'. I intentionally sent the music to him without any additional information, and Neil says "It was interesting to do this with no title or concept to act as a seed for the thoughts - the music really had to speak for itself."
I then wrote two new pieces in response to Neil's poem.
The Dancers
--------------------
The light ties itself in ribbons around us;
A bright beginning.
We move; a step.
Together, again, and
Find before we have turned,
Time is flowing,
Carrying all, carrying us.
We sail its ocean,
Dream the rise and fall
Of its tides,
A slow embrace with being,
A measurable knowing
Beneath the depth of the cold, still, skies
If we pause, to look behind us
The trace of footsteps
Intricate, obvious in the parted dust
Remarks our path, our choices made
What the forgetting of forever means.
A five track EP for Piano Day 2024. The first, third and fifth tracks are new, and the others are reworks of pieces from my first album, 'Lights are Very Deceptive at Night'. That album was my first using the piano as the main writing instrument, so I thought it would be interesting to revisit it. Are the new versions better? I am not sure, but they are certainly different, extra layers of melody, better production, maybe wiser. I still like the original as there is a certain interesting grittiness to that first album, and I feel that the music represents a 'me' from another time.
The poem below, by Neil McRoberts, was produced in response to the then untitled track, 'The Dancers'. I intentionally sent the music to him without any additional information, and Neil says "It was interesting to do this with no title or concept to act as a seed for the thoughts - the music really had to speak for itself."
I then wrote two new pieces in response to Neil's poem.
The Dancers
--------------------
The light ties itself in ribbons around us;
A bright beginning.
We move; a step.
Together, again, and
Find before we have turned,
Time is flowing,
Carrying all, carrying us.
We sail its ocean,
Dream the rise and fall
Of its tides,
A slow embrace with being,
A measurable knowing
Beneath the depth of the cold, still, skies
If we pause, to look behind us
The trace of footsteps
Intricate, obvious in the parted dust
Remarks our path, our choices made
What the forgetting of forever means.
The City and The Sea released 3rd August 2023
Originally produced as a commission work for Focal Point Gallery, Southend.
"Focal Point Gallery is pleased to announce the second commission as part of ‘FPG Sounds’, an online project to support the development of new sound works by artists from or based in Southend-on-Sea.
For this commission, artist Adrian Lane has composed and created a series of musical instrumentations inspired by locations, sounds and textures across Southend-on-Sea, including areas such as Priory Park, Prittle Brook, East Beach and Gunners Park. Using field recordings from each location, as well as the use of strings, flutes and ambient synth music (each performed by Lane), the work attempts to evoke the emotion and essence of each environment, explored with affection by the artist over lockdown with his family."
Originally produced as a commission work for Focal Point Gallery, Southend.
"Focal Point Gallery is pleased to announce the second commission as part of ‘FPG Sounds’, an online project to support the development of new sound works by artists from or based in Southend-on-Sea.
For this commission, artist Adrian Lane has composed and created a series of musical instrumentations inspired by locations, sounds and textures across Southend-on-Sea, including areas such as Priory Park, Prittle Brook, East Beach and Gunners Park. Using field recordings from each location, as well as the use of strings, flutes and ambient synth music (each performed by Lane), the work attempts to evoke the emotion and essence of each environment, explored with affection by the artist over lockdown with his family."
Distances collaboration with Glacis released 23rd June 2023
Stationary Travels - "Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken who makes music under the moniker of Glacis has been involved in numerous collaborations seeing release this year. All deserve to be shared, but for this modern classical foray, I highly recommend this album that just came out last month on the Oscarson label. His partner on Distances is musician & mixed-media artist Adrian Lane whose expressive, baroque-tinged bowed instruments prove an ideal complement for Glacis’ starkly melancholic piano lines."
De Subjectivisten (Netherlands) - "With the album Distances, released on the tasteful Oscarson label, two beautiful neoclassical worlds come together, namely those of Glacis and Adrian Lane. Glacis is the project of Scottish pianist/composer Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken, who can also be heard in the indie rock band The Kays Lavelle and the dark, experimental pop duo Graveyard Tapes (along with Matthew Collings). His music is often characterized by an extremely melancholy mix of ambient, piano music and neoclassical. This is also in line with the works of the British painter, visual artist and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Lane, who often makes piano-driven neoclassical with ambient, interspersed with drones, folk and all kinds of experiments. Once he played in art rock, noise and punk band Breakneck Static and is nowadays also part of the duo That Faint Light (with Guido Lusetti). He has already released about 10 albums, which, in addition to electronics, often works with violin, guitar, psaltery and sampled instruments to shape his melancholy creations. All this flows together on this new album, resulting in wonderfully melancholic and imaginative compositions. In 9 pieces of over 47 minutes long, they manage to grip you firmly with their truly paralyzing splendour. Lovers of both artists, but also those of Richard Skelton, William Ryan Fritch, Library Tapes, From The Mouth Of The Sun and A Winged Victory For The Sullen can indulge themselves. What an incredibly beautiful masterpiece."
