Written throughout the past years, the record speaks to the introspective nature of the Iamthemorning pianist, whilst exploring facets of his sound that have yet still to be uncovered.
Utilising the silence afforded from the pandemic, it offered a new perspective of introspection and the perfect outlet to mould his melancholic creativity. Entirely instrumental, the album emphasises melodic themes through different tracks to create a six part symphonic suite in a way that only Gleb Kolyadin could.
The piano mastermind himself had the following to say regarding the album:
"The Outland was recorded over 2020 and 2021 which was a very troublesome time for us all and I wanted to capture this feeling. During the period of covid when we were unable to travel I found I would create new worlds in my head, as a way of being able to escape.”
Over time however, this idea transformed into something much deeper for me. I’ve since moved to the UK, and now it represents a new beginning. A rebirth if you will and ironically has more of an escapist air around it and has been given a new lease of life.
Gleb continues:
It's a combination of being both an uplifting and introspective work that has been a long time coming. I am happy to finally share the music that is The Outland. A world within a world, assembled from disparate fragments, in many ways, like all of us.
Acting as the protagonist in ‘The Outland’, piano is certainly the focal point of the album yet there are some truly stunning performances alongside Kolyadin. They come from an all star cast in the form of Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree / King Crimson) on drums, Tony Levin (King Crimson / Peter Gabriel) on upright bass and Vlad Avy on guitar.
Not confined to genre, the pianist traverses the landscape of classical piano to jazz-rock and fusion effortlessly as he glides across ‘The Outland’. The album is bookended by both the longest tracks of the record, ‘Voyager’ and ‘Hermitage’ each just as vital yet different as the other. The first opens with a ten minute symbiosis of Jazz-Rock and Fusion whereas the latter ‘Hermitage’ offers more of a look into the world of Jazz.
Moments of self analysis are littered throughout ‘The Outland’. They vary in the form of the introverted ‘Ascension’ that ruminates on darker moments which are then counterpointed by the contemplative shimmering of ‘Cascades’. Matched only in scope by the experimental ‘Apparatus’.
The Outland’s musical inspirations reflect Kolyadin’s increasingly varied musical palette that include, Pat Metheny and Hiromi, Steve Reich, 1970’s Progressive Rock in the vein of legends Gong and Mike Oldfield alongside British Folk adorned with a cinematic edge. Welcome to The Outland.
The Outland artwork
The artwork, designed by Andhika Ramadhian, is an abstract portrayal of a hermit, trapped within a geometrically paradoxical space symbolising the turbulent times that ‘The Outland’ was penned in.
The Outland tracklisting:
Voyager
- Ascension
- Cascades
- Mercurial
- Apparatus
- Hermitage
Gleb Kolyadin – grand piano, keyboards
Vlad Avy – acoustic guitars, electric guitars
Gavin Harrison – drums
with:
Tony Levin – upright bass (04)
Tim Lefebvre – upright bass (05)
Zoltan Renaldi – upright bass, electric bass (01, 02, 06)
Evan Carson – bodhran and percussion
Grigory Losenkov – string arrangements
also:
Eliza Marshall – flute
Grigory Osipov – marimba, vibraphone
Svetlana Shumkova – hang drum
Ilya Gindin – clarinet
Mr Konin – clapping, cheerful dancing
Gleb Kolyadin online:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/
For more information contact Stefan.Hayes@v2benelux.com
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