YANN TIERSEN – Rathlin From A Distance | The Liquid Hour – 2LP – Black Bio Vinyl

2LP – Black Bio Vinyl housed in reversible sleeve with eco packaging.

Always seeking innovative approaches to releasing music, Breton-born musician and composer Yann Tiersen unveils his latest two-part album, Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour, released via Mute.

Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour, is one album in two intrinsically connected parts, each with its own distinct sonic identity. Rathlin from a Distance is eight tracks of delicate and introspective instrumental piano, while The Liquid Hour is an emphatic collection of expansive and innovative sounds with a hybrid of electronic synthesis and moments that feel like a psychedelic marching band driving the energy.

Rathlin from a Distance named after an island in Northern Ireland comprises solo piano tracks that feel almost hypnotic. Each song is named after a place that Tiersen visited on his 2023 sailing tour, from the Fastnet Lighthouse in the Atlantic Ocean to the Faroe Islands through Shetland, ending in the calm waters of the Caledonian Canal, which connects the east and west coasts of Scotland. Tiersens skills as a player are exquisite, but he also understands the importance of space and restraint. The deeply considered songs on this part of the album evoke the reflective mindset that originally inspired them.

In contrast, The Liquid Hour shifts from introspection to an outward focus. While working on The Liquid Hour, Tiersen decided things needed to be torn down. Opening with Stourm (tr. fight in Breton), a musical call for action, this part of the album is a reflection of our position and existence in the world, encompassing so much of Tiersens sonic world. Theres atmospheric ambient music; theres infectious melodies, hypnotic grooves, and electronic instrumentation, and QUINQUIS
adds vocals that feel as powerful and stirring as they are haunting and dreamy.

Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour is available on double vinyl and CD.

Tracklist:

LP1 – Rathlin from a Distance
Side A
1. Ninnog
2. Fastnet
3. Rathlin from a Distance
4. Trshavn

Side B
1. Norragta
2. Papa Stour
3. Bigton
4. Caledonian Canal

LP2 – The Liquid Hour
Side A
1. Stourm
2. Ninnog at Sea
3. Arne

Side A
1. The Liquid Hour
2. Dolores