NEWS
Kelly Moran releases new song "Sodalis" and accompanying video
26 March 2024
This coming Friday, March 29th, acclaimed pianist and composer Kelly Moran is set to release her highly anticipated new album, Moves in the Field, on Warp Records.
Kelly Moran shares:
“I'm elated to share Moves in the Field, my second album for Warp Records. This album is a series of duets I wrote for myself and Yamaha's Disklavier player piano - a special piano that records the touch of your playing and plays it back for you with machinelike precision. This instrument allowed me to write intricate and multilayered piano compositions - in essence, it was like having a clone of myself on the piano, but that clone was on steroids and had several more fingers than me. Moves in the Field explores what I could do as a pianist if I had absolutely no technical limitations, and it was a true joy to explore all these possibilities.”
The single “Sodalis (II)” was released earlier this month, a reimagining of 2020’s “Sodalis,” which Kelly Moran contributed to the Field Works Ultrasonic collection released by Temporary Residence. According to Moran: “Initially written as a track for prepared piano, ‘Sodalis’ has evolved into a lush, tender duet for myself and the player-piano. To create this version, I recorded a solo arrangement of the piece on the player-piano, and then orchestrated harmonies and patterns This coming Friday, March 29th, acclaimed pianist and composer Kelly Moran is set to release her highly anticipated new album, Moves in the Field, on Warp Records.
Kelly Moran shares:
“I'm elated to share Moves in the Field, my second album for Warp Records. This album is a series of duets I wrote for myself and Yamaha's Disklavier player piano - a special piano that records the touch of your playing and plays it back for you with machinelike precision. This instrument allowed me to write intricate and multilayered piano compositions - in essence, it was like having a clone of myself on the piano, but that clone was on steroids and had several more fingers than me. Moves in the Field explores what I could do as a pianist if I had absolutely no technical limitations, and it was a true joy to explore all these possibilities.”
Kelly Moran spoke with The New York Times for a profile ahead of the album’s release, which is online now, and participated in an in-depth Q & A with Tone Glow. The single “Sodalis (II)” was released earlier this month, a reimagining of 2020’s “Sodalis,” which Kelly Moran contributed to the Field Works Ultrasonic collection released by Temporary Residence. According to Moran: “Initially written as a track for prepared piano, ‘Sodalis’ has evolved into a lush, tender duet for myself and the player-piano. To create this version, I recorded a solo arrangement of the piece on the player-piano, and then orchestrated harmonies and patterns that interlock with my parts and dance around the entire range of the piano. Composing this piece was an exploration in making the piano sound as rich, resonant, and emotive as possible. It was the first arrangement I made of my music for player-piano, and the creative possibilities of the process made me realize this was the right direction for my album.”
The release of “Sodalis (II)” was accompanied by a stirring, tenderly spellbinding music video directed by Yuan Liu with creative director Katharine Antoun, wherein lines are unsettlingly blurred between player and instrument as the song crescendos and climaxes.
“Butterfly Phase” was released in February with the album’s announcement, and the acclaimed lead single gained notice from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The FADER, JAZZIZ, NY Public Radio’s NEW SOUNDS, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Resident Advisor, Treble, and XLR8R among others, and its breathtaking video beautifully illustrates Kelly Moran’s love of figure skating along with the album’s title which refers to a series of skating rudiments. The video for “Butterfly Phase” was directed by Charlie Rees with creative direction from Katharine Antoun, and features U.S. Figure Skating double gold medalist Elizabeth Yoshiko Schmidt performing exquisite choreography by award-winning Olympic choreographer Benoit Richaud and on-ice cinematography by Jordan Cowan. NPR Music remarked on how the video harnesses “the outward beauty of the performance and the inward nerves of the performer.”
A performance in New York City to celebrate the release of Moves in the Field is set for April 3rd at National Sawdust, before EU/UK dates.