Stationary Travels - "Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken who makes music under the moniker of Glacis has been involved in numerous collaborations seeing release this year. All deserve to be shared, but for this modern classical foray, I highly recommend this album that just came out last month on the Oscarson label. His partner on Distances is musician & mixed-media artist Adrian Lane whose expressive, baroque-tinged bowed instruments prove an ideal complement for Glacis’ starkly melancholic piano lines."
De Subjectivisten (Netherlands) - "With the album Distances, released on the tasteful Oscarson label, two beautiful neoclassical worlds come together, namely those of Glacis and Adrian Lane. Glacis is the project of Scottish pianist/composer Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken, who can also be heard in the indie rock band The Kays Lavelle and the dark, experimental pop duo Graveyard Tapes (along with Matthew Collings). His music is often characterized by an extremely melancholy mix of ambient, piano music and neoclassical. This is also in line with the works of the British painter, visual artist and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Lane, who often makes piano-driven neoclassical with ambient, interspersed with drones, folk and all kinds of experiments. Once he played in art rock, noise and punk band Breakneck Static and is nowadays also part of the duo That Faint Light (with Guido Lusetti). He has already released about 10 albums, which, in addition to electronics, often works with violin, guitar, psaltery and sampled instruments to shape his melancholy creations. All this flows together on this new album, resulting in wonderfully melancholic and imaginative compositions. In 9 pieces of over 47 minutes long, they manage to grip you firmly with their truly paralyzing splendour. Lovers of both artists, but also those of Richard Skelton, William Ryan Fritch, Library Tapes, From The Mouth Of The Sun and A Winged Victory For The Sullen can indulge themselves. What an incredibly beautiful masterpiece."
Missing The Crows released 15th October 2022
Whitelabrecs: Following last year’s release ‘The Fleet’, we welcome back UK based composer and visual artist with a new concept album. Alongside long-since sold-out The Fleet, Adrian also contributed to our Home Diaries series and has recent releases on other UK labels including Preserved Sound and Hibernate. Adrian’s sound is characterised by elegant modern classical arrangements, pairing acoustic instrument textures with a hint of electronics drawing inspiration from composers such as Jóhann Jóhannsson and Max Richter.
In ‘Missing The Crows’ we have what Adrian describes as a follow-up to The Fleet, in terms of the recording process and sound palette used, in that strings and piano dominate. Yet in this new collection of 14 pieces, there is a bit more of an emphasis on synths and light electronic effects. Neither the synthetic, nor the acoustic instrument sounds take centre stage at any given time, with the intention being to paint a coherent whole in which neither taking precedence.
The story behind the title of the album sprang up following regular walks to a local park, where there are always lots and lots of crows. This former Ministry Of Defence land by the sea wall is left to grow naturally and Adrian had decided to go there with his camera to photograph some of these crows, as source material for his visual artwork. On arrival, he realised that he should have taken his telephoto lens, as he kept missing the crows; they’d fly away before he got close enough. He returned on another occasion with the telephoto lens and managed to get some decent images and these appear in the mixed media painting in the album cover artwork.
There is a lot of negative symbolism associated with crows, but they are fascinating creatures; they are intelligent, can problem solve and warn each other of danger. The natural landscape has always been an influence on Adrian’s music and certain specific reference such as the crows appear in the tracks. In another reference, 'Godeuleum' (meaning 'Icicle' in Korean) was written when it was particularly cold, and his wife (who is Korean) used the word when pointing to them, hanging from the gutters of their home.
Whilst Adrian has never aspired to be a film composer, he does listen to a lot of film/drama soundtracks and he feels this cinematic quality comes across in the music. In film music, themes and phrases are often repeated, with melodies appearing in different forms across numerous tracks. This approach was embraced in sketching out the concept for ‘Missing The Crows’, in the hope that listeners may recognise sections of this album, building a sense of familiarity. The work is both charming and intelligent like the crow, with a character soaring high beyond the mere colour of black and its associated darkness.
