London-based Peter Gregson has been one of my favourite cellists for a while now. After so much contribution to many other albums, scores and interpretations, it was a pleasure to discover his voice through solo work, most notably of which for me became Patina (Deutsche Grammophon, 2021). Now, this award-winning composer is back with a self-titled album, interleaving his signature cello sound with modular synth manipulations, describing the music as “the closest to what I hear in my head that I’ve ever reached“. For me, it’s a perfect culmination of that modern classical sound with that of neo-electronica, where the organic sound is processed perfectly through its synthesised counterpart, among the beautiful melodies and harmony. As is the case with most modular systems, Gregson has selected his arsenal of modules (samplers, sequencers, but no oscillators) to create his ideal effects chain: “so everything that runs through it is a cello, and everything that comes out of it was created on a cello.” Fans of Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds and of course, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, will appreciate the cinematic soundscapes, soaring strings, and the subsonic bass, appearing on the album. But, once again, I want to bring your full attention to the music shared within. It’s not just an advanced, layered, well-defined recipe, expressed so much within contemporary electronic music in recent years, where young blood tends to chase and replicate the trends. It’s an offer of the composer’s own soul, where every piece tells a story, presented in an intimate and modern setting in which each element is placed just right, from the effects, dynamics, and progression, the way a composition truly puts its mark on the evolution of the sound. Leave it to the US-based Decca to capture and present this release on vinyl. You can also watch a video for the first single, following Gregson through the streets of NYC.
