Personal Piano Morten Qvenild

• 1 Turning Returning 06:04
• 2 Kick and Glide 08:31
• 3 Past 05:55
• 4 Hilma 08:09
• 5 We Found Love 05:01
• 6 Blown Away 07:16
• 7 Wild Horses 06:33
• Total Runtime 47:29

Info for Personal Piano

For the past 15 years pianist and keyboardist Morten Qvenild has been one of the most creative musicians in the Norwegian music scene. Qvenild has both an unusual flair for pop and a passion for experimentation and improvisation. Now, at last, his long-awaited solo debut album has arrived.

Qvenild is probably most well known as a member of the unusual piano trio In the Country, half of the duo sPaceMonkey with drummer Gard Nilssen, and Susanna Wallumrød’s partner in Susanna & the Magical Orchestra, but he has also played in a number of other bands. Altogether Qvenild has appeared on at least 50 albums with artists such as the National Bank, Solveig Slettahjell Slomo Quintet, Susanne Sundfør, Arve Henriksen, Thomas Dybdahl, Marit Larsen, Nils Petter Molvær, Shining, Jaga Jazzist, Frida Ånnevik and Trinity as well as many others.

For the past few years Qvenild has been working on developing “the HyPer(sonal) Piano”. By integrating various types of electronics into the grand piano he has radically expanded the instrument’s sonic palette. The inventive tunes and improvisations on his solo debut, “Personal Piano”, create a platform that highlights a unique and heavily processed world of sound and a remarkably intense musical idiom. The music is primarily instrumental, but Qvenild also sings on a few tracks.

The music on “Personal Piano” is the sum of Qvenild’s personal interests combined with a wealth of sources of inspiration: a catchy melody, birches, noise, restlessness, snow, James Blake, words, wood, Radiohead, plastic, running, the abrupt, the child, the pine tree, melancholy, Frode Grytten, travelling, travelling too much, not travelling, travelling to the wrong place, a cabin, ashes, Olivier Messiaen, Hans Børli, not knowing, metal, electrons, euphoria, contemplating, skis, underground, Murakami, kayak, country, in the country, the dark chords and the shimmering light.

The album was recorded and produced by Morten Qvenild himself at the Green Room, and mixed and mastered by Jørgen Træen.

"Morten Qvenild also releases his long-awaited solo debut, Personal Piano. Widening the piano´s textural palette by use of electronics, Qvenild creats a singular soundworld that nods to influences as disparate as Bugge Wesseltoft and John Cage in what´s an intense but hugely rewarding collection." (Jazzwise, Peter Quinn)

"HyPer(sonal) solo debut from Susanna´s one-man magical orchestra. Whether making Norwegian Americana with his piano trio In The Country, working as Susanna Wallumrød´s partner in Susanna & The Magical Orchestra, or in numerous other projects including Jaga Jazzist, Morten Qvenild has spent the last 15 years establishing himself in the forefront of the thriving Norwegian scene. Qvenild´s solo debut, played on what he calls his HyPer(sonal) Piano, explores the sort of piano-hammer-hitting-snow territory one might associate with Nils Frahm, although there are distant vocals in places and he cuts loose towards the end of the eight-and-a-half-minute “Kick And Glide”. There´s also a surprise cover: Rihanna´s “We Found Love”." (Uncut, Marcus O´Dair)

Morten Qvenild, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, EX, voice

Morten Qvenild
During the past 15 years, Morten Qvenild has been one of the most creative, groundbreaking and innovative musicians in European “Jazz” and other related musical fluctuations. His album PERSONAL PIANO is nominated for the norwegian Grammy awards 2016. He has participated in several bands and on about 50 albums including In the Country, The National Bank,Solveig Slettahjell Slomo Quintet, Susanne Sundfør, Arve Henriksen, Thomas Dybdahl, Martin Hagfors, Ingrid Olava, The Budding Rose, Marit Larsen, Nils Petter Molvær, Shining, Jaga Jazzist, Trinity and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.

Morten Qvenilds latest endeavour is the development of the HyPer(sonal) Piano. He is working with extending the grand piano sonic pallet by integrating live electronics in different ways related to the piano. Qvenilds quirky compositions and personal approach to improvisation makes for an innovative and original soundworld and a sincere musical output.

The music turns out to be a sum of Mortens inspirations and personality. The catchy melody, the birch, the noise, the listlessness, the snow, the James Blake, the words, the wood, the Radiohead, the plastic, the running, the stutter, the kid, the pine, the melancholia, the Frode Grytten, the travelling, the travelling to much, the not travelling, the travelling to the wrong places, the cabin, the ash, the Olivier Messiaen, the not knowing, the metals, the electrons, the euphoria, the brooding, the skis, the underground, the Murakami, the kayak, the country, the countryside, the in the country, the dark chords and the shimmering flutter.

This album contains no booklet.