#ibi berlin

[elizabethplaid]

ibi berlin - 10 Minimal Piano Pieces

I rave about ibi a lot, especially when I’m quite moved by individual pieces. Here, ibi has put together 10 of his songs for an hour-long video (well 59:11). It serves as a nice introduction to his music, his typical style.

Some of the songs on the list are available as free mp3 downloads. He also allows reuse of his music and provides sheet music. Best part: My fav song by him is the first track on the list: “Some Sand”.

Track list below the cut. The time stamps are links, but I’ll also link to the individual videos, as well.

00:00 Some Sand - video

07:07 Cotton - video

11:58 Liquorice - video

18:07 Breakfast - video

21:50 Oktagon - video

25:55 Thyme  - video

29:41 Resonanz - video

44:49 Unkenrufe - video

49:11 Petting the keys - video

54:38 Medicine - video

“ibi” feels like such a short name, so I tend to call him “ibi berlin”, as he’s based in Berlin. I’ve also tagged him as “ibi piano music”.

[elizabethplaid]

ibi - “Muscle Memory”

This song is titled “Muscle Memory”, but it also feels like an “ear” memory. The background theme reminds me of “Moonlight Sonata” or another notable classical piece. Listening to this piece - even upon the first listen - feels like curling up with an old blanket, revisiting a friend. But that can be said of much of ibi’s other music, as well. 

I can sense other layers of emotions that can be evoked with this song. Tell me what else you hear.

[elizabethplaid]

ibi - Bitter Milk

Ibi has posted another new piano piece. I’m not sure I agree with the title, unless it’s in a round-about way, of sorts. Lemme explain.

As usual, I was immediately enchanted with this piece. I started feeling misty at the ~1:55 transition; definitely tears at the 3:25 transition. Again, it’s like these pieces of music are naming that undefined sadness I have lurking within me. “Yes, I didn’t know it was there until you named it,” I want to say. Very comforting.

On my second listen, watching for the time stamps and watching the piano parts moving, I noted that “bitter” didn’t feel like an appropriate word for this piece.

It’s a quiet walk alone, on a rainy-foggy morning. As it builds, I can feel that tension - that unnamed thing - starting to surface. It’s like the opening sequence of a murder mystery movie, before there’s a crime, when you see glimpses of the secrets people hide. Like the calm before the storm is coming to a close, and we’re about to be caught off-guard.

(Specifically, I imagine it as 1940s England, with women in skirts and sweaters, autumn leaves covering the ground. A blond woman with a navy beret, mustard-yellow sweater, and brown corduroy skirt walks along a paved road with an umbrella. She looks over her shoulder at a car passing by, then again as she retrieves a wrinkled envelope from the mail box. When she comes inside the house, she hides the letter behind heavy books in the library, without opening the envelope. We’re not sure if the envelope is addressed to her or the older man she lives with, or even what their relationship is yet.)

Maybe the “bitter” is the slow build-up of realizing all the secrets and misdeeds. Finally coming to the understanding that “this is not okay”. The subtle “bitter” taste in your mouth, as you realize that this has to stop, that you can’t put up with this other person’s crap just because you fear they will leave. The pain of having them there just might be worse than their rejection and abandonment.

In reality, that feeling can be a very slow build, as it was in my experience. So I guess I do understand the word “bitter” in the title. Just... in a round-about sort of way. -----------------

I suppose describing the scenes I envision when listening to music is a good writing prompt.

[elizabethplaid]

end-of-June playlist update

The last update was mid-March, and I seem to have collected quite a few since then. This “batch listen” playlist is currently at 135 videos, including the 36 in this post. If anyone’s interested, I can make another post noting which videos have survived multiple culls. Just lemme know.

As always, I don’t watch the videos most of the time. Watch at your own risk for content, but I do try to select still-image videos when I can. When I can’t, I’ll do my best to note if there’s something notable.

Ibi (piano) - "Half Son"

Hozier - "Almost (Sweet Music)"

Francisco Tárrega - “Capricho árabe”

Halsey - "Gasoline"

Meg Myers - "Numb"

Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"

Flesh - "Schwarze Sonne"

Skating Polly - "Hail Mary"

The Regrettes - "Seashore"

Half Alive - "Still Feel" - mentioned previously

Jun Miyake - "Lillies of the Valley"

Moderat - "A New Error" - posted previously

Forest Swords - “Crow”

The Gaslamp Killer - "In the Dark" - flashing images, posted previously

Forum - “Let’s Call Each Other” (Russian synthpop)

Smashing Pumpkins - "The Everlasting Gaze" - some flashing

Halsey - "Castle"

Billie Eilish - “Ocean Eyes”

Billie Eilish - “Bellyache”

Billie Eilish - “Bury a Friend” - body horror, flashing lights

Carly Rae Jepsen - "Now That I Found You" - posted previously

Imogen Heap - "Just For Now" - posted previously

Foals - "Exits" - flashing lights

Gorillaz - "Empire Ants"

The National - "Light Years"

Lizzo - "Juice" - posted previously

Switchfoot - "Meant to Live"

Gary Numan - "My Name is Ruin"

The 1975 - "Somebody Else"

Skating Polly - "Pretective Boy"

Ex:Re - "The Dazzler"

Zi De Guqin Studio - “Upwards to the Moon”, end theme from "Ashes of Love"

Flesh - "Frail" - subtle flashing

Sunflower Bean - "I Was a Fool"

Filter and The Crystal Method - "(Can You) Trip Like I Do"  

Essex - "Crim35" - subtle flashing

[elizabethplaid]

Ibi - “Cartwheels”

I love this person’s piano music, especially his original pieces.