Greg Haines: 2006 - 2012 on 3 CDs

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Over the course of seven years, British born and Berlin based composer Greg Haines has carved out an intensely beautiful corner in the vast and ever-growing musical world. He has surprised music lovers around the globe with his unique and overtly personal approach to creating and performing a very patient and contemplative music, and with his numerous projects with other musicians and choreographers, including 2012's collaboration with the Dutch National Ballet and choreographer David Dawson, and his ongoing work with The Alvaret Ensemble, who recently released their debut with Denovali. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the sonic world are three definitive solo albums, each on a different cult record label. These striking works are now collected and rightfully presented as three movements of a singular musical vision in the box-set "2006 - 2012", which also marks the first time that they all are available on vinyl.

Slumber Tides (Miasmah, 2006) is Greg's debut album, recorded and released when he was merely a teenager, seemingly tapping into a timeless wisdom where age makes no difference. The five sprawling tracks here introduce not only Greg's knack for experimentation with different instruments and atmospheric textures, but also his gift for heartbreaking compositions. Until The Point Of Hushed Support (Sonic Pieces, 2010) is something of a departure from the more isolated soundscapes of Slumber Tides, is comprised of a single long-form composition in four parts, with a core of five string players recorded live in Berlin's Grunewald Church. The beauty in this music is an ancient one, one which is only reached with dedication and patience. Also included on the vinyl edition is a brand new track, "The Traverse", which spans the length of Side D. Digressions (Preservation, 2012) finds Greg returning to his own studio, delving more and more into the infinite possibilities of music production, where tiny accidental sounds can become emotional sonic moments, while adding recordings from a large student ensemble. Here, hints of woodwinds and brass are added to the instrumental palette of the first two albums. A universe of homemade sounds combine with processed layers of texture sourced from others players, such as the distinctive violin of Iden Reinhart, culminating in breathtaking crescendos which always seem to last just the right amount of time.