Over the past decade, New York-based composer and producer Kelly Moran has solidified her status as a trailblazing figure in modern music, challenging the piano's traditional, classically-imposed school of thought with a more contemporary, experimental approach. An accomplished and highly sought-after composer, Moran has collaborated with artists the likes of Oneohtrix Point Never as part of his touring ensemble for 2018 album Age Of, as well as singer and composer FKA Twigs' live ensemble. Moran has also composed for classical musician Margaret Leng Tan and worked with other visionary contemporaries like Kelsey Lu and Yves Tumor. As a solo artist, Moran's critically acclaimed albums, Bloodroot and Ultraviolet, have explored a variety of extended piano techniques like John Cage-inspired prepared piano and exercises in improvisation. Her unique strand of experimental piano compositions, which conjure hypnotizing textures and dramatic compositional arcs, have been included on year-end lists across classical, avant-garde, and metal genres.
According to Kelly Moran: “In early 2020, Yamaha loaned me a Disklavier player piano - a special instrument that allows you to record your performance for the piano to play back on its own. I was initially working on a duet for myself and another pianist, but when the pandemic hit, the player piano became my duet partner. I began writing a series of duets for myself and the Disklavier, exploring all the different ways I could utilize this instrument to merge its inhuman capabilities with my own playing. The Disklavier allowed me to record multiple layers of my playing so I could create music on the piano that would require more fingers or greater endurance than I physically have - like chords that had more than 10 notes in them, or chords that were spaced out farther than my hands could stretch. Sometimes I’d record a pattern and then speed it up to play back faster than I could ever physically play. My imagination exploded at all the possibilities this instrument allowed me to create, and these explorations culminated in my new record Moves in the Field.”
Kelly Moran - Confirmed Tour Dates
Apr 03 - National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
Apr 18 - Silent Green, Berlin, Germany
Apr 20 - Lantern, Bristol Beacons, UK
Apr 21 - Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds, UK
Apr 23 - Hallé St Peter's, Manchester, UK
Apr 24 - Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
Apr 28 - Pavilion Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
May 25- 26 - Approximation Festival, Düsseldorf, Germany
Jun 14 - Sonar, Barcelona, Spain
Jun 18 - Paard, Den Haag, Netherlands
Jun 20 - Palmarium, Ghent, Belgium
Jun 21 - 22 - TNMK, Katowice, Poland
Kelly Moran shares:
“I'm elated to share Moves in the Field, my second album for Warp Records. This album is a series of duets I wrote for myself and Yamaha's Disklavier player piano - a special piano that records the touch of your playing and plays it back for you with machinelike precision. This instrument allowed me to write intricate and multilayered piano compositions - in essence, it was like having a clone of myself on the piano, but that clone was on steroids and had several more fingers than me. Moves in the Field explores what I could do as a pianist if I had absolutely no technical limitations, and it was a true joy to explore all these possibilities.”
The single “Sodalis (II)” was released earlier this month, a reimagining of 2020’s “Sodalis,” which Kelly Moran contributed to the Field Works Ultrasonic collection released by Temporary Residence. According to Moran: “Initially written as a track for prepared piano, ‘Sodalis’ has evolved into a lush, tender duet for myself and the player-piano. To create this version, I recorded a solo arrangement of the piece on the player-piano, and then orchestrated harmonies and patterns This coming Friday, March 29th, acclaimed pianist and composer Kelly Moran is set to release her highly anticipated new album, Moves in the Field, on Warp Records.
Kelly Moran shares:
“I'm elated to share Moves in the Field, my second album for Warp Records. This album is a series of duets I wrote for myself and Yamaha's Disklavier player piano - a special piano that records the touch of your playing and plays it back for you with machinelike precision. This instrument allowed me to write intricate and multilayered piano compositions - in essence, it was like having a clone of myself on the piano, but that clone was on steroids and had several more fingers than me. Moves in the Field explores what I could do as a pianist if I had absolutely no technical limitations, and it was a true joy to explore all these possibilities.”
