Nils Frahm - All Melody (Album Review)

 

Nils Frahm - All Melody

(2018)

My copy: 2018 press by Erased Tapes Records. 

Released in 2018, All Melody contains what is likely the widest instrumental scope of any Nils Frahm release to date. The record is mostly concerned with its production, as Frahm details the expansiveness of the project within the included reading material. While there are beautiful sounds and imaginative moments, the album feels hindered by its focus on weaving together its many performances. 

All Melody is also quite long, coming in at just shy of 80 minutes across 12 compositions. “The Whole Universe Wants To Be Touched” enters with the voices of the Shards choir which had been arranged for this release. The vocals flutter and bend as if they were accompanying a dramatic theatrical event while synth chords shift underneath. As the vocals disappear, the synth engineering builds further layers with subtle swells of sound. The chords carry over into “Sunson” where an electronic drum beat gradually hijacks the atmosphere. A programmed woodwind plays staccato notes that are so sharp that they sound percussive, creating something more focused on rhythm than ambiance. The flute sounds get delayed and leave before the whole of the percussion cuts suddenly, leaving a bed of synthesizers to mourn gently until the song fades. 

Viola and cello rise only to give way to a more stripped back electronic beat on “A Place” before new pulses are added to the rhythm, echoing with each new rattle. Frahm makes use of live reverb all through the album to give specific elements a more genuinely ethereal sound. The choir returns with some voices leading the melody of the song before everything quietly concedes to synth once more. “My Friend The Forest” is a simple piano ballad with room sounds that add personality to the dynamics. The piano is joined only by a bass marimba to fill out the low-end and an almost inaudible droning cello. “Human Range” introduces the trumpet which patiently adds bits of dissonance over the strings. When the choir joins in again it starts to feel like a cheesy orchestra rehearsal, though the progressions themselves and the more dynamic use of the trumpet help to distinguish it. 

“Forever Changeless” is a simple yet effective piano interlude. “All Melody” charts a labyrinth of percussion before rapid icy key melodies give complexity to the song. The beat becomes almost danceable although the air is kept mysterious through the writing. “#2” dims the percussion from the prior track to make way for a second, higher tempo beat that assumes control. A vocal sounding synth adds flourishes while the synth melodies evolve. The album is beginning to run out of new tricks at this point, and the length starts to become noticeable for active listeners. “Momentum” is a somber duet for low voices and synth, receding to digital loops, high pitched ringing and whistling. 

 The trumpet is a bit too obvious on “Fundamental Values” though its presence doesn’t linger long. A bittersweet piano melody takes over and rides out the song to its ambient ending. “Kaleidoscope” is the last long song, beginning with the choir again before a complex series of synthesized woodwind melodies unwind as if they were unleashed from a music box. The voices harmonize until the song feigns to synth pulses. The final track, “Harm Hymn” is a simple organ performance touched up with authentic reverb that creates a bath of atmosphere. 

The issue with All Melody is that it feels more like a tech demo than an actual thought provoking collection. The booklet that explains the process of recording the album speaks with more reverence to the studio and the equipment than the songs themselves. While it is immaculately conceived, the structures and sounds are less moving for their almost formulaic approach. There are moments of haunting brilliance but also moments where the whole piece feels cluttered and superfluous. Frahm is perhaps at his best when managing a smaller number of instruments, though if he were to stick to just the choir, strings and piano/organ he could probably arrange something spectacular with this studio.