Whitelabrecs: Following last year’s release ‘The Fleet’, we welcome back UK based composer and visual artist with a new concept album. Alongside long-since sold-out The Fleet, Adrian also contributed to our Home Diaries series and has recent releases on other UK labels including Preserved Sound and Hibernate. Adrian’s sound is characterised by elegant modern classical arrangements, pairing acoustic instrument textures with a hint of electronics drawing inspiration from composers such as Jóhann Jóhannsson and Max Richter.
In ‘Missing The Crows’ we have what Adrian describes as a follow-up to The Fleet, in terms of the recording process and sound palette used, in that strings and piano dominate. Yet in this new collection of 14 pieces, there is a bit more of an emphasis on synths and light electronic effects. Neither the synthetic, nor the acoustic instrument sounds take centre stage at any given time, with the intention being to paint a coherent whole in which neither taking precedence.
The story behind the title of the album sprang up following regular walks to a local park, where there are always lots and lots of crows. This former Ministry Of Defence land by the sea wall is left to grow naturally and Adrian had decided to go there with his camera to photograph some of these crows, as source material for his visual artwork. On arrival, he realised that he should have taken his telephoto lens, as he kept missing the crows; they’d fly away before he got close enough. He returned on another occasion with the telephoto lens and managed to get some decent images and these appear in the mixed media painting in the album cover artwork.
There is a lot of negative symbolism associated with crows, but they are fascinating creatures; they are intelligent, can problem solve and warn each other of danger. The natural landscape has always been an influence on Adrian’s music and certain specific reference such as the crows appear in the tracks. In another reference, 'Godeuleum' (meaning 'Icicle' in Korean) was written when it was particularly cold, and his wife (who is Korean) used the word when pointing to them, hanging from the gutters of their home.
Whilst Adrian has never aspired to be a film composer, he does listen to a lot of film/drama soundtracks and he feels this cinematic quality comes across in the music. In film music, themes and phrases are often repeated, with melodies appearing in different forms across numerous tracks. This approach was embraced in sketching out the concept for ‘Missing The Crows’, in the hope that listeners may recognise sections of this album, building a sense of familiarity. The work is both charming and intelligent like the crow, with a character soaring high beyond the mere colour of black and its associated darkness.
I Envy The Birds released 22nd May 2022
The palette of sounds on this album is quite different for me, as I usually build tracks around piano or strings and this has neither. I wanted to explore the sounds of the brass section, which I feel is rarely done in the neo-classical genre. I imagined the sound of the typically English Brass Band, often heard in traditional bandstands, re-contextualised to give a more melancholy, cinematic feel.
Music Won't Save You.Translated from Italian -
"A prolific author with a strong sensitivity, Adrian Lane has for once deliberately abandoned the usual approach focused on strings and piano to create a work instead entirely based on brass.
An imaginary Full British brass band performs the short plays of "I Envy The Birds", resulting from a measured work of filtering and manipulation of sound by the English composer, aimed at enhancing the most melancholic and cinematic aspects. The operation, certainly not common among the current neoclassical proposals, results in a sequence of airy orchestral scores, of lush lightness. "
(also published in Rockerilla #503-504, July-August 2022)
The palette of sounds on this album is quite different for me, as I usually build tracks around piano or strings and this has neither. I wanted to explore the sounds of the brass section, which I feel is rarely done in the neo-classical genre. I imagined the sound of the typically English Brass Band, often heard in traditional bandstands, re-contextualised to give a more melancholy, cinematic feel.
Music Won't Save You.Translated from Italian -
"A prolific author with a strong sensitivity, Adrian Lane has for once deliberately abandoned the usual approach focused on strings and piano to create a work instead entirely based on brass.
An imaginary Full British brass band performs the short plays of "I Envy The Birds", resulting from a measured work of filtering and manipulation of sound by the English composer, aimed at enhancing the most melancholic and cinematic aspects. The operation, certainly not common among the current neoclassical proposals, results in a sequence of airy orchestral scores, of lush lightness. "
(also published in Rockerilla #503-504, July-August 2022)
Held Together With String released 27th Feb 2022
This album came about as part of a collaboration between myself and painter, Gemma Petrie. I used four of Gemma's paintings each as the starting point for a piece of music; responding to my interpretation of the painting. I thought partly in terms of the overall mood and atmosphere and also reading each painting as a visual score, for example; certain dash like marks in the paintings became pizzicato violin parts, and wave like shapes became crescendos of strings.
