the black keys (and the white ones, too)

Being a guitarist, I give my piano playing musician friends a hard time. I accuse them of having no soul since they can't get vibrato, sustain notes without the aid of machinery, and can't bend notes. In other words, they can't do all the cool stuff that guitarists do (keyboards are another story). But to say that they don't emote is a bold statement. Piano covers a lot of ground, even if you can't take it to a campfire (still got them beat!). Just put on most amazing soundtracks and you can feel piano wire delicately gluing the mood to the scene. 
I remember being a young guitarist and sitting in a piano practice room with a big hollowbody guitar. I'd rest the end of the neck somewhere up on the piano, hold down the sustain key, and play really nice add 9 sus 11 chords and listen to the overtones that formed like a cloud, barely dissipating. That could be my first dive into real, live ambient, and those moments have defined a valuable moments in my life.
My initial self reaction was that using predominantly piano for a mix was that it would end up sounding like cold new age glop. Or piano bar lounge kitsch. I definitely wanted to use music that spoke, and didn't just repeat a bunch of repetitive and tired progressions for the sake of passing time. Not my style. I purposely took this long to do such a thing so that I could really find music that stuck to my soul, and caused a lasting sensation. I hope that it sticks to your soul, and brings you peace.

Turn on, tune in, sleep...

[DOWNLOAD] [ITUNES]

TRACK LISTING

• "Box Of Old Photographs" by Bing Satellites from Twilight Sessions Vol. 8 (Free Floating Music), Released August 4, 2011 (Start Time: 00:00)

• "Carpathian Ridge" by Michael Andrews from Donnie Darko: Original Soundtrack and Score (Sanctuary UK), Released October 11, 2004 (Start Time: 05:33)

• "Intropiano" by Bruno Sanflippo from Intro (Ad21music), Released January 1, 2006 (Start Time: 06:56)

• "Angela Undress" by Thomas Newman from American Beauty Soundtrack (Dreamworks), Released January 11, 2000 (Start Time: 14:34)

• "A Meaningful Moment Through Meaning(less) Process" by Stars Of The Lid from And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky), Released April 3, 2007 (Start Time: 16:07)

• "Underwater Flowers" by John Foxx & Harold Budd from Translucence/Drift Music (Edsel Records UK), Released September 1, 2003 (Start Time: 20:26)

• "Anything’s Possible" by Ben Lovett from The Signal Soundtrack (Lakeshore Records), Released February 19, 2008 (Start Time: 26:22)

• "Piano Textures2 V" by Bruno Sanflippo from Piano Textures 2 (CDBABY.COM/INDYS), Released December 15, 2009 (Start Time: 28:21)

• "Twirled World (Instrumental)" by Anne Garner from Trusting A Twirled World (Instrumental) (Magnatune), Released October 30, 2011 (Start Time: 34:52)

• "Marianne, Please Get Help" by The Glimmer Room from A Diary Of Occurrences (A-Frame Media), Released January 12, 2010 (Start Time: 38:50)

• "Radial Structures" by Michael Meara from A Cold Inner Sea (Unknown), Released December 1, 2006 (Start Time: 42:30)

• "Piano Aquieu" by Stars Of The Lid from The Tired Sounds Of (Kranky), Released October 30, 2001 (Start Time: 52:31)