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Nils Frahm

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Nils Frahm
Nils Frahm (2015)
Frahm in 2015
Background information
Born(1982-09-20)20 September 1982(age 42)
OriginHamburg,West Germany
GenresContemporary classical,ambient,electronic
LabelsErased Tapes
Websitenilsfrahm
Signature

Nils Frahm(born 20 September 1982) is a German musician, composer, and record producer based inBerlin.He is known for combining classical and electronic music and for an unconventional approach to the piano in which he mixes a grand piano, upright piano,Roland Juno-60,Rhodes piano,drum machines, andMoog Taurus.

In addition to his solo work, Frahm has released collaborations with such notable performers asÓlafur Arnalds,F. S. Blumm,Anne Müller andWoodkid.With Frederic Gmeiner and Sebastian Singwald he records and performs as Nonkeen.[1]

Biography

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Frahm had an early introduction to music. His father, Klaus Frahm, was a photographer who also designed covers forECM Records.[2]He grew up nearHamburg,where he learned the styles of the classical pianists as well as contemporary composers.[3]At school he used mi xing boards and was very interested in the quality of recorded sound.[4]He studied classical piano for 8 years under Nahum Brodsky, the protégé of the protégé ofTchaikovsky,[5]who lived in a neighbouring village. In 2006, rather than pursue an orchestra career, Frahm moved to Berlin as a jobbing technician.[6]

Frahm's earlier solo piano worksWintermusik(2009) andThe Bells(2009) gained him attention, but it was his 2011 releaseFeltthat was met with critical acclaim. It was his first studio album onErased Tapes,which has released his music since. It was followed by the solo synthesizer EPJuno;and byScrews(2012), recorded while Frahm was recovering from a thumb injury, and which was offered as a free download to fans on his birthday.[7]His follow-up toJuno,titledJuno Reworked(2013), featured guest reworks byLuke AbbottandChris Clark.

Frahm's albumSpaces(2013) was made of live recordings from various venues spanning two years.[2]

In December 2013, Frahm released his first music book,Sheets Eins(Sheets One), published by Manners McDade.[8]In 2016 the follow-upSheets Zweiwas released.[9]

In 2014, Frahm announced his new piano "Una Corda",specially designed and made for him byDavid Klavins.It weighs under 100 kg and has one string per key.[10](Standard pianos have from one to three strings per key.)

His albumSolo(2015), an improvised single take with no overdubs, was later recorded on the "Modell 370",a 370 cm high vertical piano also made by David Klavins.[11]It was one of 19 records nominated for the IMPALA Album of the Year Award.[12]

A condensed version of Frahm's single "More" was featured in the trailer for the video gameAssassin's Creed UnityatGamescom.[13]

In 2015, Frahm composed his first original film score, for the German filmVictoria,a 140-minute continuous take directed bySebastian Schipper.[14]He also collaborated with Woodkid on the critically acclaimed short filmELLIS[15]directed byJRwhich was released in October 2015.

In the same year, Frahm created "Piano Day", celebrated on the 88th day of the year (due to the standard piano's 88 keys). The event's first project was the construction, with David Klavins, of the Modell 450 piano, the successor to the Modell 370.

In February 2016, Frahm releasedThe Gamble,followed by its companion releaseOddments of the Gamblein August 2016.[1]Pitchforkdescribed the album as "charmingly patched together and messy as it is well-paced and dynamic".[16]The material was recorded over eight years while the artwork was produced by Frahm's father.[17]

In 2016 Frahm curatedPossibly Collidingat theBarbican Centrein London, featuring a weekend of music, art and films.[18]

"I'm interested in how human beings react in certain situations, and what music does to people's emotions. How we can change people's attitudes with tones. After I've played a good concert, people leave the room happy. This is something we can give back to the world. When people feel down and like it's all going to shit, at least we can give them some music and change their attitude so people don't think it's all shit... That's my religion."[4] — Frahm

Equipment

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Nils Frahm and the Una Corda (front), Roland Juno-60 (behind him), Fender Rhodes (under the Juno-60), Roland RE-501 (on top behind the Juno-60), Moog Taurus (on the floor behind him) and other equipment.

Frahm is known for using vintage gear on his songs and live performances. This is a list of some of his main equipment:[19]

Discography

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Solo albums

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  • Streichelfisch(2005, AtelierMusik)
  • Electric Piano(2008, AtelierMusik)
  • The Bells(2009, Kning Disk,Erased Tapes)
  • Felt(2011, Erased Tapes)
  • Screws(2012, Erased Tapes)
  • Spaces(2013, Erased Tapes)
  • Solo(2015, Erased Tapes)
  • All Melody(2018, Erased Tapes)
  • All Encores(2019, Erased Tapes)
  • Empty(2020, Erased Tapes)
  • Tripping with Nils Frahm(2020, Erased Tapes)
  • Graz(2021, Erased Tapes)[20][21]
  • Old Friends New Friends(2021, Leiter)[22]
  • Music for Animals(2022, Leiter)
  • Day(2024, Leiter)[23]

EPs

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  • My First EP(2008, AtelierMusik)
  • Wintermusik(2009, AtelierMusik)
  • Unter/Über(2010, Erased Tapes)
  • Juno(2011, Erased Tapes)
  • Encores 1(2018, Erased Tapes)
  • Encores 2(2019, Erased Tapes)[24]
  • Encores 3(2019, Erased Tapes)

Compilation albums

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Soundtrack albums

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  • Music for the Motion Picture Victoria(2015, Erased Tapes)
  • ELLIS(2016, Erased Tapes, with Woodkid)

