Nils frahm- All Melody

Nils Frahm & Ólafur Arnalds album “trance friendz” was my album of the year in 2016. It managed to capture the musical creative process in its most raw and organic form and did so with style and beauty.

Nils Frahm always manages to achieve this quality his work. Although reasonably minimal in composition every instrument (even the electronic ones) sound like they naturally fit in the world of the album. This comes from the careful and considerate use of equipment from the instruments and rooms recorded to the microphones, pre-amps and methods of recording used.

In production circles the term “analogue warmth” is always banded around as a goal. The gold seal of substance in an increasingly digital world. “All Melody” doesn’t just have analogue warmth it oozes it out of every pour.

This album was recorded in his new studio. Built in part of the Berlin Funkhaus. The old GDR state radio building constructed with a focus on acoustics. He recorded the instruments in this space with equipment either sourced or hand built specifically for the task of creating this album. It leaves the recordings with an exceptional quality of a master craftsmen and like anything well made there is always beauty in its simplicity.

Solo pieces like “my friend the forest” wouldn’t work in other producers/players hands. But Nils piano playing and style of recording puts you in the room, you hear the creaking of the piano, the sound of the hammers and keys being pressed and it adds a layer of emotional weight and depth to the track that elevates it to something far greater.

The same applies when tracks increase in scale. They never go larger than small chamber pieces; blending choirs, strings and brass with keys. But they always feel organic; as if the musicians played together in the room, recorded in a way that brings an intimacy to the pieces, allowing the listener to feel like they’re part of the performance.

“All Melody” continues to show the exceptional quality’s of Nils Frahm as a composer, musician and producer. like the rest of his catalog I will continue to listen to it for many years to come and look forward to his future works. He’s proved my devotion with another collection of atmospheric and beautiful tracks that deserve anyone’s attention.