After completing the four pieces of music, I sent them to Gemma and she produced a new painting in response to each track. Once she had completed these paintings, I repeated the process, producing four more pieces of music. In effect we have four pieces of music in response to paintings and then four more in response to paintings in response to the music (which sounds very confusing, but hopefully you see what I mean).
Written, performed and produced by Adrian Lane.
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong.
Cover painting 'Held Together With String' by Gemma Petrie
www.gemmapetrie.art
This album came about as part of a collaboration between myself and painter, Gemma Petrie. I used four of Gemma's paintings each as the starting point for a piece of music; responding to my interpretation of the painting. I thought partly in terms of the overall mood and atmosphere and also reading each painting as a visual score, for example; certain dash like marks in the paintings became pizzicato violin parts, and wave like shapes became crescendos of strings.
After completing the four pieces of music, I sent them to Gemma and she produced a new painting in response to each track. Once she had completed these paintings, I repeated the process, producing four more pieces of music. In effect we have four pieces of music in response to paintings and then four more in response to paintings in response to the music (which sounds very confusing, but hopefully you see what I mean).
Written, performed and produced by Adrian Lane.
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong.
Cover painting 'Held Together With String' by Gemma Petrie
www.gemmapetrie.art
The Fleet released on Whitelabrecs 28th Aug 2021
Whitelabrecs - "In summer 2020 we released Adrian Lane’s Home Diaries album ‘Indigo and Salt Peter’ and we’re now pleased to welcome him back with a new album. Adrian, from Southend-on-Sea, UK has also released music with Preserved Sound and Hibernate. His sound has been honed over many years, taking influences in from modern contemporaries such as Jóhann Jóhannsson, Philip Glass, Erik Satie and Max Richter.
Compositions begin at his home studio, using a variety of real instruments alongside virtual instruments, blended with the intention that the listener will be unable to discern which are which. For this new album ‘The Fleet’, Adrian wrote the initial compositions with a strings section as a starting point, to be the intended focal point of the album. The pieces were developed with acoustic instruments such as bowed acoustic guitar, piano, violin and bowed psaltery and variety added in the form of piano and subtle organic synths. The music was built as a collage, with layers and components arranged piece by piece. Once completed, the final presentation was cemented with the help expertise of friend and mixing engineer John Hannon, who sadly passed away recently.
Whilst this album was created as a means of escapism during lockdown rather than with an exact theme in mind, The Fleet plays out as a soundtrack experience to a film that was never written. Adrian’s walks to the sea front inevitably drew in the salty air and cloudy skies, as a nautical theme of maritime drama unfolds throughout. This melancholy epic is full of cinematic detail, telling tales of discovery, open seas, romance, tragedy, and indeed, whatever else you the listener might concoct.
The Fleet is compete, with the cover artwork and inner sleeve texture having been painted by Adrian inside his home art studio. "
Whitelabrecs - "In summer 2020 we released Adrian Lane’s Home Diaries album ‘Indigo and Salt Peter’ and we’re now pleased to welcome him back with a new album. Adrian, from Southend-on-Sea, UK has also released music with Preserved Sound and Hibernate. His sound has been honed over many years, taking influences in from modern contemporaries such as Jóhann Jóhannsson, Philip Glass, Erik Satie and Max Richter.
Compositions begin at his home studio, using a variety of real instruments alongside virtual instruments, blended with the intention that the listener will be unable to discern which are which. For this new album ‘The Fleet’, Adrian wrote the initial compositions with a strings section as a starting point, to be the intended focal point of the album. The pieces were developed with acoustic instruments such as bowed acoustic guitar, piano, violin and bowed psaltery and variety added in the form of piano and subtle organic synths. The music was built as a collage, with layers and components arranged piece by piece. Once completed, the final presentation was cemented with the help expertise of friend and mixing engineer John Hannon, who sadly passed away recently.
Whilst this album was created as a means of escapism during lockdown rather than with an exact theme in mind, The Fleet plays out as a soundtrack experience to a film that was never written. Adrian’s walks to the sea front inevitably drew in the salty air and cloudy skies, as a nautical theme of maritime drama unfolds throughout. This melancholy epic is full of cinematic detail, telling tales of discovery, open seas, romance, tragedy, and indeed, whatever else you the listener might concoct.
