Nils Frahm - "Encores 2"

Slowly but surely I have been adventuring into the realm of lo-fi, chill-pop, ambient, and soothing instrumental music. This was something I started last year (2019) as I was studying for finals. I went to a YouTube playlist and got lost in the music. The compositions have a lot of space within them, allowing you to either intently focus, or tune out completely.

As I got deeper into the genre(s), I discovered Nils Frahm. I had heard of Nils before, but I had never given his stuff a spin. He is a producer and composer from Hamburg, Germany, and he mixes classical music with hints of electronic sprinkled in. Regular readers of this blog already know that I am a HUGE sucker for piano music, and that is why he is so special. His approach with a variety of pianos is breathtaking, and unlike anything I've heard before.

I found this copy of "Encores 2" (2019) for stupid cheap online, so I picked it up. It contains, in my opinion, some of his best work. While it is only 4 songs (technically an EP), it is more than enough material to bring you to tears, entice you to think deeper, or encourage you to concentrate all of your attention on a task. As I mentioned earlier, there is so much space within the album, and this allows your brain to interpret and process the notes however it wants.

As I listen to the album, I can't help but demand more Frahm. Nils does a beautiful job of keeping the album short and concise, but still worthy of the record format. It is the second "Encores" out of a trilogy, so my next Frahm purchases will likely be 1 and 3.

I don't know how to feel when this record is on; should I be sad, lost, happy, welcomed, confused? I will never know. To me, that is the true beauty of this record. You are free to feel however you choose, and that is what is so magical about Nils Frahm.

Cheers