Collaborations

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  • Dauw (Split)(2009, Dekorder, withMachinefabriek)
  • Music for lovers Music versus time(2010, Sonic Pieces, withF.S. Blumm)
  • 7Fingers(2010, HUSH, Erased Tapes, with Anne Müller)
  • Mort Aux Vaches(2011, Staalplaat, withPeter Broderick,Machinefabriek,Romke Kleefstra,Anne-Chris Bakker, Jan Kleefstra)
  • Wonders(2011, Erased Tapes, as Oliveray withPeter Broderick)
  • Stare(2012, Erased Tapes, withÓlafur Arnalds)
  • Music for wobbling Music versus gravity(2013, Sonic Pieces, with F.S. Blumm)
  • Life Story Love And Glory(Erased Tapes, with Ólafur Arnalds)
  • Loon(2015, Erased Tapes, with Ólafur Arnalds)
  • Collaborative Works(2015, Erased Tapes, with Ólafur Arnalds)
  • Trance Frendz(2016, Erased Tapes, with Ólafur Arnalds)
  • The Gamble(2016, Durton Studio, with Frederic Gmeiner and Sebastian Singwald)
  • Tag Eins Tag Zwei(2016, Sonic Pieces, with F.S.Blumm)
  • Bergschrund(2016,Mass Appeal,withDJ Shadow)
  • 2X1=4(2021. Leiter, with F.S. Blumm)[25]
  • Rules(2022. Leiter, withHolland Andrews)

Theatre collaborations

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Film

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  • Tripping with Nils Frahm(2020, recorded from live performances at Funkhaus Berlin, directed by Benoit Toulemonde)[26]

Print

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  • Sheets Eins(2013, Manners Mcdade/Erased Tapes)
  • Sheets Zwei(2016, Manners Mcdade/Erased Tapes)
  • Sheets Drei(2021, LEITER/Manners McDade)[22][27]

References

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  1. ^abSimpson, Paul."Nonkeen | Biography & History".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2016.Retrieved8 August2016.
  2. ^abAndrew Male (9 October 2013)."Nils Frahm Flaunts the Imperfection".Mojo Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 14 July 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  3. ^Rachel Wakefield (30 April 2010).""The music I play inspires my life": Nils Frahm ".Wessex Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 14 July 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  4. ^ab"The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | The Listener Is The Key: Nils Frahm Interviewed".The Quietus.
  5. ^"Nils Frahm review – neoclassicism with knobs on".The Guardian.The Guardian.Retrieved24 July2023.
  6. ^Jones, Charlie Robin (28 June 2016)."Nils Frahm: 'My music can be quite heavy. Some people faint'".the Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2018.Retrieved25 February2018.
  7. ^Ro Cemm (6 December 2013)."Album Reviews: Nils Frahm - Screws".The Line of Best Fit.Archivedfrom the original on 14 July 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  8. ^"SHEETS by Nils Frahm".Archivedfrom the original on 14 July 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  9. ^SHEETS ZWEI by Nils Frahm.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved8 March2017.
  10. ^Peter Kirn (16 June 2014)."Acoustic Revelation: Inside the Una Corda, the 100kg, 21st Century Piano Built for Nils Frahm".Create Digital Music.Archivedfrom the original on 27 June 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  11. ^"SOLO | Nils Frahm".nilsfrahm.Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2017.Retrieved8 March2017.
  12. ^"Young labels featured in shortlist for IMPALA Album of the Year Award".sur impalamusic.org.Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2016.Retrieved13 May2016.
  13. ^"'Assassin's Creed: Unity:' Brand New Trailer Released At Gamescom 2014 [VIDEO] ".15 August 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2017.Retrieved8 August2016.
  14. ^"Music for the Motion Picture Victoria | Nils Frahm".nilsfrahm.Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2017.Retrieved8 March2017.
  15. ^"ELLIS".ellis-themovie.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2017.Retrieved8 March2017.
  16. ^Cook-Wilson, Winston (9 February 2016)."nonkeen: The Gamble Album Review | Pitchfork".pitchfork.Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2016.Retrieved8 August2016.
  17. ^"Friends First: An Interview with nonkeen".thefourohfive.Archived fromthe originalon 3 August 2016.Retrieved8 August2016.
  18. ^"Possibly Colliding: a weekend curated by Nils Frahm".Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2018.Retrieved18 October2018.
  19. ^Inc., Equipboard."Nils Frahm's Equipboard".Equipboard.Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2017.Retrieved8 March2017.{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)
  20. ^"Nils Frahm Surprise Releases New Album in Honor of World Piano Day".undertheradarmag.
  21. ^Bloom, Madison (28 March 2020)."Nils Frahm Shares New AlbumEmpty:Listen ".Pitchfork.Archivedfrom the original on 28 March 2020.Retrieved29 March2020.
  22. ^ab"Old Friends New Friends & Sheets Drei out now | Nils Frahm".Retrieved21 January2022.
  23. ^"Nils Frahm releases «Day», an album of six solo piano pieces |".
  24. ^"Encores 2 – EP by Nils Frahm on Apple Music".Apple Music.Archivedfrom the original on 25 January 2019.Retrieved25 January2019.
  25. ^"2X1=4 | Nils Frahm".Retrieved6 September2021.
  26. ^Wall, Jessica (30 November 2020)."Tripping with Nils Frahm: A joyous sonic journey | Movie review".The Upcoming.Retrieved5 September2024.
  27. ^"Sheets Drei".LEITER.Retrieved21 January2022.
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