Fresh from this year’s triumph of the Nomadland and The Father soundtracks, illustrious composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi announces Underwater, his first new solo piano album in 20 years. Underwater was born in lockdown, utilising the rare opportunity for song-writing in its purest and most intimate form: just Einaudi and his piano. It features 12 newly-composed solo piano tracks, beautifully showcasing his unmistakable musical style which is renowned around the world. Last night saw Einaudi tease fans with a sneak preview to his performance video for first single Luminous, which is released today (watch the full video performance here). The album artwork displays one of Einaudi’s own photographs, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of the album.
On the making of Underwater during the pandemic, Einaudi explains: “It came naturally, more than ever before. I felt a sense of freedom to abandon myself and let the music flow differently. I didn’t have a filter between me and what came out of the piano; it felt very pure. The title Underwater is a metaphor – it is an expression of a very fluid dimension, without interference from outside.”
Underwater follows an astounding year for Einaudi with the release of soundtracks to Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-winning films Nomadland and The Father (which include tracks from his chart-topping 2019 release Seven Days Walking), and the compilation album Cinema, featuring his composition achievements in film and TV. 2021 also saw the launch of new podcast mini-series Experience: The Ludovico Einaudi Story, starring celebrated filmmakers including multiple award-winning actor and director Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), BAFTA-winning director and screenwriter Shane Meadows (This is England), Academy Award winner Florian Zeller (The Father), and multiple award-winning director Eric Toledano (The Intouchables).
2022 will see Einaudi return to the UK for a string of live performances in March including a week’s residency in London for three performances at London’s Eventim Hammersmith Apollo accompanied by his band and two nights of solo performances at London’s Alexandra Palace (full tour dates and where to find tickets below).
Einaudi is one of the most ubiquitous contemporary composers of the century, repeatedly topping the classical charts globally, and has become the highest-streamed classical artist of all time. Einaudi transcends generations and, in addition to his chart and streaming accolades, enjoys over 1 million YouTube subscribers and over 10million views and 150k pieces of content on TikTok.
For Einaudi, Underwater is a deep dive to another place, where he could swim freely without thoughts, without travel and the usual rush of touring. Here time stops, as these songs without words become hypnotic, each touched with an innocent, delicate beauty.
Underwater is released via Decca Records on 21st January 2022 and will be available on CD, 2LP,
coloured vinyl, digital download, streaming, Atmos, Spatial & as sheet music.
Ludovico Einaudi, 2022 Live Tour Dates:
LONDON EVENTIM HAMMERSMITH APOLLO (Band Performance) 21ST, 22ND & 23RD MARCH
MANCHESTER 02 APOLLO (Band Performance) 24TH MARCH
LONDON ALEXANDRA PALACE THEATRE (Solo Performance) 26TH & 27TH MARCH
