Reworks: Vol2 by James Heather

“Pulse Music” pianist James Heather has handpicked a selection of artists, bands, ensembles and composers to rework 11 tracks taken from his album ‘Invisible Forces’ and two ‘Modulations’ EPs. The new versions place Heather’s instinctual, resonant piano playing with sounds and instruments drawn from ambient, classical, electronic, jazz and rock to refocus the original compositions in a new light.

Heather explains, “I really enjoy putting together Reworks albums, especially as a predominantly solo artist. From the choice of artists and the tracks they could rework to the sequencing and the connecting of genres, something I’ve been fascinated by since the C90 mixtape days”.

Acclaimed Kenyan sound artist KMRU opens the album, supersaturating ‘Ancestral Future Now’ with a wealth of detailed noise, distortion and uber-stretched samples. The LA based harpist & composer and NTS resident Nailah Hunter elevates ‘Oizys’ with meditative vocals and dynamic healing frequencies. An early musical inspiration for Heather, Scottish rock band Mogwai reworks ‘In Your Spirit’ to dramatic effect, building an ecstatic zenith of overdriven magic.

“Going to a Mogwai gig when I was 21 was transformative”, says Heather, on inviting them onto the release. “To witness instrumental music be so beautiful and contemplative to such a large room and build into sweeping, awe inspiring crescendos blew my mind”.

Award-winning film composer and multi-instrumentalist Alexandra Hamilton Ayres utilises a filmic palette of sounds and production on ‘Ultraviolet’, encouraging hauntingly beautiful classical elements to the fore. A change in mood is instigated with the emotional techno of Grammy nominated engineer, producer and songwriter Steven Weston’s version of ‘Beginnings’; an upshift dovetailed by Ismael Ensemble, the jazzwise-electronica group from Bristol led by producer & saxophonist Pete Cunningham, who introduces a healthy dose of broken house to the original album’s title track ‘Invisible Forces’.

The album’s spirit of collaboration is displayed naturally on ‘Hidden Angel (Hackney Road Studio Session)’ by Heather himself with the assistance of the T.S.Eliot Prize award winning poet Roger Robinson, ethereal soundscaper Penelope Trappes and textures of saxophone by Specimens. The original track tackled a horrific road traffic accident Heather experienced and subsequent journey out of a coma. Meeting with Roger Robinson, Penelope Trappes and Specimens at Hackney Road Studios for a day, the three improvised this second chapter of Heather’s story live in the studio with Sean Woodlock engineering and mixing.

Heather says “The collaborative nature of this track is like a moment of transcendence from the trauma associated with this event. The point is that it is not my own story anymore, the themes of forgiveness and overcoming bitterness we may carry around are beyond just me. I felt Roger’s talent for the universal and profound through words, could express the lessons learnt from this pivotal period of my life”.

Diving deep beneath the sonic waves, label founders Coldcut and Italian musician Abul Mogard refashion ‘Passing Soul’ and ‘Balance’ respectively into longform ambient pieces, each moment elongated and prolonged to reveal new layers with each listen. Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble Voces8 reimagine ‘Meant To Be’ as an a cappella choral piece, realising Heather’s original vision for this track. Berlin based composer, guitarist and music producer Freya Arde closes down ‘Reworks: Vol2’ with an orchestrally enhanced beautiful version of ‘Immortal Beloved’, to match the track that ends the album ‘Invisible Forces’.

Heather concludes, “Much of my solo piano music is influenced in part by the sensibility of the genres of music on this album. I don’t really approach the piano like a genre specific artist, or with many learned rules of what it should be. In some ways I don’t feel like I’m playing the piano at all, it just happens to be a vehicle I found. Through circumstance, I played the piano in private for years, so subconsciously I think I tried to imagine different instruments or vocalists through just the instrument. So having these amazing artists engage in my notes is very special for me, and I am very thankful to have them all involved”.

“Superb instrumental music.” CRACK (8 Stand Out Moments from Green Man Festival)

“One of the most exciting pianists to emerge in recent years.” Mahogany Sessions

“A special voice…” Headphone Commute

"A masterful set of contemporary piano pieces. The sound Heather makes is captivating." Electronic Sound

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