Polaroid Notes - Home Diaries: Moonlight Sessions

Home Diaries is a series of UK label Whitelabrecs. It's an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. Each artist was interviewed and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download.

About the release:

The “Moonlight Sessions” were recorded end of March/beginning of April 2020 in three night sessions during lockdown. Just the moon above and a couple of tracks based on the warm sounds of a Rhodes piano and a few electronic overdubs.

The sessions feature five new tracks – “Into The Black”, “Return Back Home”, “Night Birds”, “Hope” and “Don’t Be Afraid Of Darkness” – and six re-recorded ones from older Polaroid Notes releases, where I had the feeling I can add something new to them in this currently strange situation, maybe a certain mood of focused loneliness, despair, melancholy and – yes – hope, too. You can judge for yourself.

“Low Tides” is a slow motion burner from the “Angel Band EP” (Jan 2019). Another different version can be found on the album “Low Tides” (Nov 2018). “Close To Heaven” is from “Angel Band EP”, too.

“Shining Star” is an all-time favourite of Polaroid Notes, the first attempt to write a song where you can feel every single note. This track and “M” were both released in different versions on “The Rhodes Session” mini album (March 2016).

“The Good Earth” and “Night Moves” were originally part of the “Dim Lights EP” (Oct 2016). All releases are on German label Büro für Erdrotation.

Tracklist:

1. Low Tides / 2. Into The Black / 3. Return Back Home / 4. Shining Star / 5. Night Birds / 6. The Good Earth / 7. Hope / 8. M / 9. Close To Heaven / 10. Night Moves / 11. Don't Be Afraid Of Darkness

Written and produced by Polaroid Notes

Mastering by James Edward Armstrong

Artwork by Harry Towell

Digital download and limited edition CDr available @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-moonlight-sessions

Release date: 22nd May 2020

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This is the first vinyl release of POLAROID NOTES. "Passing Paris" comes as limited edition 10 Inch in a beautiful lathe cut edition.

The idea for "Passing Paris" was born during a TGV train journey from Strasbourg to Rennes in Brittany. The journey through summery France, endless agricultural landscapes, the high speed of the train in contrast to the slowly changing countryside created an interesting and abstract atmosphere, which is reflected in the music of this EP.

The first four pieces are new compositions, "Oh Dear Heart" is a rework of my contribution for Piano Day 2018.

Tracklist:

1. Willow Tree / 2. PN / 3. Rolling Moon / 4. Passing Paris / 5. Oh Dear Heart

Recorded June to August 2019

Written and produced by POLAROID NOTES

Lathe cut vinyl edition was made by Patrick Peetz at ODrex Music. Thanks a lot Patrick.

Vinyl and digital download @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/passing-paris

Release date: 29th November 2019

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"Tell Me..." is one of the most slowed down and moody tracks I've ever recorded. A song dedicated to all who are strolling around aimlessly at midnight.

"Tell Me..." was part of the recording session for Nils Frahm's Piano Day 2019, released on the EP "Golden Heart" (Büro für Erdrotation).

Download @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/golden-heart-ep

Recorded for Nils Frahm's Piano Day on 29th March 2019

Download of "Golden Heart" plus three bonus tracks @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/golden-heart-ep

"Angel Band" is after "The Rhodes Session", Dim Lights" und "Re: Improvisation" the fourth release of POLAROID NOTES especially exploring the warm and deep sounds of an old Fender Rhodes piano. Six minimalistic slow-motion soundscapes which grow slowly with deep conscience and a heart full of love.

Tracklist:

1. Stay For A While

2. Turn Down The Lights

3. Angel Band

4. Low Tides (Version)

5. Sleepless Nights

6. Close To Heaven

Recorded and mixed in December 2018

Written and produced by POLAROID NOTES

Download @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/angel-band-ep

Release date: 4th January 2019

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“Low Tides” is about personal losses and silent sorrow, about fading away into darkness and other emotional moments.

The album refers to the legend, that at the Baie de Trépassés – a small bay at Cap Sizun in Brittany between Pointe du Raz and Pointe du Van – the souls of the deceased wait for the death ship to take them to the afterworld.

The eleven tracks of “Low Tides” are circling around dense and minimal piano structures, acompanied by strange electronic drones and effects which create a hypnotic atmosphere. It’s a dark world that waits for all of us….

Tracklist:

1. Shipwrecked / 2. Dream Well / 3. Like Ghosts / 4. Pointe du Van / 5. Miss You / 6. Silver Waves / 7. Baie de Trépassés / 8. Low Tides / 9. Fly Away / 10. Tomorrow Never Comes / 11. End Of The World

Recorded between January and September 2018

Written and produced by Polaroid Notes

Limited edition CD and digital download @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/low-tides

Release date: 10th November 2018

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Here's a teaser of the forthcoming Polaroid Notes album "Low Tides" which will be soon available as digital and limited edition CD release.

Recorded for Nils Frahm's Piano Day on 29th March 2018

“As Time Goes By” is a collection of unreleased songs and outtakes.

During the recording session for the “Days Of Our Lives” EP (released on Audio Gourmet in August 2017) a couple of tracks remained unfinished and unreleased. Together with some new recordings done in autumn and some “lost” tracks of the album “Unsung Memories” (released on Whitelabrecs in October 2017) I thought it would be a good idea to collect them for this new mini album. As a bonus are included two older tracks which I rediscovered during cleaning off dust from older recordings. (PN)

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“As Time Goes By” and “When The Moon Dies” – New tracks, recorded in November 2017 when days are getting shorter and darker.

“Cold Star” – An atmospheric ambient piece that didn’t manage to be part of the “Unsung Memories” album. Got lost somehow during the recording sessions.

“Crooked Road” – First take of a track that later became “Crooked Road To Monviso” of the “Days Of Our Lives” EP. Conceived at a camping site in the Barolo area in Italy with an amazing view to the Monviso mountain in the Cottian Alps.

“Ligurian Night Ride” and “Beyond Earth & Sea”– Two additional outtakes of the same session, recorded July 2017. Both tracks are deeply inspired by the beautiful landscape of the Liguarian coast.

“All You Need Is Sleep” and “Small Town Secrets”– Two unreleased piano miniatures, sort of a distant echo of the cinematic “Unsung Memories” album. Maybe a preview of future episodes…

“Return To Echo Bay” – Rework of the track “Echo Bay” from the first album “Sea Shores” (released May 2015 on Tessellate Recordings), done for Nils Frahm’s Piano Day in March 2017.

“Midnight Flow” – Recorded in 2015, originally intended for a compilation which never saw the light of day.

Download @ https://polaroidnotes.bandcamp.com/album/as-time-goes-by

Release Date: 4th Jan 2018

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"Unsung Memories" is a limited edition CD / digital release on British Whitelabrecs.

The album is intended as a film score for an unfilmed movie or TV series, as the matters of dark characters play out across the frames. Each track could represent a single episode or scene. It’s like a journey through deserted and desolate landscapes, cities, hearts and minds, provoking pictures of fate and despair, always with tension. Maybe there is a chance for relief, somewhere, sometimes? But nothing is ever over…

Tracklist:

1. A Small History Of Decay / 2. Moment Of Truth / 3. Golden Dawn / 4. Colours Of Peace / 5. Inside Of Everything / 6. Unsung Memories / 7. Dark End Of The Streets / 8. Take Care Of What You Love / 9. Dissolve / 10. The Low Country / 11. Once There Was Beauty / 12. Nothing Is Ever Over

Written, produced and mastered by Polaroid Notes

Photography by Polaroid Notes

Artwork by Harry Towell

Release Date: 21st Oct. 2017

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