Henning Schmiedt - Wolken

Norman Records
This is the 2nd CD we've had from Henning. After his last album which was created for his pregnant wife to help her pregnancy (she'll still have been kicking his face of during labour mind you) here's his new opus 'Wolken'. Which does exactly as you'd think it would. He's a German virtuoso and here he plays in a cheeky lively style which reminds me a bit of Hauschka (without the ping pong balls and bottle tops) and possibly a bit of Nils Frahm. As far as solo piano music goes it veers away from the maudlin end of things and it's unusually chipper. It's fresh and modern sounding and it's certainly calming me down after a well intense day here at the towers. Sometimes only the tinkles of a piano will do.

Indieville
Airy piano compositions comprise the entirety of Henning Schmiedt's Wolken, which sees the German composer move fluidly through several elegant compositions designed to make your living room that extra bit more welcoming. I may never pick this album up to listen to it on its own, but it makes for fantastic, non-intrusive accompaniment to a quiet evening of reading, writing, or entertaining friends. Sweet melodies become subtly apparent on touching “Wolke Drei” and pensive “Wolke Acht,” each composition employing a restful loveliness that seems to massage the sulci of the listener's brain. Schmiedt's approach to playing is casual and often playful, transitioning loosely from one mood to the next, and it is this skilled calmness that renders Wolken so addictively charming. It's a welcome break from the noise of the times.