Becalmed by Sophie Hutchings

Becalmed is Sydney based pianist Sophie Hutchings’ debut album. Sophie was surrounded by music from a young age. The family piano naturally pulled her towards the mysteries and delights of composition and improvisation. In fact, the opening piece Seventeen is named after the age she was at the time of its birth. On this startling debut Sophie’s compositions move from sparse and graceful, to tempestuous and epic. Drums, cello, violin, organ and percussion accentuate these flights without overwhelming the beauty and starkness of the compositions contained therein. Becalmed was produced in Sydney with engineer Tim Whitten, known for his ongoing work with legendary Australian avant-garde trio The Necks, as well as in Kangaroo Valley by Tony Dupe whose own work as Saddleback has been met with much acclaim. Like it’s namesake, Becalmed is still, haunted and unexpected. A hypnotic and enthralling debut.

"And always, always, with this album a sense of genuine beauty" - Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald

"Stirring, vigourous, grandly melodic" - Mojo Magazine

"Frankly amazing . . the whole album holds you in a state of rapture that feels as if you're about to burst into tears at any second at the sheer beauty of it, and I say that without condition. If there's a higher praise than that, I can't think of it. " - db Magazine

"A rare emotive candour and breadth." - The Big Issue

“Becalmed is a subtle and sad album. Like many such albums with neo-classical and romantic inspirations - Max Richter, Peter Broderick and Goldmund , it can act at times as if the 20th century didn’t happen, as if tonal dissonance and serial composition were yet to be imagined. The violin scraping, the tape treatments and drones do push Becalmed into the 21st century where we should be happy to have it. But you’d have to be a particularly unforgiving modernist to miss the beauty and heart in these songs”. The Vine - Ben Gook

In the main it’s a restrained and contemplative work, with these tender, at times vulnerable runs of notes that seem to plug straight into the emotions. In Press Magazine - Bob Baker Fish

Sophie Hutchings communicates every ounce of introspection and poignancy to the listener in the most fluent possible rendition of the piano language. The Silent Ballet - Mac Nguyen

Sophie Hutchings is a Sydney pianist and composer who has developed into a performer of unique beauty and international renown. Her music has been described as beautifully fragile along with a deep sense of urgency making for many shades… Her Compositions are a blend of Piano, Strings, Field recordings along with elements of woodwind percussion and ethereal vocals

sophiehutchings.com
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