Music News - Rhian Sheehan - 'A Quiet Divide' Out Now
05 October 2018 - 0 Comments
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“Easily a contender for album of the year” – Drifting Almost Falling
“A delight – warm, enveloping, and uplifting when such things are most needed” – A Closer Listen
Five years since the release of his previous studio album, Rhian Sheehan returns with A Quiet Divide. Acclaimed for both his original music and his screen composition work, Sheehan’s latest piece of work is a sublime marriage of modern-classical orchestral chamber music, piano, and textural cinematic guitar and synth soundscapes.
With a career spanning over 15 years and five studio albums, Rhian Sheehan has established himself as the preeminent voice in the New Zealand ambient/post-rock genre. In the five years since the release of his last studio album Stories From Elsewhere, Sheehan has furthered his musical expertise, becoming an established composer for film, TV, commercials and multi-media. A Quiet Divide is the result of these new found experiences, undoubtedly expanding Sheehan’s sonic palate, and culminating in his most cinematic and emotive release to date.
Standing In Silence (2009) and Stories From Elsewhere (2013) both saw Sheehan step away from his early electronic roots, and step deeper into the ambient/post-rock and orchetral sound. These albums saw Sheehan establish himself as an artist at the forefront of the genre, and A Quiet Divide represents a deeper progression in this direction, with a heavy orchestral influence infused throughout. The nostalgic soundscapes and textural guitars are still present, however the predominant presence of a chamber orchestra and piano creates a work that is both emotionally resonant and unique from Sheehan’s previous work.
Five years have passed since the release of Stories From Elsewhere, and this time has seen Sheehan put together one of the most diverse portfolios of any composer. Writing for projects around the globe, from documentary films, television, and commercials, through to 3D Planetarium shows, exhibits, and rollercoaster theme park rides, Sheehan has in this time composed an incredibly diverse range of scores, most recently, Sheehan wrote the orchestral score for Magic Leap’s upcoming mixed-reality game experience Dr. Grordbort's Invaders, which has been created with Weta Workshop. This range of new and varied musical experiences have undoubtedly had an impact on the sound of A Quiet Divide. From beginning to end, the album itself almost plays out like a film score.
Thematically, the album is about our relationship with the past. “I think as much as we all focus on the future, we long for moments in our past, wishing we could relive them, but also change or even erase them,” says Sheehan. “We understand our time is limited, and that every poignant moment we experience is fleeting, tinged with a little sadness, because we know every moment is ephemeral; every experience immediately evaporating into a memory, slowly fading, gone. There’s a certain sadness mixed up in all that beauty. The ceaseless flow of time works for and against us. However, mixed up in the feeling of reflection and sorrow, there’s also a general feeling of hopefulness existing within this music.”
Sketched out at Sheehan’s home studio, the album has been assembled in some of NZ’s finest recording spaces. Primarily recorded at home, the album underwent aditional recording at Roundhead Studios and The Surgery Studios, with a 16-piece section also recorded at Wellington’s Stella Maris Chapel, conducted by Hamish McKeich (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra).
While largely created by Sheehan himself, the album also features contributions from long-time collaborators including his wife Raashi Malik, Jeff Boyle (Jakob), Jol Mulholland, Ryan Youens, and Steve Bremner, and also features the talented Justin Bird, Arli Liberman, Anna Edgington and Levi Patel. The album was co-mixed mixed at Park Road Post with Mike Gibson, and mastered onto ampex tape, further adding to the nostalgic feel Sheehan was chasing.
Although citing wide influences such as Brian Eno, Hammock, Helios, Peter Gabriel, Jakob and Boards of Canada, A Quiet Divide bares a sound which is uniquely Sheehan’s. Across 13 tracks, the album is further testament to the fact that Rhian Sheehan is one of New Zealand finest modern composers.
The album’s release will be supported by a special run of shows across New Zealand, which will see Sheehan turning venues into worlds of intimate sound and light. Each show will see Sheehan perform alongside a nine-piece band and orchestra, helping bring tracks from A Quiet Divide and his previous work to life. With a set co-created with Weta Workshop and collaborations from a host of visual artists, these shows are not to be missed.
A Quite Divide Shows
FRI 12 OCT, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
SAT 20 & SUN 21 OCT, Nelson Theatre Royal (Nelson Arts Festival)
FRI 26 & SAT Oct 27, Q Theatre, Auckland
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