Francis Gri 'Svanire' Limited edition CDR
December 2024
We are very happy to be able to get hold of a few copies of this beautiful album, which is pretty much a collaboration between Francis & Andrew Chalk. Francis sent his recordings of keyboards to Andrew who spent a lot of time on mixing & producing the pieces, adding his own unique sound. If you enjoyed the Robert Haig CDs we used to stock a while ago, you will almost certainly like this. Released in small quantities in a gatefold card sleeve with artwork by Andrew Chalk.
From the label :
The strength of this piece lies precisely in its simplicity, which never feels trivial thanks to the meticulous production by Andrew Chalk. With his unique and hypnotic touch, Andrew has brought to life a sound that amplifies and enhances the delicate nature of the compositions, enriching them with emotional depth. Every sonic detail is carefully crafted, creating a balance between emptiness and fullness, between sound and silence, making the listening experience unique and immersive.
Accompanying the music is a short story, a narrative that intertwines with the notes, creating a subtle dialogue between words and sound. The artwork, generously provided by Andrew Chalk, is not just a visual frame but a perfect representation of the atmosphere evoked by the album: an image that, like the music, seems to dissolve and vanish, capturing the fleeting nature of the moment. The choice of colors and visual forms engages with the sonic tones, further enriching the overall sensory experience.
A special thanks goes to Daisuke Suzuki, who contributed the Kanji translation of the word Svanire, adding another layer of cultural and symbolic meaning to this work. The Kanji translation is not just a linguistic transposition but a bridge between cultures, reflecting the universality of the theme of vanishing and impermanence.
Credits
released November 9, 2024
Piano and words by Francis Gri
Produced and mixed by Andrew Chalk
Mastered by Francis Gri
Artwork and lettering by Andrew Chalk
Japanese translation by Daisuke Suzuki
REVIEW by Vito Camarretta, Chain DLK : There are albums that demand attention, commanding the listener with audacious crescendos and sprawling orchestrations. Then there is "Svanire" by Francis Gri - a collection of fragile piano pieces that does precisely the opposite. Like a leaf floating toward the ground, "Svanire" asks not for your focus but for your stillness, inviting you to dissolve into its quiet, wistful depths.
Francis Gri, known for his refined minimalism, crafts an introspective suite that feels less like music and more like an act of listening to absence. Across four "adagi" - a term that itself suggests slowness and contemplation - the album explores the act of vanishing, both as a theme and as a process. Notes barely touch the air before they evaporate, their echoes lingering like memories too delicate to hold.
From the opening moments of "Primo Adagio", the listener is transported into a space where time slows to an almost imperceptible crawl. The piano’s unadorned simplicity is haunting, each note placed with such precision that its absence becomes just as powerful as its presence. There’s a weight to the silences between phrases - a quietude that feels alive with unspoken emotion.
This skeletal approach continues through the shorter "Secondo Adagio" and "Terzo Adagio", where electric piano tones introduce a faint shimmer, like sunlight refracted through mist. The music doesn’t progress so much as it breathes, gently expanding and contracting in waves of melancholy. By the time we arrive at "Quarto Adagio", the album’s closing piece, it feels as though the notes themselves are fading, their edges blurred by the inexorable pull of impermanence.
If "Svanire" has a guiding philosophy, it is that of "less is more". Produced and mixed by Andrew Chalk, a master of understated atmospheres, the album achieves a rare balance between sound and silence. Chalk’s subtle touch amplifies the delicacy of Gri’s compositions, imbuing them with an almost tactile intimacy. The spaces between the notes become as significant as the notes themselves, creating a dialogue between presence and absence that feels profoundly human.
The music is accompanied by a short story, though calling it a mere "story" feels reductive. Like the album, the narrative unfolds with a kind of poetic restraint, engaging in a quiet conversation with the sounds. And then there is Andrew Chalk’s artwork - a visual counterpart to the music that captures the same ephemeral beauty. The muted colors and dissolving forms seem to mirror the music’s exploration of transience, reinforcing the idea that nothing - not even art - can fully resist the pull of time.
Special mention must go to the Kanji translation of "Svanire" provided by Daisuke Suzuki. This small but significant addition bridges cultures, underscoring the universality of the album’s themes. The act of vanishing, after all, is not bound by language or geography; it is an experience shared by all.
Weirdly, in its embrace of impermanence, "Svanire" achieves a kind of timelessness. Its unassuming beauty lingers long after the final note has faded, like a memory you didn’t realize you were making.
For those willing to surrender to its quietude, "Svanire" offers a rare kind of solace. It reminds us that beauty often resides in the spaces we overlook - the pauses, the absences, the moments of stillness that let us feel the weight of our own existence. Francis Gri has not just composed music; he has created a space for reflection, a sanctuary for vanishing.
Approach "Svanire" not as a listener but as a wanderer, and you may find that in its delicate dissolution, something enduring emerges.
