Encores 2

With *Encores 2*, Berlin composer Nils Frahm continues sorting through the sketches that didn’t find their way to the final version of 2018’s *All Melody*. Where the preceding EP, *Encores 1*, emphasized unadulterated solo piano, these tracks tilt back toward the album’s expansive soundscapes. “Sweet Little Lie” wraps lullaby-like piano figures in rainfall and tape delay, and “A Walking Embrace” brings delicately overdubbed counterpoints into the mix. The rich, sweeping pads of “Talisman” serve as a sort of ambient palate-cleanser before the grandeur of “Spells,” a 13-minute foray into arpeggiated analog synthesizers and wordless hints of choir that ranks among Frahm\'s most cosmically inclined work.

Following the release of Encores 1 on June 1st, Nils Frahm releases of Encores 2, the second in a series of EPs following the release of the universally acclaimed album, All Melody, released in January of this year. While Encores 1 focused on an acoustic pallet of sounds with just a solo piano and harmonium, Encores 2 explores a more ambient landscape from the All Melody sessions, the pinnacle of which is the astral 12 minute showpiece Spells. Recorded through an amplified stone well Frahm found on Mallorca, Encores 2 is at once unique but familiar; orbiting the universe of All Melody while inhabiting its own world. “The idea behind Encores is one we had from before All Melody; to separate releases each with their own distinct musical style and theme, perhaps even as a triple album. But All Melody became larger than itself and took over any initial concepts. I think the idea of Encores is like musical islands that compliment All Melody” Nils Frahm wraps up an exultant year with two shows at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on December 4th and 5th, followed by a sold out four night residency where it all began at Funkhaus Berlin, December 11th-14th. The All Melody world tour continues apace in 2019 across Europe and the US, for all dates and tickets: www.nilsfrahm.com/concerts.