The Fleet is compete, with the cover artwork and inner sleeve texture having been painted by Adrian inside his home art studio. "
Slow Autumn At My Window released on Preserved Sound May 2nd 2021
Music Won't Save You: "Although once again the piano is the engine of Lane's inspiration, in the pieces of "Slow Autumn At My Window" it often assumes a secluded position, as a discreet thread on which a variety of real sounds are grafted, originating from the vibrations of the bow (not only on the violin, but also on guitar and psaltery), or the result of samples and electronic manipulation. The continuous recombination of elements unfolded along the course of the twenty-one tracks, however, results in an itinerary of reflective and, as the title suggests, autumnal sensations, oriented to a serene and subtly melancholy contemplation, which elevates arcane romanticism to an ever so cohesive expressive code of harmonic arabesques suspended in an “elsewhere” with an enchanted charm." (translated from Italian)
Music Won't Save You: "Although once again the piano is the engine of Lane's inspiration, in the pieces of "Slow Autumn At My Window" it often assumes a secluded position, as a discreet thread on which a variety of real sounds are grafted, originating from the vibrations of the bow (not only on the violin, but also on guitar and psaltery), or the result of samples and electronic manipulation. The continuous recombination of elements unfolded along the course of the twenty-one tracks, however, results in an itinerary of reflective and, as the title suggests, autumnal sensations, oriented to a serene and subtly melancholy contemplation, which elevates arcane romanticism to an ever so cohesive expressive code of harmonic arabesques suspended in an “elsewhere” with an enchanted charm." (translated from Italian)
Ennio's Muse by Various Artists released on Whitelabrecs January 30th 2021
I composed a track for this compilation on Whitelabrecs, the intention was to write something with a very cinematic feel.
"Ennio’s Muse is a digital compilation album released by British record label Whitelabrecs, as a means to generate funds and interest into an ambitious project called Return to Sea and Sardinia. 2021 marks 100 years since D.H Lawrence’s travel book ‘Sea and Sardinia’, in which he documented his travels from Sicily, through the Mediterranean Sea and up through Sardinia, before returning to his Sicilian home.
In Return to Sea and Sardinia, photographer and film maker Daniele Marzeddu plans to retrace Lawrence’s steps, a full century on since the original voyage. The journey will be captured through photography and a documentary film, which will be scored by anonymous composer Glåsbird. This ambitious plan is currently underway as we all work together to hopefully obtain the funding needed to realise it.
Whitelabrecs have decided to curate a digital compilation, in which all proceeds will be donated to Return to Sea and Sardinia for a period of 12 months. The album is themed on cinematic scoring, inspired by the late great Ennio Morricone and throwing forward the themes of Mediterranean travel that lie ahead. The artists invited have been asked to produce a piece of music, as if they are scoring for an imaginary film. The result is a series of dream-infused pieces, in which you can expect modern classical composition and ambient moods, all draped under a clear-night-sky canopy of stars. The artists each pull in their own direction but collectively, Ennio’s Muse is bound as a cohesive whole which plays out like a movie."
I composed a track for this compilation on Whitelabrecs, the intention was to write something with a very cinematic feel.
"Ennio’s Muse is a digital compilation album released by British record label Whitelabrecs, as a means to generate funds and interest into an ambitious project called Return to Sea and Sardinia. 2021 marks 100 years since D.H Lawrence’s travel book ‘Sea and Sardinia’, in which he documented his travels from Sicily, through the Mediterranean Sea and up through Sardinia, before returning to his Sicilian home.
In Return to Sea and Sardinia, photographer and film maker Daniele Marzeddu plans to retrace Lawrence’s steps, a full century on since the original voyage. The journey will be captured through photography and a documentary film, which will be scored by anonymous composer Glåsbird. This ambitious plan is currently underway as we all work together to hopefully obtain the funding needed to realise it.
Whitelabrecs have decided to curate a digital compilation, in which all proceeds will be donated to Return to Sea and Sardinia for a period of 12 months. The album is themed on cinematic scoring, inspired by the late great Ennio Morricone and throwing forward the themes of Mediterranean travel that lie ahead. The artists invited have been asked to produce a piece of music, as if they are scoring for an imaginary film. The result is a series of dream-infused pieces, in which you can expect modern classical composition and ambient moods, all draped under a clear-night-sky canopy of stars. The artists each pull in their own direction but collectively, Ennio’s Muse is bound as a cohesive whole which plays out like a movie."
Home Diaries by Various Artists released January 23rd 2021
A track of mine from Indigo And Salt Peter included on this compilation. I also produced the painting for the cover based on the photo used on the original Home Diaries series.
"It’s fair to say that the events of the year 2020 will go down as quite a year and may form a large part of the history curriculum for the children of tomorrow. The pandemic is of course just part of the story, against a backdrop of political unrest, climate change and injustice too.
