Originally conceived as Suite Botanique’s accompanying B-Side for a cassette edition that never was, I invited four artists whose work I adore to reinvent the pieces from the EP. This little project features tracks by my dear friends John Hayes, Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, Simeon Walker, and Gloria de Oliveira.
John Hayes: "Sergio was one of the first people to discover my music back in 2018. Over the years, we've built a great friendship with one another and have had a number of conversations about finding a way to work with one another at some point. When Sergio reached out about being a part of reworking his EP, I jumped at the opportunity. Sergio's pieces have such a unique quality to them and 'Birch Forest' showcases so much of what I love about his work. It feels personal, intimate, and beautifully poignant. I wanted to retain this sense of authenticity with my rework. Aside from some strings and a bass patch on my Moog Minitaur, the track is entirely composed of samples from the original track."
Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres: "Thinking about flowers I wanted to create a rework of Delphinium Dance that is light and summery that felt like a playful walk in the park. The piano lines reverse and bounce around like insects on swaying petals with a grounding kick in a lively walking pace."
Gloria de Oliveira: "When I first heard Sergio’s 'Cherry Blossom', I was entranced by the oneiric atmosphere he conjured seemingly effortlessly, the harmonies, modulations and tempo evoking a state of in-betweenness of emotions; of sleeping and waking. I was reminded of the opening scene of one of my favorite films - 'In the Cut' by Jane Campion. In my rework, I sought to pursue these images washing ashore from my subconscious in a free, associative way, akin to the logic of dreams."
Simeon Walker: "I was really pleased Sergio asked me to reinvent one of his pieces from his new EP. As a long-term admirer and friend of his, I greatly appreciate all he has done artistically and creatively, and through his piano and coffee venture. I love the way he weaves a melody, and I had a great time putting my own spin on 'Amanita Musica'. Following the release of my second album 'Winnow' which featured strings, I was keen to find an opportunity to work with strings again, and the plaintive, melancholic, heartbreaking melody from the original seemed to create a perfect opportunity to combine piano and strings again. I decided to rearrange the piece in a non-compound time signature, which takes away the slight lilt and bounce of the original, creating further space and openness in the piano-only sections, and enhancing the textural and timbral contrast between the sections, with an overwhelming sense of envelopment during the string ensemble crescendo, before it falls away as quickly as it emerged. The string ensemble was comprised of 8 players from the fantastic Up North Session Orchestra, and was recorded remotely at the tail end of the Covid situation in early 2022."
credits
released October 6, 2023
Artwork by Alfonso Jurado
Mastered by Ezequiel Sánchez
Released by Nettwerk
Special thanks to Line Explorations for being part of the creative process.
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