Nils Frahm follows up his critically acclaimed 2018 LP All Melody with today’s surprise release of the Encores 1 EP–both out via Erased Tapes Records. All Melody was recorded at Saal 3, a studio the musician built in the historical 1950s East German Funkhaus building beside the River Spree. Inspired since boyhood by the recording studio of a family friend, Frahm’s dream of building his own was realized with Saal 3, and it found the composer, pianist, and producer re-cabling and wiring the space before building a pipe organ and mixing desk from scratch with the help of friends. After the studio was completed, the musician set about recording the tracks that would become All Melody. Initially conceived as a 3-album set, each with a different style and theme, Frahm explains, “…All Melody became larger than itself and took over any initial concepts.”
While All Melody is comprised of 12-tracks, the musician reports that he recorded sixty sketches in the process of making the album. Encores 1 delves into this trove of recordings to focus on acoustic pieces composed on piano and harmonium. Frahm explains:
“I think the idea of Encores is like musical islands that compliment All Melody.”
Encores 1 includes the track “The Dane,” a current live favorite on his world tour. The 5-track EP is currently streaming via Spotify and is available for download on the Erased Tapes Bandcamp page.