Whitelabrecs was affected with the closure of our local post office, meaning we were unable to ship our CDs. We also felt we had a duty not to hold up a queue of people and decided to stop production of our catalog. During that time, to make sure we still had a label left to return to, we launched the ambitious Home Diaries series. It ran for 3 months and in that relatively short space of time, the series reached 30 releases!
Home Diaries was an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrayed their own reflections uniquely, available as a digital only edition including a bonus interview and photos.
Each of the 30 digital editions in the Home Diaries series is an individual work of art, created to share the varying experiences felt by each artist.
This compilation album pulls together a track from each record, sequenced in a way that flows as a specially curated environment, over the course of two CDs. We have two versions available as follows:
A standard edition, which is a double-disc gatefold vinyl-effect CDr album, featuring a re-interpretation of the original cover artwork, painted by Adrian Lane."
A track of mine from Indigo And Salt Peter included on this compilation. I also produced the painting for the cover based on the photo used on the original Home Diaries series.
"It’s fair to say that the events of the year 2020 will go down as quite a year and may form a large part of the history curriculum for the children of tomorrow. The pandemic is of course just part of the story, against a backdrop of political unrest, climate change and injustice too.
Whitelabrecs was affected with the closure of our local post office, meaning we were unable to ship our CDs. We also felt we had a duty not to hold up a queue of people and decided to stop production of our catalog. During that time, to make sure we still had a label left to return to, we launched the ambitious Home Diaries series. It ran for 3 months and in that relatively short space of time, the series reached 30 releases!
Home Diaries was an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrayed their own reflections uniquely, available as a digital only edition including a bonus interview and photos.
Each of the 30 digital editions in the Home Diaries series is an individual work of art, created to share the varying experiences felt by each artist.
This compilation album pulls together a track from each record, sequenced in a way that flows as a specially curated environment, over the course of two CDs. We have two versions available as follows:
A standard edition, which is a double-disc gatefold vinyl-effect CDr album, featuring a re-interpretation of the original cover artwork, painted by Adrian Lane."
Lekko Sketches Vol 3 released on December 4th 2020
The third instalment of my Lekko Sketches series. As with the others the tracks are based around the warm sound of a felted upright piano, with lo-fi electronics and this album also includes electric guitar. The electronics are more prominent on this album with overdriven synths taking the lead at times.
As with the other Lekko Sketches albums, this album reflects times living under restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and I wanted these albums to have the warmth and immediacy of home-recordings. I record the bulk of my music at home, but for the albums released on other labels (Preserved Sound, Whitelabrecs) I mix at a professional studio with the help of a professional engineer. For the Lekko Sketches series I decided to do everything myself, which allows the shortest amount of time between composing the track and releasing it. That way the pieces would be able to be experienced in the times that they were written (although hopefully they will also be listened to long after the pandemic is over).
The third instalment of my Lekko Sketches series. As with the others the tracks are based around the warm sound of a felted upright piano, with lo-fi electronics and this album also includes electric guitar. The electronics are more prominent on this album with overdriven synths taking the lead at times.
As with the other Lekko Sketches albums, this album reflects times living under restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and I wanted these albums to have the warmth and immediacy of home-recordings. I record the bulk of my music at home, but for the albums released on other labels (Preserved Sound, Whitelabrecs) I mix at a professional studio with the help of a professional engineer. For the Lekko Sketches series I decided to do everything myself, which allows the shortest amount of time between composing the track and releasing it. That way the pieces would be able to be experienced in the times that they were written (although hopefully they will also be listened to long after the pandemic is over).
Lekko Sketches Vol 2 released on October 23rd 2020
Here is the next edition of what I have now decided will be a series, Lekko Sketches Vol 2. The first 'Lekko Sketches' was produced during lockdown in spring 2020. At the time of writing many of us are again finding ourselves facing increasing restrictions, so it seemed appropriate to revisit the approach, with intimate warm upright piano and lo-fi electronics, this time with the addition of the sound of brass and wind instruments on many tracks. Because of the situation, I find myself with more time to write and am producing more than I can realistically hope to get released by labels (although I have new albums coming soon on Preserved Sound and Whitelabrecs). I have therefore decided to make the Lekko Sketches series solely for release on my own page on Bandcamp. I hope you like it.
The cover was made with photographs I took many years ago, in the village where I grew up. I developed the photographs in the darkroom and purposely left them in the fixative way too long, so that the chemical started burning into the image leaving interesting marks and stains.
