#5167, Piano and Electronics

When played traditionally, any casual music listener can easily identify the sound of the piano. But not all musicians play the piano traditionally. In fact, there are some artists who modify the sound of the piano with physical or digital tools, repurposing it as a vast sound source.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment in history when the bond between the piano and electronics began to form, but Brian Eno and Harold Budd’s collaborative works, including “The Plateaux Of Mirror,” are proof that it dates back at least to the 1980s. With Harold Budd’s soft pedal technique, the sustained piano notes form atmospheric chords melting into Brian Eno’s soundscapes.

Sound artist Heather Stebbins and pianist Ning Yu similarly blend the sounds of the piano with electronic devices, but purposefully disrupt the fluidity with crystallized textures in “Delicate Error” and “Till”.

Eunbi Kim’s “Mother’s Hand, Healing Hand”, composed by Pauchi Sasaki, bridges the gap between virtuosic classical music and ambient electronica, with sampled vocals encapsulating the voice of Kim’s mother, accompanied by strings, with Lauren Cauley on violin and Amanda Gookin on cello.

Inventive composer Kelly Moran’s approach in “Prism Drift” is much more minimalistic, as the percussive and frayed sonics of her prepared piano do a fine job filling the frequency spectrum on their own. Australian composer Simon Walker’s “Deep Space” is a more unnerving piece in comparison, utilizing the piano as an anchor in an eerily synthesized context embellished with cinematic sound effects.

We close this chapter with the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s works; “Uuon I”, a glitchy piece created with German producer Alva Noto, and “20220123”, one of Sakamoto very last solo piano offerings. - Sırma Munyar

(Photo of Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, courtesy of WQXR)

Program #5167, Piano and Electronics (First aired 7/27/26)

ARTIST: Brian Eno, Harold Budd
WORK: The Plateaux Of Mirror
RECORDING: Ambient 2 (The Plateaux Of Mirror)
SOURCE: Editions EG
INFO: https://www.discogs.com/master/6195-Harold-Budd-Brian-Eno-Ambient-2-The-Plateaux-Of-Mirror

ARTIST: Heather Stebbins, Ning Yu
WORK: Delicate Error
RECORDING: Spirals
SOURCE: Carrier Records
INFO:https://heatherstebbins.bandcamp.com/album/spirals

ARTIST: Eunbi Kim, Pauchi Sasaki, Lauren Cauley, Amanda Gookin
WORK: Mother's Hand, Healing Hand
RECORDING: It Feels Like
SOURCE: Bright Shiny Things
INFO: https://eunbikim.bandcamp.com/album/it-feels-like

ARTIST: Kelly Moran
WORK: Prism Drift 
RECORDING: Don't Trust Mirrors
SOURCE: Warp Records 
INFO: https://kellymoran.bandcamp.com/album/dont-trust-mirrors

ARTIST: Brian Eno, Harold Budd
WORK: The Plateaux Of Mirror
RECORDING: Ambient 2 (The Plateaux Of Mirror)
SOURCE: Editions EG
INFO: https://www.discogs.com/master/6195-Harold-Budd-Brian-Eno-Ambient-2-The-Plateaux-Of-Mirror

ARTIST: Simon Walker
WORK: Deep Space
RECORDING: Music for Pianos, Percussion and Synthesizers
SOURCE: National Film and Sound Archive
INFO: https://www.discogs.com/release/25189222-Simon-Walker-16-Mark-Isaacs-Philip-Powers-Guy-Gross-2-Chris-Neal-Music-For-Pianos-Percussion-and-Syn

ARTIST: Heather Stebbins, Ning Yu
WORK: Till
RECORDING: Spirals
SOURCE: Carrier Records
INFO: https://heatherstebbins.bandcamp.com/album/spirals

ARTIST: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto
WORK: Uuon I
RECORDING: Vrioon
SOURCE: Noton
INFO: https://noton.info/product/n-051/

ARTIST: Ryuichi Sakamoto
WORK: 20220123
RECORDING: 12
SOURCE: Milan Records / commmons
INFO: Available on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other digital streaming platforms.