By
Bernward Koch
Written by
Steve Sheppard
I cannot believe that the artist has created no less than 16
albums in his career, and this one Calming
Colors being the latest. Bernward
Koch has been the master of new age piano with instrumentation for simply
ages, in fact my first album from him dates back to a release called Walking Through Clouds from 2005, I
remember it well, today though sees the release of a brand new endeavour called
Calming Colors, and it is this
musical voyage of serenity that we now traverse.
The opening foray is entitled Distant Bell, it reminded me of an instance from only yesterday,
whilst in my pool I listened to a distant bell from one of the countries
churches chime, it’s a sound I love, not for any religious circumstances, I
just love the feel of the sound, it reminds me of summers past. Here Koch adds
a little flair unto a piece that is so transcendent and colourful and for some
strange reason reminds me of a Procol
Harum performance by Matthew Fisher.
The following musical narrative is called Solemnly, the gentle almost humble
presentation on keyboards by the German composer is akin the new age
compositions of the past, one that artists like the late but great Philip Chapman used to present us with
back in the 90’s, while compositions like Meadow
Dreams gift us a pleasant and almost childlike place of peace and solitude
to revel within, whilst ghosts of a happy past play in timeless reveries of
serenity and calm around us.
Koch’s brand of instrumentalism is what I was brought up on
in the late 90’s as a presenter on local radio, being one of the first radio
hosts to introduce such music to a pop driven audience, creating a sanctuary of
sound therefore is a personal thing and tracks like Sunny Fields manifests moments of happiness and cheer with a
delightful array of beautiful tones and vibrations, this is yet another idyllic
reverie of yesteryear, when summers were longer, hotter and sunnier, or so we
thought, but the presentation confirms our willing confirmation bias with some
of the most pristine piano as of yet heard on the release.
Children's Lullaby is something a lot of us can
remember from our pasts, those days we thought would never end, now seem like
grains of sand upon a distant shore, gone into the past forever more, this
charming lullaby though will no doubt remind us that although those moments
will never come again, we still have them stored in our hearts.
A change of tone here as we reach the half way juncture on a
piece called Windy Walk, many of
these I have undertaken, and one must say that Koch has all the elements
perfectly in balance for this composition. A slight trepidation can be found
here, an excitement of sorts, and a determination to succeed and enjoy the
process; this specific piece almost reminds me in part of the Eno brothers on
their last album, strangely enough named Mixing
Colours.
The line from US poet Robert
Frost sums up this next track when he writes “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep”
There is a little solemn motif here that is so appealing to the listener on Forever Green, its depth is like an
endless forest, and combined with that there is also a sensitive Celtic refrain
that hovers along with the melody, it is one that demands not to be forgotten,
in my view this one track highlights for me why Bernward Koch is one of the world leaders in this genre, on a piece
that could easily be used in a television series or a movie.
Time now to lie back on the hillsides lush grass and just
allow yourself to have a Little Daydream,
here lies a song that is so very emotive and deeply moving, that one can
literally feel the hairs on the arms stand to attention whilst listening to
this incredible reverie. The flow, the slight dramatic ethic, the full and rich
performance that elevates and draws back, makes this a stand out track from the
album.
So we’re heading there now, into my favourite season of the
year as we see the Autumn Light
ahead of us. This is a gorgeous creation from the artist, manifesting both
memory and present beauty. Summer has ended, but we can now enjoy the changes
that a rebirth contains, the colours of the leaves as they fall to the ground,
the softer pastel textures of the days ahead, it is all here on one of the most
expressive and artistic tracks from the album, this for me also could well be a
musical soundtrack for British poet John
Claire when he wrote “I love to see the cottage smoke, curl upwards through
the trees, the pigeons nestled round the cote on November days like these” on
his work Autumn.
Title tracks are always a moment of excitement for me, this
is the grand stage that all around it has been built and here on Calming Colors we have a majestic,
textured tapestry of calm and tranquillity, a magical moment when all coalesces
into a carpet of musical history. This is Koch at his very best, manifesting a
passionate offering, yet still holding the performance, one that seems to be
rooted in the classical, close to both his heart and yours, a stunning
composition indeed.
We have amazingly arrived at the penultimate creation and
another personal favourite of mine called Sweet
Solitude, I used to revel in my solitude, oh to be alone, to be the creator
of my own destiny, those were the days of my past, those times when I needed a
sanctuary away from the madness of chaos, and a track like this would have
helped back then, as a soft and gentle energy is manifested here, whilst a
little reflection is allowed and created in an almost enchanted way by the
artist, this is without doubt music to allow oneself to sink into, and then
rise from your own ashes if needed.
The concluding offering is entitled Walk On The Beach and has the rare addition of a light percussion
and an ever onward rhythm within the mix of the arrangement, a fluent offering
that has a Hotel California mood to
its construction as well, whilst Koch allows himself a moment of an immersive
band experience, with a classy multi-instrumental conclusion to the album.
Calming Colors by Bernward Koch has to be one of the most artistic and colourful
releases ever by the artist, this new album is rich in its textures and
comforts us through its tonal structures, and leaves us at the conclusion feeling
fully satisfied and pleasantly happy. You simply cannot fault the master of new
age music moods, here is an artist who has been there and done it all, and
still with each passing year, manages to pull ripe musical oranges from a most
willing tree, and then put them all into a basket and create an album that
literally tastes as good as it sounds. Calming
Colors by Bernward Koch is a
total must for all serious music lovers, and for those who seek a sanctuary
away from the madness of the day.