Here is the next edition of what I have now decided will be a series, Lekko Sketches Vol 2. The first 'Lekko Sketches' was produced during lockdown in spring 2020. At the time of writing many of us are again finding ourselves facing increasing restrictions, so it seemed appropriate to revisit the approach, with intimate warm upright piano and lo-fi electronics, this time with the addition of the sound of brass and wind instruments on many tracks. Because of the situation, I find myself with more time to write and am producing more than I can realistically hope to get released by labels (although I have new albums coming soon on Preserved Sound and Whitelabrecs). I have therefore decided to make the Lekko Sketches series solely for release on my own page on Bandcamp. I hope you like it.
The cover was made with photographs I took many years ago, in the village where I grew up. I developed the photographs in the darkroom and purposely left them in the fixative way too long, so that the chemical started burning into the image leaving interesting marks and stains.
Indigo And Salt Peter: Home Diaries 23 released on June 15th 2020
Whitelabrecs: Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.
For this edition, we welcome Southend-on-Sea, UK's Adrian Lane, who has released much of his recent work on the Preserved Sound label. Some of you may also have noticed his EP Atlas Browsing for Hibernate's Two Point Six Challenge. Adrian is an art teacher and has moved his classes online which he runs from the home he shares with his wife and two children. This has cut out his commute to work and saved 10 hours a week as well as additional energy which he uses to spend his spare time painting or working on music.
Adrian's recent work has largely been focused around the piano but in his Home Diaries record, Adrian decided to focus on strings and combined his acoustic instruments such as violin and bowed guitar and psaltery with orchestral MIDI libraries for Kontakt. He wanted to tread the line between the real and the synthetic so that this would be difficult to discern for the listener. The result is a form of Neo Classical composition which feels both modern and traditional, weaving stories that reflect the restrictions of the pandemic, the positivity born from spending time creatively and with family and also, a series of dreams.
Drifting, Almost Falling - "I’ve been gladly following Adrian Lane’s career now since his first release on Preserved Sound back in 2013. Each release is fully formed with a great attention to detail and this eight track, twenty four minute release entitled “Indigo And Salt Peter” is no exception. The part in the above press quote about trading the line between real and synthetic and making it difficult to discern to the listener is correct. This feels as if it was recorded in a world class studio with an string ensemble. Lane’s pieces have this ability to play with light and shade and notions of romance in music. The move away from piano to more string based instruments or sounds is an inspired one as the music is quite magical."
Whitelabrecs: Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.
For this edition, we welcome Southend-on-Sea, UK's Adrian Lane, who has released much of his recent work on the Preserved Sound label. Some of you may also have noticed his EP Atlas Browsing for Hibernate's Two Point Six Challenge. Adrian is an art teacher and has moved his classes online which he runs from the home he shares with his wife and two children. This has cut out his commute to work and saved 10 hours a week as well as additional energy which he uses to spend his spare time painting or working on music.
Adrian's recent work has largely been focused around the piano but in his Home Diaries record, Adrian decided to focus on strings and combined his acoustic instruments such as violin and bowed guitar and psaltery with orchestral MIDI libraries for Kontakt. He wanted to tread the line between the real and the synthetic so that this would be difficult to discern for the listener. The result is a form of Neo Classical composition which feels both modern and traditional, weaving stories that reflect the restrictions of the pandemic, the positivity born from spending time creatively and with family and also, a series of dreams.
Drifting, Almost Falling - "I’ve been gladly following Adrian Lane’s career now since his first release on Preserved Sound back in 2013. Each release is fully formed with a great attention to detail and this eight track, twenty four minute release entitled “Indigo And Salt Peter” is no exception. The part in the above press quote about trading the line between real and synthetic and making it difficult to discern to the listener is correct. This feels as if it was recorded in a world class studio with an string ensemble. Lane’s pieces have this ability to play with light and shade and notions of romance in music. The move away from piano to more string based instruments or sounds is an inspired one as the music is quite magical."
Atlas Browsing released on June 5th 2020
Originally released on Hibernate Recordings as part of their 2.6 challenge series. These 10 tracks were all written, recorded and produced over a period of two weeks during lock-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and each piece was a response to the feelings arising from the situation.
The album is built around the warm sound of a felted upright piano, with the addition of saturated electronics and, on some tracks, wordless vocals.
"Also appearing on the Whitelabrecs Home Diaries series, UK-based visual artist and musician Adrian Lane here offers a collection of ten compositions and vignettes on piano & electronics with several pieces featuring vocals from multi-instrumentalist and singer Ozlem Simsek. Evocative and quite charming in a melancholic vein." - Stationary Travels
Originally released on Hibernate Recordings as part of their 2.6 challenge series. These 10 tracks were all written, recorded and produced over a period of two weeks during lock-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and each piece was a response to the feelings arising from the situation.
