It is incredible to think that Ben Moore-Morris, listening to his debut album I Remember, is a totally self-taught pianist and composer. To the relatively untrained ear, one could easily be led into thinking Moore-Morris had received a prestigious classical training in the instrument. Instead, Moore-Morris has spent a lifetime dedicating himself to the listening and learning of music, developing his own impeccable technique and sound. The results in I Remember are quite remarkable.
The cinematic style of the album, which stems from Moore-Morris' childhood love of film scores, is perceptible from the opening track 'Walk To Me'. One of a number of collaborations with singer Karin Fransson, the song is a delicate combination of faint vocals, beautiful piano melodies and uplifting strings. 'It Can Only Be Right' follows a similar pattern whilst also highlighting Moore-Morris' self-proclaimed 'electronic' side, with intelligently utilised samples of water running and birdsong. Clearly his production talents are comparable to his skills as a pianist and composer. The final track on the album 'A Secret' (featuring Rebekah Walker) must too be noted, for the layered vocals and use of horns to generate a truly cinematic sound.
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Elsewhere on the album, Moore-Morris maintains his strongly emotive, cinematic sound without the use of vocals. 'A Child's Life' for instance, emphasises his melodic abilities through his intertwining use of piano and glockenspiel, augmented by a basis of strings and synthesisers. A definite album highlight is 'Our War Must End', which sounds like it has just been lifted from a world war two film. This heartfelt song develops a poignant and uplifting mood making use of sampled machinegun sounds.
I Remember is a hugely impressive debut from Moore-Morris. His cinematic sound, resulting from years of hard work and research, will surely lead the composer to writing for visuals soon. For now, let us create our own visuals with this rich and touching record.
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