Kelly Moran spoke with The New York Times for a profile ahead of the album’s release, which is online now, and participated in an in-depth Q & A with Tone Glow. The single “Sodalis (II)” was released earlier this month, a reimagining of 2020’s “Sodalis,” which Kelly Moran contributed to the Field Works Ultrasonic collection released by Temporary Residence. According to Moran: “Initially written as a track for prepared piano, ‘Sodalis’ has evolved into a lush, tender duet for myself and the player-piano. To create this version, I recorded a solo arrangement of the piece on the player-piano, and then orchestrated harmonies and patterns that interlock with my parts and dance around the entire range of the piano. Composing this piece was an exploration in making the piano sound as rich, resonant, and emotive as possible. It was the first arrangement I made of my music for player-piano, and the creative possibilities of the process made me realize this was the right direction for my album.”
The release of “Sodalis (II)” was accompanied by a stirring, tenderly spellbinding music video directed by Yuan Liu with creative director Katharine Antoun, wherein lines are unsettlingly blurred between player and instrument as the song crescendos and climaxes.
“Butterfly Phase” was released in February with the album’s announcement, and the acclaimed lead single gained notice from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The FADER, JAZZIZ, NY Public Radio’s NEW SOUNDS, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Resident Advisor, Treble, and XLR8R among others, and its breathtaking video beautifully illustrates Kelly Moran’s love of figure skating along with the album’s title which refers to a series of skating rudiments. The video for “Butterfly Phase” was directed by Charlie Rees with creative direction from Katharine Antoun, and features U.S. Figure Skating double gold medalist Elizabeth Yoshiko Schmidt performing exquisite choreography by award-winning Olympic choreographer Benoit Richaud and on-ice cinematography by Jordan Cowan. NPR Music remarked on how the video harnesses “the outward beauty of the performance and the inward nerves of the performer.”
A performance in New York City to celebrate the release of Moves in the Field is set for April 3rd at National Sawdust, before EU/UK dates.
Over the past decade, New York-based composer and producer Kelly Moran has solidified her status as a trailblazing figure in modern music, challenging the piano's traditional, classically-imposed school of thought with a more contemporary, experimental approach. An accomplished and highly sought-after composer, Moran has collaborated with artists the likes of Oneohtrix Point Never as part of his touring ensemble for 2018 album Age Of, as well as singer and composer FKA Twigs' live ensemble. Moran has also composed for classical musician Margaret Leng Tan and worked with other visionary contemporaries like Kelsey Lu and Yves Tumor. As a solo artist, Moran's critically acclaimed albums, Bloodroot and Ultraviolet, have explored a variety of extended piano techniques like John Cage-inspired prepared piano and exercises in improvisation. Her unique strand of experimental piano compositions, which conjure hypnotizing textures and dramatic compositional arcs, have been included on year-end lists across classical, avant-garde, and metal genres.
According to Kelly Moran: “In early 2020, Yamaha loaned me a Disklavier player piano - a special instrument that allows you to record your performance for the piano to play back on its own. I was initially working on a duet for myself and another pianist, but when the pandemic hit, the player piano became my duet partner. I began writing a series of duets for myself and the Disklavier, exploring all the different ways I could utilize this instrument to merge its inhuman capabilities with my own playing. The Disklavier allowed me to record multiple layers of my playing so I could create music on the piano that would require more fingers or greater endurance than I physically have - like chords that had more than 10 notes in them, or chords that were spaced out farther than my hands could stretch. Sometimes I’d record a pattern and then speed it up to play back faster than I could ever physically play. My imagination exploded at all the possibilities this instrument allowed me to create, and these explorations culminated in my new record Moves in the Field.”
Kelly Moran - Confirmed Tour Dates
Apr 03 - National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
Apr 18 - Silent Green, Berlin, Germany
Apr 20 - Lantern, Bristol Beacons, UK
Apr 21 - Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds, UK
Apr 23 - Hallé St Peter's, Manchester, UK
Apr 24 - Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
Apr 28 - Pavilion Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
May 25- 26 - Approximation Festival, Düsseldorf, Germany
Jun 14 - Sonar, Barcelona, Spain
Jun 18 - Paard, Den Haag, Netherlands
Jun 20 - Palmarium, Ghent, Belgium
Jun 21 - 22 - TNMK, Katowice, Poland