When I’ve seen Nils Frahm in the past, it’s been during Decibel Festival, an annual electronic music and visuals festival in Seattle which KEXP covers every year. Because of the event’s interest in creative collaborations, Frahm has been given ample attention to look and sound his best, often paired with projections from visual artists. The shows were hosted at seated spaces with advanced sound quality like the Triple Door and the Benaroya Nordstrom Recital Hall. I was apprehensive of how Neumos, known more for its rock shows, would affect the experience Thursday night.
Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, the 32 year old pianist has made waves with his unconventional combination of classical and electronic styles. Softer songs from his early works are played on a custom one-of-a-kind upright piano called the Una Corda, designed by David Klavins to achieve the qualities of a grand piano in a much smaller package. The unprecedented design weighs under 200 pounds and can be moved by a single person, making it a truly modern piano, and inevitably helping ease Frahm’s load while touring. Nevertheless, he still brings a drum machine, a Moog Taurus, a Rhodes, and a regular grand piano, which he incorporates into songs from his later, more electronic discography. The man does not travel light.
His latest release, Spaces, is a collection of live recordings made from various performances over the span of two years. The quality of the recordings is superb, and would not sound "live" if not for the peppering of applause. Frahm is a natural at stage banter, and spoke to Neumos as if to a close friend. In a soft voice with his slight accent, he prefaced the song "You" by saying, "It's pathetically pretty, but I promise I felt it when I wrote it. And with your help, tonight I will feel it as well." These moments bring the crowd closer, creating an intimate space where the listener feels deeply connected with the works.
Whetting appetites for the evening were Dawn of Midi, a Brooklyn three-piece with free jazz beginnings, delivering an altogether different experience. Meditative and spiritual, their set opened with bassist Aakaash Israni playing just two notes. Pianist Amino Belyamani joined in, adding notes here and there in between Israni’s, creating melody and subtly shifting emotions. Qasim Naqvi picked things up on drums, adding urgency and balance, the three of them building a dance that was to last 45 straight minutes. Parts of the performance felt jazzy, parts felt experimental and rock driven à la Battles, and still more parts felt like they could have been created at the hands of an ambient electronic producer. Crowd members nodded their heads, swaying, drinking in the minimalist soundscape.
This was a verbatim performance of their latest recording, Dysnomia, a meticulously thought out composition with no note out of place. I didn’t learn this until after the set, talking with Naqvi, who quickly clarified when I asked if there’s any ad-libbing. To my utter surprise, this was their first show on the current tour, and they hadn’t rehearsed the composition in a month. Check out Pitchfork's fantastic review of the album here.
Frahm announced midway through his set that he wanted to play new, danceable songs. These used the drum machine heavily, at a faster tempo than his classically influenced works. Despite the songs’ closer resemblance to club bangers, his piano work remained impressive and appeared even more intricate due to the layering of multiple elements, all blasted with a higher intensity. At one point, as he reached the crescendo of a fiery composition, he threw up an arm and did an excited three-sixty. The crowd screamed in delight, and people were actually dancing at a contemporary pianist’s show!
Frahm was visibly happy with how these new songs were received, and thanked the crowd profusely. He ended with Spaces favorite, “For – Peter – Toilet Brushes – More,” playing the strings of his grand piano with toilet brushes (hence the name), and flitting between multiple pianos for almost 16 minutes. His encore featured songs from his Wintermusik EP from 2009, leaving Neumos on a softer, sweeter note. It wasn't the perfect venue for his music, but it gave people the room they needed for dancing. Frahm is heading in some exciting new directions, and will undoubtedly add new angles to an already breathtaking repertoire.
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by Gloria Mayne Davó