The album is built around the warm sound of a felted upright piano, with the addition of saturated electronics and, on some tracks, wordless vocals.
"Also appearing on the Whitelabrecs Home Diaries series, UK-based visual artist and musician Adrian Lane here offers a collection of ten compositions and vignettes on piano & electronics with several pieces featuring vocals from multi-instrumentalist and singer Ozlem Simsek. Evocative and quite charming in a melancholic vein." - Stationary Travels
Lekko Sketches released on May 2nd 2020
New album Lekko Sketches out now, This album was written and recorded whilst in lockdown during the covid-19 crisis. I have tried to keep a positive frame of mind and remain largely optimistic in these difficult times, and have dealt with the situation through music. One positive aspect of the situation for me is that I have a lot more time to produce music and have been very productive with several potential albums on the way, each with a slightly different feel and instrumental palette. With this album, I wanted the music to be intimate and to sound like it was recorded at home and focused on a warm sounding upright piano with tape saturated electronics and field recordings.
"Rarely has music managed to translate a fleeting impression like these eight tracks. Hesitating constantly between contrary attractions, a desire to dilute in silence but also a desire to stretch in the sky, Lekko Sketches revives this strange state of torpor in which we immerse ourseleves in our sleepy cities" - Greg Bod (Benzine Magazine)
New album Lekko Sketches out now, This album was written and recorded whilst in lockdown during the covid-19 crisis. I have tried to keep a positive frame of mind and remain largely optimistic in these difficult times, and have dealt with the situation through music. One positive aspect of the situation for me is that I have a lot more time to produce music and have been very productive with several potential albums on the way, each with a slightly different feel and instrumental palette. With this album, I wanted the music to be intimate and to sound like it was recorded at home and focused on a warm sounding upright piano with tape saturated electronics and field recordings.
"Rarely has music managed to translate a fleeting impression like these eight tracks. Hesitating constantly between contrary attractions, a desire to dilute in silence but also a desire to stretch in the sky, Lekko Sketches revives this strange state of torpor in which we immerse ourseleves in our sleepy cities" - Greg Bod (Benzine Magazine)
I Have Promises To Keep released on January 25, 2019
"Talent, in tandem with creativity create sweet harmonic piano-centric vibes (as often reflected within Preserved Sound’s talented roster of strong artist signings). It’s quite amazing to experience the diverse piano melodies that Lane is able to create throughout a 53 minute masterpiece of works." writes Ambiance Glitters
"Talent, in tandem with creativity create sweet harmonic piano-centric vibes (as often reflected within Preserved Sound’s talented roster of strong artist signings). It’s quite amazing to experience the diverse piano melodies that Lane is able to create throughout a 53 minute masterpiece of works." writes Ambiance Glitters
Playing With Ghosts released on August 18, 2017
British composer Adrian Lane uses 100-year-old cylinder recordings as the starting point for his new album Playing With Ghosts.
British composer Adrian Lane uses 100-year-old cylinder recordings as the starting point for his new album Playing With Ghosts.
On his new album Playing With Ghosts, Adrian Lane uses 100-year-old cylinder recordings as the starting point for new compositions – chopping them up, reordering them and playing along to build up a series of completely new compositions. “I’ve always liked the idea of collage and often include this in my visual art,” says Adrian. “So I wanted to do something that incorporated this approach in my music.”
While the concept of Playing With Ghosts is similar to James Leyland Kirby’s The Caretaker project, Adrian uses the cylinder recordings to build up each piece so that it bears little resemblance to the original. “If there is any kind of concept to the album it probably centres around the way sound can change over time and as well as people’s perception of the sound. These recordings have obviously deteriorated a lot over the 100 or so years that they have existed, and this has brought out new qualities."
Playing With Ghosts is Adrian Lane’s fourth album on Preserved Sound, and the follow up to Branches Never Remember.
While the concept of Playing With Ghosts is similar to James Leyland Kirby’s The Caretaker project, Adrian uses the cylinder recordings to build up each piece so that it bears little resemblance to the original. “If there is any kind of concept to the album it probably centres around the way sound can change over time and as well as people’s perception of the sound. These recordings have obviously deteriorated a lot over the 100 or so years that they have existed, and this has brought out new qualities."
Playing With Ghosts is Adrian Lane’s fourth album on Preserved Sound, and the follow up to Branches Never Remember.
