The Quietus - A new rock music and pop culture website

News

Jon Hopkins Details New EP, 'Piano Versions'
Christian Eede , April 12th, 2021 15:27

It includes covers of tracks by Thom Yorke, Roger & Brian Eno, and more

Jon Hopkins is releasing a new EP of ambient piano cover versions.

Titled Piano Versions, the EP sees Hopkins tackle track by Roger & Brian Eno, Thom Yorke, Luke Abbott, and James Yorkston. It's presented as the sister record to 2014's Asleep Versions EP. Above, you can listen to Hopkins' cover of Roger & Brian Eno's 2020 track 'Wintergreen'.

Speaking about the EP, Hopkins says: "Piano Versions is four minimal, ambient piano covers of songs I have loved for a long time but that come from very different places. It seems to me that melody is universal and the ones that I really connect to shine out irrespective of genre or context, whether from techno, folk or whatever. I loved the simplicity of having my old upright piano be the centre of a whole record for the first time. But the importance of letting the outside world into the recordings is as present for me as ever, so there are layers of incidental noise, bird song, the sound of someone washing up in the studio kitchen - whatever was going on outside my room is included and even accentuated."

Domino will release Piano Versions on April 16, 2021.