Time

Description

For his new album “TIME”, Dirk Maassen withdrew to an isolated mountain retreat, exploring solitude and calm to find his inner melody. For the German pianist and composer, calm of body and mind was the key to bringing this album to life. “Working on new music requires time and space - and you have to be patient and listen to yourself,” he explains. A retreat in nature that proved beneficial for the making of this album and opened a new chapter in his development as a pianist and composer. He tells us about it: “Creativity does not come out of nowhere, but sometimes you need the time and space to listen to your inner melody.” The isolated environment in which Maassen worked fueled the fourteen tracks on “TIME”, a sublime collection of modern piano compositions. Masterfully handling a variety of moods, Maassen offers music ranging from sad and sweet melancholy to bright optimism. Entirely written and arranged by himself, he brought subtle orchestral touches to the sound of his piano. Yet his simple and moving piano lines with their captivating melodies always remain at the forefront. The first single, “Time”, creates an enigmatic feeling, underscored by the ticking of a clock as rhythm. Wonderfully tense and poised, the plucked strings accentuate the piano’s rising and falling lines. This track is matched by “Top”, an upbeat piece where Maassen’s piano gains intensity through repetitive arpeggios with hypnotic effects. Powerful and intense, this track proves to be the deepest piece on the album. Maassen is also a fan of precise beauty and quiet solitude. “Thru Landscapes” is slow and thoughtful, with gentle crescendos that bloom before fading into nothingness. Intensely meditative, the track “Ethereal” lives up to its name. Elegant and magnificent, Maassen perfectly captures here the majesty and awe of the mountains that inspired him.