by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

In which Nick Schofield spreads his wings, expanding from solo synth performance to include an ensemble that keeps keyboards front and centre but leans on piano, adding bass, voice, clarinet and violin.

What’s the music like?

Colourful and bursting with growth, the sort of music you might expect to hear with the advent of spring. The track titles are indicative of the music we hear – from the short Meadows to the more substantial Resonant World, these are character pieces that paint their surroundings in rather lovely technicolour.

With tracks like On Air, Schofield is most definitely operating with his mind outside of the studio, as the clarinet burbles, the violins swell and reverberant piano is caught ‘on the wing’. evoking big spaces and wide-open textures. Generally the piano is at the centre of the arguments, which are – as Schofield’s Bandcamp commentary states – convivial.

Fine Tune has deep colours, rich blues and purples perhaps, while Joy Cry builds up whole consonant harmonies with prayerful violin loops. Morning Doves uses mottled piano chords with playful clarinet and violins evoke the birds, and while Resonant World employs similar tactics the piano loop is reminiscent of Stravinsky. Heartfelt has a whiff of Acker Bilk about the clarinet work, in a good way!

Does it all work?

It does. There may not be immediately obvious melodies in Schofield’s work here but after a few listens the fragments and loops prove very hummable. The textures are extremely restful, and credit should go to the musicians – Philippe Charbonneau (fretless and double bass), Yolande Laroche (clarinet and voice) and violinist Mika Posen.

Is it recommended?

It is – and Ambient Ensemble has some very attractive colours to share as its tableaus unfold.

For fans of… Group Listening, Cinematic Orchestra, Bonobo

Listen & Buy

Ambient Ensemble will be released on Friday 9 February – a listening link will appear here then.

Published post no.2,080 – Wednesday 7 February 2024