Regularly touted as one of the most important artists in a generation, composer, piano prodigy, producer, analogue gear fanatic and musical polymath Nils Frahm has established himself as a deeply influential musician while keeping his career as uncommercial and uncompromising as you can imagine. After his last full album saw him make a left turn into a three-hour analogue ambient record, Frahm is back and chats with Headliner to discuss Paris, his new live album of symphonic proportions, recorded in one night at the Philharmonie de Paris.
Frahm is one of the earliest pioneers of what has been dubbed the ‘neoclassical’ music scene and genre, while others have called it ‘modern classical’ and ‘indie classical’. Growing up near the German city of Hamburg, he began playing piano at an early age, which should be relatively obvious from his outrageous ability on the instrument.
He maintained his interest in classical music while later being drawn into Hamburg’s clubbing scene, before eventually relocating to Berlin, where he still lives and makes his music today. Among his first releases, which came in his mid-twenties, was the beautiful three-track EP Wintermusick, a record that he has said was originally recorded to gift to friends and families. An early example of Frahm combining different keyboard instruments: the piano, celeste, and harmonium.
His expectations for the EP turned out to be very humble — lead track Ambre is his most streamed track on Spotify with over 111 million streams on that platform alone, and would be the perfect explainer track if someone asked you what is meant by the modern neoclassical music scene.
Close-miked piano with a strip of felt dampening the sound of the piano hammers hitting the keys, played so delicately that it sounds like Frahm was trying not to disturb his neighbours (which he was).