Calming Colors by Bernward Koch

 

Calming Colors

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.