Sounds like…
Moody piano from the dark room of a photographer.
The review
James Heather has been making moody, pensive and elegant piano music for several years now. With ‘Modulations: EP2’ following the first EP and his LP ‘Stories from Far Away on Piano’, he has his style nailed down. The flowing beauty of his melodies trickles without much to do and yet you can’t help but be swept away by it.
Each piece was recorded in one take and ‘Passing Soul’ opens the EP with a rolling melody. James named the piano playing style for this EP ‘pulse music’. There’s no metronome or score as such, it’s improvised around ideas and so sometimes notes skip slightly out of step or take a tiny pause in places. It adds to the human element of the recording that I really enjoy. ‘Glimmer’ is a beautiful piece that feels like a sister to ‘Passing Soul’ whilst ‘Metal Machina’ is detailed and intricate in the way how James lays out chords as a ruffled rumble. ‘Beginnings’ is the most cinematic track on the EP and reminds me a little of Erland Cooper. James Heather is able to play strong melodies softly so they feel like they are being played from a distance. As a result, the tracks affect you as a listener differently. ‘Happy Tears’ closes the EP out with a trickle of a jazzy curiosity wrapped in a blues bar.
Whilst the EP feels like an intimate and reflective noodling, James Heather is able to add gravitas to them with his tone and melody structure. I also really like the artwork from Suki. Suki took flowers and rigged them up with ultraviolet torches. Each song has a different flower in a state of bloom and it’s a nice artistic touch to give the music more context. Ultimately, the music stands up on its own two feet as a selection of subdued but beautiful improvisational piano pieces. It is another feather in James Heather’s cap.
Recommended track: Glimmer
Support Higher Plain Music
Higher Plain Music is part of the Higher Plain Network – a one-man indie media project. If you like what I do, please consider supporting me via Patreon for as little as $1/£1 a month. In return, you’ll receive additional perks for supporting me, such as behind-the-scenes content and free downloads. You can also donate using PayPal. Sharing the website helps too or using the affiliate buy now links on reviews. I receive a few pence per Amazon sale. All your support will enable me to produce better content, more often. I’d love to make this a full-time media network and your support can make that happen. Thank you.
James Heather - Modulations EP2