We Will Live On
Friends of Friends, 2022
8/10
A very unique listen, the artist Deru, aka Benjamin Wynn, made this album with a Disklavier, which is an acoustic piano outfitted with solenoids that allows it to be digitally controlled. Deru then had to sequence it with software he made, and this makes for the piano playing itself across songs about legacy, loneliness, helplessness, love and hope.
“The Way Through The Forest” starts the listen with a warm melody, where much beauty flows with a reflective tone, and “The Wind” follows with a meditative quality that’s rich with gorgeous, absorbing song craft.
At the halfway point, “To Quiet The Voices” emits a hypnotic pattern that comes with as much mystery as it does beauty, while “The Rain” uses strategic and complex key dynamics that make for a mesmerizing and memorable album highlight.
“We Will Disappear” and “The Return” exit the listen, where the former is a bit ominous before building into a rhythmic and intimate landscape, and the latter fades out with a charming repetition that becomes cinematic, almost eerie.
The impetus for this effort stemmed from worsening climate crisis and pandemic isolation, and Deru’s creativity bridges technology with humanity in a way that touches on beauty, fear and art with inimitable results.
Travels well with: Bastian Keb- Organ Recital; Bottler- Journey Work