Shifts [LP]

A wonderfully immersive suite of five stunning new tracks, 'Shifts' expands upon Swedish-Iranian pianist / composer Shida Shahabi's debut album and confirms her as a genuine new force in contemporary piano music. Following the the rise of pianist / composers like Max Richter, Nils Frahm, Dustin O'Halloran and Olafur Arnalds from the late '00s onwards, contemporary piano-based music has seen a huge surge in popularity. It has become an increasingly flooded field, and one largely dominated by white male artists drawing upon a fairly narrow spectrum of influence. What sets Shida apart from so many peers is both the genuine depth of detail and feeling as well as the greater breadth of influence she draws on. Hers is a visceral, lusciously sensitive music. Prepared with felt (to create a damped sense of closeness) and intimately captured via clever microphone placement and a subtle prism of tape delay treatments, the simple, gentle beauty of her compositions is striking. Uncluttered and unhurried, a deep sense of integrity and humble warmth seeps through every note.