Ben FoldsIvory-tinkler supreme Ben Folds has taken to social media to provide an enlightening look behind the curtain at the work he has been pouring into his forthcoming solo full-length, with a picture of an experimental, classically inspired pop album emerging in its wake.
Admitting that he doesn't remember "ever being quite so excited about an album" he has been working on, Folds gushed about his collaborators on the record, "NYC's almost classical sextet", yMusic, who have previously worked with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Bjork, Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver, Blake Mills and more.
"Love 'em musically and personally," Folds wrote on Facebook. "They are pushing me. Collectively and individually they've been on quite a few great recordings … since most of their group graduated Julliard nearly a decade ago. Then there's their new cellist, Gabe who just got out of Curtis, which is a maximum security music conservatory — hardcore shit. He'll cut a bitch over a parallel 5th."
Folds revealed that the album was tracked in a total of 12 days, with Folds and collaborators Rob Moose and CJ Camarieri handling arrangement across the States, in New York, LA and Nashville. As Folds explains, the album's instrumentation consists of piano, cello, viola, violin, flute, piccolo, alto flute, trumpet, french horn, clarinet, bass clarinet "and… minimal booms and beats from drums from time to time".
"The odd marching snare, or concert bass drum," as Folds described the percussion section. "More often than not, no drums but still pop songs.
"Also, no bass ever."
The final product is shaping up to consist of 10 of the songs recorded with yMusic, and include a full-orchestra recording of Folds' Concerto For Piano & Orchestra, which has been in the making for much of the past year.
Folds' forthcoming full-length does not yet have a (publicised) title, nor a concrete release date, though the veteran muso indicated that it will likely be out by September.
"On vinyl it will be a double album I suppose with the concerto being side 4. That's my thinking at the moment," Folds said.
He'll be setting off on tour in April, "with vague plans to do some last minute announced gigs where the whole show is improvised" — though those plans are likely pretty limited in scope at this stage. Still, we can always hold out hope for another trip Down Under from the man himself and his talented newfound friends. In the interim, get to know them (and hear a preview from the album), and read Folds' full explanatory post, below.
