Quebec composer and synthesizer Nick Schofield has returned with his third and final single, “Meadow”, off his just released new record, Ambient Ensemble. An amazing evolution of his work beyond his previous solo efforts. Layers of tape-sped piano, synthesizers, and then a small chamber ensemble comprise this stunning album.
Nick was heavily influenced by Joanna Brouk here, and it sets this record apart from a lot of other very beautiful efforts in this vein is its energy and sense of play.
Nick Schofield about the track: “‘Meadow’ is the first song on my album Ambient Ensemble – it is like a door opening into a sunlit bucolic field filled with fresh air, wild flowers and butterflies.
“‘Meadow’ is about the peace we seem to find so easily in nature. When I’m in nature, I feel my senses awakened to see the world with presence, marvel and awe.
“This song showcases the shift in my practice from making purely synthesizer music to incorporating more natural organic sounds, like the voice, violin, clarinet and contrabass.
“The making of Ambient Ensemble started with some late night recording sessions in a church back in January 2020. Every night I improvised and layered the piano as it resounded in a beautiful natural reverb. I then slowed the recordings down to half-speed and began adding classic synthesizers like the Roland Juno-6 and Moog Prodigy. Once I received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts I was able to fully realize the project and I formed an ensemble with luminaries from the Ottawa/Gatineau music scene. I ended up recording the chamber ensemble in the same church where the piano was originally recorded, which really united the sonic signature of the album.”
What do you think of “Meadow”? Are you streaming the new album?
