Ian Hawgood 'Piano Works' [CD]

200 edition glass-mastered CD in four panel extra thick 330gsm matte card package. Printed locally in the U.K.

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"Back somewhere between 2003 and 2004, I took a weekend at my family home in Catford (south London) to create a simple album of piano pieces to give to friends. I'd only shared my music with friends with the odd one-off mini-disc or tape up to that point, but with a lot of encouragement from a couple of close friends, decided to spend the weekend recording my childhood piano.

Travelling from my home in London by train, I took a very simple set-up of recorder, Boss DD delay pedal, and an old Sony ECM mic. Even with my mum and my parents' dogs wandering around in the background, I just started to record whatever came out in a simple way, in one take, accepting that whatever mistakes I made, be it lyrics I was making up on the spot, vocal tuning, piano playing or, your typical daily interuptions in a family home, that I would happily accept them as the music of a normal life. This sound was my home, both literally and figuratively, and as a result of this recording, it works as a memory of purity and love, and all that a sense of home can bring.

The album became a deeply joyful connection between a large number of friends I'd made on my travels around the world, and to this day I get messages about it. It was also an entry point for a number of friends and connections whom I'd shied away from sharing my music with, and the music's simplicity, immediacy, and fragility have remained core inspirations for my music and an internal source to this day.

Not long after this, I started living between this home and my other home in Puglia, Italy. Getting itchy feet once again, in 2007 I moved back to Japan where I lived for nearly ten years after living there between 2001 and 2002. This time I grew by finally releasing my music from outside the walls of my apartment, getting married, starting Home Normal, and just throwing myself into an amazing life in a truly wonderful country. Home Normal was a way to connect my sense of 'home' and my love of organic music. A bridge, if you will, to feeling connected when I never really did in my life for a variety of reasons, really.

'Piano Works' represents 'home' in every which way for me, and was made about a year after returning from living in Japan the first time. Originally released as a CD-R to friends around 2003 - 2004, I did a Japan-exclusive CD release in 2014. Tracks from the album have since appeared in adverts, short films, and productions, much to my surprise, given how it was recorded and made (one-take, limited gear)."

All original music by Ian Hawgood
Photography by Hitoshi Ishihara