Follower by Chris Abrahams

On the opening track, Costume, bass piano meanders through a wilderness of de-tuned bells and organ swells; a strange sort of festival. Low frequency sighs evenly punctuate, like a pump or a heartbeat. It’s a procession that takes it time as it wanders the terrain, brought to a close with transcendent distortion. On track 2, New Kind of Border, muscular modal piano surfs among waves of percussion and analogue synthesisers. A buffeting travel.

Follower is Abrahams’ 6th album for Room 40 and showcases his continuing interest in the ambiguous spaces between music and noise; tonality and atonality; rhythm and texture. All four tracks have piano as a key factor: in one instance, high-pitched and atonal; in another, emotive yet distant as if projected on to a screen. Follower presents the listener with a sound world of colourful juxtapositions, rich orchestration and organically open forms.

Chris Abrahams, born in NZ, but raised and based in Sydney, is one of the most distinctive keyboardists Australia has produced. He is best known for his work as pianist with the improvising trio The Necks, but has released several solo and collaborative albums. He has also composed for the screen and has been nominated for two Australian Film Institute awards for best soundtrack in a feature film.