Nils Frahm shares a new CD of solo piano music, ‘Night & Day’. The CD includes all eleven tracks from both last March’s mini-album, ‘Day’, and the new companion collection, ‘Night’. The album follows Frahm’s latest live release, ‘Paris’, which came out in December 2024. With this, he also responds to repeated requests from fans for another CD release. The tracks on ‘Night & Day’ serve as a reminder that, although Frahm has become widely acclaimed for the intricately arranged, multi-instrumental approach of his most commercially successful albums, he first made his name through meditative solo piano works. These earlier pieces include collections such as 2009’s ‘The Bells’, 2011’s ‘Felt’, and 2012’s ‘Screws’.

Recorded in Mallorca, far from his studio in Berlin’s famed Funkhaus complex, ‘Day’ offers six tracks—three of them stretching beyond six minutes. On the gently jazzy, cyclical ‘You Name It’, one hears the muffled creaks of piano pedals, while the rippling arpeggios of ‘Butter Notes’ are accompanied by the sound of dogs barking in the streets outside. These sonic details add a sense of place and presence, grounding the listener in the atmosphere of the recording sessions. ‘Night’ contributes five more tracks, beginning with the glacially paced ‘Wesen’. This piece conjures the image of Frahm, lit only by a candle, hunched over his piano, playing not for an audience but for the simple companionship the instrument provides. The album concludes with ‘Canton’, a track marked by its delicate airiness—perhaps the record’s equivalent of a first light at dawn. It’s a graceful close to a spellbinding collection that consistently reflects Frahm’s distinct musical voice. This release also underscores why Frahm has continued to return to the piano throughout his career. Even in his recent live performances—where he leaps between keyboards, synthesizers, and even a glass harmonica—he always reserves space for solo piano compositions. Today, he remains a prolific master of affecting simplicity, tenderness, and romance, still capable of delivering moments of unforgettable, epigrammatic clarity. With ‘Night & Day’, Frahm reaffirms his deep bond with the piano, offering listeners a work of quiet brilliance and emotional resonance.