By Keith Walsh
French composer Edouard Ferlet has curated a very specific set of equipment that he requires for making his innovative piano music. The sounds on his PianoïD² album are based on novel approaches to technology. At the heart of Ferlet’s studio is a Yamaha Disklavier, an upright piano of superb quality programmed smartly with a variety of scales, arpeggios and rhythmic melodic figures. Using the computer-controlled Disklavier as a foundation frees up Ferlet to play a second piano, adding a direct human touch in often unusual ways. Because the Disklavier is playing an actual acoustic instrument, the harmonics are random and varied, adding a warmth not usually found in standard electronic music.
As Ferlet explained: “I use the robotic phrase to make the poetic blossom, and go towards the unimaginable and the unplayable. I also use the instability of the robot caused by the weight of the mechanics, its latency, its changes in dynamics and speed, all the unexpected reactions of the Disklavier piano. The machine comes to life and surprises me. The music then becomes an organic dialog.”
The video below has Ferlet explaining his gear and setup. Speakers of languages other than French can switch on translated captions.
Ferlet was fascinated by the piano since a young boy, and at the age of 18 left France to study jazz composition at Boston’s famed Berklee College Of Music. Along with his diploma, Ferlet was awarded the top jazz pianist prize for his class.
PianoïD² the second album in a series, is a 45-minute set packed with innovative explorations of jazz, avant garde, and popular piano music leaning towards the cinematic. As he improvises on a second piano, not only playing the keys but sometimes bowing the strings with twine or hitting them with mallets, Ferlet’s often sweet melodies lean towards variations on popular jazz and blues. Other gear includes analog synths, and a MIDI controller that allows him to feel and respond to the changes in music in a tactile, rather than visual, way. The results are intoxicating, to say the least.
The songs have thematic titles expanded on by the tunes. The opener “Inhale” offers some rhythmic piano sequences as dramatic tension builds with slight dissonance. “Reflex” builds into a synth bass driven piece with a melodic piano motif then morphs into wild jazzy syncopation.
On “Raining” Ferlet lays down some traditional jazz grooves on piano with some electronic percussion keeping a beat. On the reflective “From Z To A” he plays sweet and mellow. With “Herd Instinct,” Ferlet unleashes the most percussive aspect of acoustic piano; it’s sequenced and somehow dampened for a quick decay slope. Atop that there’s some wooded percussion and a sweet regular piano figure as well as sinister melodic runs.
“Night Moves” is dark but majestic, hinting less at romance and more towards loss. “Excess” is a hyperactive commentary, with more sequenced Disklavier and Ferlet’s skilled improvisations adding counterpoint. The song’s second movement develops into a weightier modulation on the theme, culminating in a lovely piano improvisation that’s just slightly and warmly distorted.
“Cécile” is a lovely and romantic piano piece, while for “Twisted Mind” Ferlet busts out the mallets for percussion, or perhaps it’s electronic percussion? Frequencies of the percussion shifts as the archly playful piano melody develops. Music box machine sounds suggest a respite, then the tune gets super frenetic, then reflective, then chaotic again.
“Bord De Nuit” (Edge Of Night) has spoken words in French by Babx, with text by Nancy Huston,, and a smoky evening vibe. “Intemperies” (Severe Weather) presages a storm with heavy arpeggiated piano that subsides into calmness, while “Sun Dog ” is a sly piano piece in a classic jazz and blues style.
The entirety of PianoïD² is outstanding, demonstrating what is possible from an inspired synergy of man, instrument, and machine. Ferlet’s zeal for experimentation compliments his considerable skill on the keyboard. The mix of nostalgia with innovative uses of technology brings out many moments that are sonically sublime.
PianoïD² was recorded at the Mélisse Studio in March of 2023, and is on the Mélisse label.
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