The 2026 edition of the BBC Proms is underway! With a Transatlantic first night, the BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra under Dalia Stasevska were joined by pianist Yunchan Lim for a special performance of Ravel‘s Piano Concerto.
Flanking this were two pieces celebrating America’s 250th ‘birthday’, Copland‘s Fanfare for the Common Man and Gershwin‘s An American in Paris, while French-British composer Josephine Stephenson was the ideal choice to write a first night premiere, That the sunrise not leave us unmoved.
Wrapping up the night was a rare performance of Finzi‘s For St Cecilia, a choral work of typical mystery and elegance but one that deserved its rare moment in the sun. Choral and orchestral forces then gave an encore of the Oasis song Wonderwall, acknowledging the England team’s prowess in the World Cup. A red card for its choice, I’m afraid – and a shame to have Finzi’s contribution immediately overshadowed in this way. Wonderwall is a great song, but felt miscast here.
Enough of my griping, though – as we should acknowledge many people enjoyed the inclusion, and the night as a whole was a celebratory indication of what we can expect to indulge in over the next eight weeks. Truly something for everyone.
“She was my savior. And that was the problem. What was I to her? An empty prayer. A hollow hand.”
This quote comes from Kevin Brooks’ short film, For Goodbyes, and it resonated with pianist and producer Emil Friis, providing the inspiration and the title for this new EP of compositions.
As the press release describes, Friis uses “a carefully assembled recording chain consisting of Extinct Audio ribbon microphones, a vintage U47 and additional FET microphones — alongside processing through Moog filters and a Wellspring reverb unit”. To this he adds field recordings captured in Italy during the summer of 2025.
What’s the music like?
Hands, Hollowed proceeds with a steady toll from the piano, though surrounding it are clouds and watery ripples that reflect and refract the music. Some Fine Afternoon is drowsy in a really appealing way, a languid piano arpeggio dressed with something more ornate but equally calming.
Hands, Remembered is a slow memorial piece, stately in the progress of its piano chords but rather beautiful in the muffled chorale that surrounds them. As Sun I Meet You Now is an extended composition, which through its insistent electronic ticking initially sounds as though someone left a machine on by accident, at a distance of a quarter tone to the music. It introduces a blend of comfort and unease, resolved in the toll for the right hand with which the piece ends, a powerful and affirmative statement.
Does it all work?
It does – the four movements taken together provide a distinctive and valuable time out.
Is it recommended?
Yes. Dreamy escapism is on offer with this EP, but look closer and the detail is equally there to enjoy in subsequent listens. Recommended.
Paired Works is a double EP by Justine Perry and Paula Koski, developed in parallel within the same time and environment. Evolving through years of shared surroundings and creative exchange, the record emerges as a natural extension of that connection. Produced separately, the tracks document two distinct inner worlds shaped through proximity. Justine Perry leans into deep, hypnotic forms, while Paula Koski moves through dubby and spacious structures driven by texture.
Across four sides, the record shifts between focused, forward-moving passages and more atmospheric moments, creating a subtle push and pull. Rather than settling into one singular moment on the dancefloor, it stretches across the shifting phases of a long club night. Timeless and elegant in its approach,
Paired Works will be released on 24 July 2026, and marks the debut release on Ostgut Ton for both artists
by Ben Hogwood. Picture of Bloch used courtesy of Wikipedia, unknown author
On this day in 1959, the Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch died at the age of 79.
Bloch was a fine composer who has seemingly yet to get the coverage his work deserves. The first piece of his I heard stuck with me, the Concerto Grosso no.1 for strings and piano. It is a powerful piece whose Transatlantic language – hinting at folk influences from either side of the world – is also a pointer towards screen soundtracks that would come along decades later.
Here it is in a fine performance from the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra under Howard Hanson:
British-Indian composer, producer, and pianist Cephas Azariah returns with his highly anticipated sophomore album, conditions for observing light, out 3rd September.
Always drawn to classical composition, Cephas studied Music Theology and the Arts at Middlesex University and began composing film and TV soundtracks immediately upon graduating. His debut LP, Joy Paradox, was released in late 2024, drawing on the full spectrum of his influences. It marked his introduction to the neo-classical, ambient, and electronic space, receiving heavy support from the likes of BBC 6 Music, KEXP, Wonderland, CLASH, and Ólafur Arnalds.
Taking a philosophical approach to society and culture, the new LP finds Azariah contemplating where radiance can be found in an increasingly dark world. Across ten immersive tracks, he explores light in all its forms, from the natural energy of the sun and lightning to the intimate glow of a candle and human-made artificial light.
Written between his home studio and the secluded wilderness of Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, Azariah (above) spent months recording textures that represent light-related phenomena, weaving them into ambient soundscapes. Cephas presents light on this album as a way of understanding ourselves and illuminating the world around us: “It reveals both the light and dark of our environment, and marks the beginning of a journey towards something brighter.”
This evolution is mirrored in the album’s sonic journey. Early moments like ‘sakura’ and ‘faint (a short story)’ lean into light-hearted piano work reminiscent of the first blossoms of spring, while the latter half of the record scales in sound toward something more euphoric. The title track, inspired by the expansive minimalism of Jon Hopkins, serves as the album’s finale, gradually building from sparse fragments into a wall of lush legato strings and driving percussion.
The project is also a celebration of collaboration, welcoming a cohort of talented artists. Cephas joins forces with London-based producer Kidnap on ‘lightning’, a dark, cinematic production that captures the restless tension of a storm. “I remember being in the studio with Kidnap; we began to write a piece with a more upbeat feel, but once the piano and synths were down, I had the idea of writing two versions, one with a beat, and one that was more low-key and cinematic,” Cephas recalls. “This version is darker and resembles the tension within dark skies and lightning strikes.”
The album also features his second collaboration with British electronic duo josh & sam who are twins. The trio explores the principle of “coherence” – a physics concept where waves fall into sync and reinforce one another, reimagined here as a warm, upbeat track reflecting the gentle shift from spring into summer through rhythmic pianos and synths.
On ‘nova’, Cephas collaborates with Colorado-based ambient composer Be Still the Earth. Mirroring the life cycle of a star, the track moves from a delicate beginning into a rich swell of arpeggios and analogue Juno tones before gradually fading away. “Everything has its time – even the light, even stars, even in space,” he notes.
Seoul-born pianist-composer Yujin Baek joins Cephas to close the project with their delicate offering ‘if time could rewind us’, which first debuted on Anjunachill’s World Piano Day 2026.
At the heart of the LP lies ‘2.22pm wishyouwerestillhere’, a poignant piece of storytelling rooted in a childhood memory. The timestamp marks the exact moment Azariah learned of his grandmother’s passing; using spacious sounds and melancholic guitars, it encourages the listener to ponder the heavy, quiet chapters that define a life.
”Emotions are vast and varied when you consider the light and shade of society – the good and the bad. The album as a whole sounds darker, and while there are many soft moments, the project leans into the cinematic drama of light,” Cephas says.
Cephas Azariah’s brand new album, conditions for observing light, is available to pre-order now via the Anjunastore.
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