Peter Broderick
American-born multi-instrumentalist and composer Peter Broderick is signed to both Bella Union and Erased Tapes, two labels whose reputations precede their plaudits. A sometime touring member of Efterklang and session musician for an assortment of indie stalwarts such as M Ward and Laura Gibson, he began to release solo works back in 2007.
Having recorded the album http://www.itstartshear.com with Nils Frahm helming as producer, and having played all the instruments himself, Broderick struggled to recreate the work in a live setting and ended up cancelling tour plans, returning to Oregon following a hospital stay with a stress-born illness. Then came a leftfield offer from the Swiss town of Lucerne; he was invited to stay there for three weeks, and record a new album with local musicians providing a backing band.
The new approach proved to be refreshing. “I arrived with a pile of songs and just sort of watched as they got carried through the filter of this group of musicians who were coming from an entirely different place,” says Broderick. “It was exciting to let go a little bit, to simplify and consolidate my own role in the music.”
Ahead of the resulting release of his first new Bella Union album in three years, Colours Of The Night, Broderick raided his record collection for the albums that have influenced him most – and, in a This Music Made Me first, one of them isn’t even out yet…
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It’s hard to pick a favorite album by Arthur Russell.
But this is one of the few that was actually released while he was alive, and no matter how many times I hear it, it continues to puzzle me in the most beautiful way. That voice, and all the odd spliced-together sounds… How did this music come about?
It’s really difficult to imagine how it was made, and I love that mystery. Yet despite all the wacky sounds on this album, there’s something about it that sounds so pure. A huge inspiration.
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I’ve been slowly but surely diving into the world of Nina Simone over the last few years, and I recently found this vinyl second hand at a record shop in Portland.
It’s a special album because Nina played everything on it herself. Nina has this explosive passion when she sings. I can only imagine that music must have been a very therapeutic thing for her, as it is for me.
I love how strong her musical character is. So bold, so dead serious and always somehow playful at the same time.
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I love the rawness in Michael Hurley’s recordings. It always sounds like you’re right there with him, in his living room as he sings his quirky songs.
It’s inspiring to see someone so productive at an older age. And it’s very rewarding to collect all his records with his beautiful paintings on the covers.
He has somewhat of a legendary reputation, and yet he still plays for nothing at local cafe’s and bars in Oregon. Awesome.
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Félicia Atkinson has been one of my favorite artists to follow over the last several years.
No matter what the medium she’s working with… painting, drawing, poetry, music… there’s always that same spirit. There’s always a freshness in Félicia’s work.
She’s an artist who seems to really trust her own intuition. All her work feels so free. Plus she has a voice that is completely hypnotizing to me. I find it so soothing.
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This is an artist that I just recently discovered, and this album isn’t even out yet. A friend of mine is putting out the album on vinyl on his small label called Unwork, and he played me the whole album a few days ago.
I had one of those rare moments in which the music rendered me completely speechless.
Brumes is the project of a fairly young woman from Portland named Desiree Rousseau, and I am thrilled to have become acquainted with her music. Her musical journey has only just begun and I’m very excited to watch her develop.
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I love the diversity of Brian Eno’s musical output. Different albums of his feel appropriate at different times.
But this is one album that I can put on almost any time. It’s so calming. I think many people think of this record as a kind of pinnacle of ambient music, and I’m no exception.
I’ve listened to it in airports several times, and it works so well! I’ve also listened to this album countless times while falling asleep.
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I grew very attached to this album when I moved back to Oregon in 2013/2014… I love the rawness of it.
The whole thing consists of only vocals and drums. Neal’s words and his somewhat odd but very straightforward vocal delivery really resonate with me.
There are some lines from this album and also the one that came out afterwards which make me tingle. And some lines that make me laugh too.
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I’ll never forget the first time my friend Casper played me the song “Riding For The Feeling”.
He presented it to me as if it were some kind of magic. And Bill Callahan’s music has become just that for me… magic.
His booming voice and vocal phrasings are so special, and this is the record that really drew me in.
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This group from Senegal completely blew my mind on recording, and then when I saw them live it was even more powerful.
The singer actually looked down to me in the front row at one point during the show, and she reached out her hand and pulled me up on stage.
I danced like crazy while the band continued their relentless grove, and when I jumped off stage I felt such a rush that I had to go outside and get some fresh air. Absolutely amazing!
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This young guy has released countless albums for free online, and this is the first one I really dove into.
His musicality and odd playfulness continue to baffle and amaze me, and I’m really excited to see where his musical path will take him.
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Peter Broderick’s new album Colours Of The Night is out through Bella Union on 27 April 2015. Our review follows. A short tour of live appearances commences in Nottingham on 29 April, with a date at London’s Rough Trade East on 1 May.
Tour dates and further information can be found here.
Peter Broderick MP3s or CDs
Peter Broderick on Spotify
