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LP
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SP 032STD-LP
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With Companion, Otto A. Totland completes his album trilogy of personal, sparse piano compositions, following in the footsteps of 2014's Pinô (SONIC 019CD/LP) and 2017's The Lost (SONIC 026CD/LP). As a self-taught pianist, Otto further determines himself as a timeless composer who follows nothing but his own gut and heart. The outcome is something so pure it's hard to not be affected. The development of his pieces over the years has grown into something so himself that it's almost immediately recognizable. With Companion he has matured in his own craft, and the various pieces here feel confident and absolutely beautiful in a way that sees the end of the trilogy as a warm, empathic document for the times. As with the previous two albums, Companion was again recorded at Nils Frahm's Berlin studio for optimal warmth and space, Pinô and The Lost at his previous Durton Studio while Companion at the historic Studio 3 at Funkhaus. All three records are released by Sonic Pieces in hand-crafted limited edition covers as a statement showing that craftmanship and humanity still exists in this world constantly moving towards the exact opposite. This quote by Norwegian philosopher Guttorm Fløistad seems an appropriate connection to both Otto's music and the way we are all heading: "The only thing for certain is that everything changes. The rate of change increases. If you want to hang on you better speed up. That is the message of today [...] In order to master changes, we have to recover slowness, reflection and togetherness. There we will find real renewal." With this in mind, Companion is exactly what it's title sets out to be. A friend that can follow and comfort in both good or bad time. Full tone artwork; includes printed inner sleeve; includes download code.
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CD
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SONIC 026CD
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The Lost follows and expands on Otto A. Totland's intimate debut solo piano album Pinô from 2014 (SONIC 019CD/LP). Once again several days were spent in Nils Frahm's legendary Durton studio to lay down both composed and improvised pieces of quiet beauty. While mostly residing in a small Norwegian coastal town, Otto has been trying to escape the constant movement towards fast-paced, polluted lives, where it seems like sounds and impressions never stop. The Lost can be seen as a countermovement towards this development -- something genuine and personal. There's a lightness felt while listening, and yet an overwhelming feeling of melancholy and nostalgia captures you through the length of the album. It could be described as pure timelessness captured with the best vintage recording technique available, opening up to a new wider scope and detail while keeping the intimacy as if it would be played right beside you. The humming of the world and the warmth of the piano shines through like a natural accompaniment as they enthrall from beginning to end. Leaves are falling and times are changing. The horizon seems dark. Otto seems to capture both the questions and feelings we have about our surroundings. Not judging them, but easing his listeners into a mindset that feels hopeful. A sort of quiet relief that things might actually work out, no matter how dark it can look. CD version comes in handmade cardboard artwork.
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LP
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SONIC 026LP
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LP version. Full tone cover artwork; Includes printed inner sleeve; Includes download code. The Lost follows and expands on Otto A. Totland's intimate debut solo piano album Pinô from 2014 (SONIC 019CD/LP). Once again several days were spent in Nils Frahm's legendary Durton studio to lay down both composed and improvised pieces of quiet beauty. While mostly residing in a small Norwegian coastal town, Otto has been trying to escape the constant movement towards fast-paced, polluted lives, where it seems like sounds and impressions never stop. The Lost can be seen as a countermovement towards this development -- something genuine and personal. There's a lightness felt while listening, and yet an overwhelming feeling of melancholy and nostalgia captures you through the length of the album. It could be described as pure timelessness captured with the best vintage recording technique available, opening up to a new wider scope and detail while keeping the intimacy as if it would be played right beside you. The humming of the world and the warmth of the piano shines through like a natural accompaniment as they enthrall from beginning to end. Leaves are falling and times are changing. The horizon seems dark. Otto seems to capture both the questions and feelings we have about our surroundings. Not judging them, but easing his listeners into a mindset that feels hopeful. A sort of quiet relief that things might actually work out, no matter how dark it can look.
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LP
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SONIC 019LP
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2021 repress. LP version. Otto A. Totland's modern compositional elements are most widely-recognized as half of the Norwegian duo Deaf Center, where his melancholic, intricate piano work provides haunting relief to the beds of noise and deep strings from Erik K. Skodvin. Pinô is the first full-length release by Totland, though his solo work has been released once, as the five-minute A-side of Sonic Pieces' 7", Harmony from the Past. Otto's previously brief vignettes are now expanded into a fully personal realization of his own style. Initial track "Open" fills itself with heavy, knowing pauses that quickly become overwhelmed with the desire to understand what's to come. Each silence leads into quick flutters of keys, preparing the listener for a vast terrain of giddy beauty, bleak depths, and true contentedness. Pinô quickly recalls deep winter; in front of a fireplace for days on end, you lose how far along you've ventured into the 18 tracks without any idea how far is left to go. The experience feels inevitable, with no other option but to curl up somewhere cozy and appreciate the sense of timelessness that Totland has created. His album is a haunting modern compositional treasure, expressed through instrumentals completely unique to Totland and captured masterfully by Nils Frahm at Durton Studios. With Pinô, Otto A. Totland appears out of the Norwegian landscape, sharing an achievement that will provide relief during the brooding winter darkness. Though a highly personal endeavor, the recognizable continuation of Totland's compositions will attract fans of Deaf Center, and the cinematic and classical components of his solo work will hold sway for those familiar with Harold Budd or Dustin O'Halloran.
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CD
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SONIC 019CD
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Otto A. Totland's modern compositional elements are most widely-recognized as half of the Norwegian duo Deaf Center, where his melancholic, intricate piano work provides haunting relief to the beds of noise and deep strings from Erik K. Skodvin. Pinô is the first full-length release by Totland, though his solo work has been released once, as the five-minute A-side of Sonic Pieces' 7", Harmony from the Past. Otto's previously brief vignettes are now expanded into a fully personal realization of his own style. Initial track "Open" fills itself with heavy, knowing pauses that quickly become overwhelmed with the desire to understand what's to come. Each silence leads into quick flutters of keys, preparing the listener for a vast terrain of giddy beauty, bleak depths, and true contentedness. Pinô quickly recalls deep winter; in front of a fireplace for days on end, you lose how far along you've ventured into the 18 tracks without any idea how far is left to go. The experience feels inevitable, with no other option but to curl up somewhere cozy and appreciate the sense of timelessness that Totland has created. His album is a haunting modern compositional treasure, expressed through instrumentals completely unique to Totland and captured masterfully by Nils Frahm at Durton Studios. With Pinô, Otto A. Totland appears out of the Norwegian landscape, sharing an achievement that will provide a relief during the brooding winter darkness. Though a highly personal endeavor, the recognizable continuation of Totland's compositions will attract fans of Deaf Center, and the cinematic and classical components of his solo work will hold sway for those familiar with Harold Budd or Dustin O'Halloran.
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