Durton (Remastered 2022) Nils Frahm

• 1Now Fast Be Slow (Remastered 2022)04:07
• 2Neuse (Remastered 2022)04:57
• 3Durton (Remastered 2022)04:15
• 4My Childhood Was Short (Remastered 2022)01:53
• 5But Nice (Remastered 2022)05:02
• 6Vacu Um (Remastered 2022)05:14
• 7Rarely Happens (Remastered 2022)05:53
• 8Last Call (Remastered 2022)03:41
• 9Tango TNT (Remastered 2022)02:34
• 10Personal Lift (Remastered 2022)05:38
• Total Runtime43:14

Info for Durton (Remastered 2022)

Nils Frahm’s ‘Durton’ is one of three albums of rare early recordings, many of which have been unobtainable for years, some of which have never been released at all, and none of which have ever appeared on streaming services. All the three records of early works reveal a fascinating glimpse into an era of Frahm’s work known until now only to diehard and longstanding fans. Though he first enjoyed success with 2011’s ‘Felt’ and the following year’s ‘Screws’, both performed on solo piano – which he’d studied throughout his youth – the instrument played no part in his early recording career. ‘Durton’ pairs tracks from 2006’s digital only ‘My First EP’ with five previously unheard compositions.

Recorded almost two decades ago, ‘Durton’ – a pun on ‘Dur Ton’ (German for the impractical concept of a ‘major note’) – takes its name, as did Frahm’s original Berlin studio, from the first piece of music he ever released in 2005. Aside from Martin Heyne’s guitar on the title track, the album was entirely produced by Frahm in his Hamburg home studio, but other live instrumentation can be heard amongst its delicate micro-electronica, with brass, strings and percussion on, for instance, ‘Personal Lift’. “They’re probably taken from recordings for other pieces,” Frahm confides. “I don’t even remember who was playing, but it was much earlier, and sometimes we would just reuse outtakes. I wasn’t documenting things well, so I’m not always completely sure what I’m hearing, or how I actually did it.” As for that voice on ‘Now Fast Be Slow’, “If somebody’s singing, it’s definitely me!”

"Durton" – recorded between 2002 and 2005, and originally released by Atelier Musik, the label his friend Arne Römer set up especially for the purpose – will prove a revelation for those who believe Frahm only began integrating a wider array of instrumentation into his work with 2013’s ‘Spaces’. Nonetheless, the composer reminds us, “Herbert said you can’t sample stuff, you can’t use pre-set sounds, so I didn’t do that.” ‘Electric Piano’, meanwhile, was recorded in a single night of improvisations soon after Frahm relocated to Berlin. It finds him, again at Römer’s encouragement, taking his first steps back towards his original instrument, performing alone at the titular keyboard. The experience would prove crucial to Frahm’s subsequent decision to return to the piano, and each of these three albums offers a vivid, enlightening and compelling insight into his development as an artist.

Nils Frahm

Digitally remastered

Nils Frahm
was born in 1982 and from a very young age, he really enjoyed piano lessons, amongst others those given by Nahum Brodski, one of Tchaikowsky ́s last pupils. In his early days he also discovered Keith Jarrett ́s epochal improvisational music and the boundary-pushing musical worlds of the exceptional label ECM. Classical and jazz music have since become equal sources of inspiration for the pianist, alongside minimalist music and pop.

Nils Frahm had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers.

Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer from his Berlin-based Durton Studio. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work, catching the ear of many fans.

As the recognition continues to grow for his previous solo piano works 'Wintermusik' (2009) and ‘The Bells’ (2009), 2011 saw the release of his critically acclaimed record 'Felt' on Erased Tapes Records. The album was followed by the solo synthesiser EP 'Juno' and 'Screws' (2012) – a birthday gift to his fans he recorded while recovering from a thumb injury. Nils released his follow up to Juno titled 'Juno Reworked' (2013) with guest reworks by Luke Abbott and Clark.

Nils returned with his new album 'Spaces' in 2013, expressing his love for experimentation and answering the call from his fans for a record that truly reflects what they have witnessed during his concerts.

In 2013 Nils Frahm released his first music book, entitled 'Sheets Eins'. Nils is currently on his worldwide 'Spaces Tour 2014'.

This album contains no booklet.