Piano Magic

Piano Magic

Company type	Musical collective
Industry	Music
Founded	June 1996 (1996-06)
Founder	Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, Dick Rance
Headquarters	London , England
Products	Music albums, singles, EPs
Website	www.pianomagic.net

Piano Magic was a musical collective established in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their musical style merged elements of ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, dark wave, and an "artistic baroque pop" aesthetic. Originating as a studio-based endeavor centered around the founding trio with various guest musicians, Glen Johnson remained the only founding member when the group concluded activities in 2017.

Formation and early period: 1996–1998

Piano Magic started as a 'bedroom-studio' initiative in London, concentrating on recordings by the initial trio alongside invited collaborators. Although initially hesitant to perform live, pressure from their label emerged after their debut single received airplay on BBC Radio 1's John Peel show, earning the distinction of Single of the Week in Melody Maker. Drummer Paul Tornbohm was added for live performances, with the group intentionally avoiding replication of their studio sound during concerts.

Their first album, Popular Mechanics (1997), released through I (label)/Ché Trading, was characterized as "ethereal electro pop atmospheric soundscapes" and "simply delighting in... making silly noises." This record combined two earlier singles with new compositions by Johnson and Chennell; by this stage, Rance had exited the group. Vocal contributions came from Hazel Burfitt and Raechel Leigh.

Subsequently, American artists Alexander Perls, Jen Adam, and Ezra Feinberg joined briefly, although Chennell left prior to the second album's release. Low Birth Weight (1998) presented a sound described as "dreamy, trance and organic psychedelia," introducing vocalist Caroline Potter, who appeared on one additional album.

Middle years: 1999–2004

By 1999, Glen Johnson was the sole remaining original member, providing him with full creative control to guide the band toward a more traditional musical approach. The lineup featuring Johnson, Miguel Marin, John Cheves, and Paul Tornbohm produced the third album, Artists' Rifles, under the production of John A Rivers (known for his work with Dead Can Dance and Felt). This album highlighted a guitar-driven style described as "a blend of chiming guitars and processional rhythms," with performances at prominent European festivals such as Benicassim and BAM. During this era, Piano Magic expanded its international audience primarily through extensive touring across Europe.

Following Cheves' exit, the band signed with 4AD Records in 2000 and released the soundtrack for Bigas Luna's film Son de Mar in 2001, which was noted for its "ethereal, delayed guitar lines" coupled with ambient soundscapes.

Jerome Tcherneyan took over drumming duties from Marin, and the 2002 4AD album Writers Without Homes featured collaborations with musicians from Cocteau Twins, The Czars, Tarwater, Life Without Buildings, and Tram. This release included folk artist Vashti Bunyan's first vocal recording in over three decades. Although reviews were mixed, it helped maintain the band's foothold within specialized audiences.

With Franck Alba and Alasdair Steer joining the ensemble, Piano Magic issued The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic in 2003 on Green Ufos. This work drew comparisons to groups such as This Mortal Coil and Durutti Column.

Final phase: 2005–2017

Cédric Pin became a member for the 2005 release Disaffected, which adopted a melodic, almost pop-oriented style and featured guest vocals by John Grant (The Czars) and Angèle David-Guillou (Klima). This album enhanced their international recognition, gaining notable attention in French outlets such as Liberation, although it did not achieve widespread mainstream exposure in the UK.

Their 2007 record Part Monster, with production by Guy Fixsen of Laika, further developed their evolving musical direction. In 2008, Piano Magic transitioned to the artist-run label Make Mine Music and issued the Dark Horses EP, marking Cédric Pin’s final participation.

The band’s tenth official album, Ovations (2009), included contributions from Brendan Perry and Peter Ulrich of Dead Can Dance. In June 2012, they unveiled Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet, featuring guest vocals by Josh Hight (Irons).

Piano Magic’s concluding album, Closure, was globally released on 20 January 2017 through Second Language Music in CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Guest artists on this record included Peter Milton Walsh (The Apartments), cellist Audrey Riley (The Go-Betweens, Nick Cave), Josh Hight (Irons), and Oliver Cherer (Dollboy).

Their final live performance occurred in December 2016 at The Lexington in London, precisely two decades after their initial gig. The closing lineup comprised Franck Alba (guitar), Glen Johnson (guitar, vocals), Alasdair Steer (bass), Paul Tornbohm (keyboards), and Jerome Tcherneyan (drums).

Associated endeavors

Glen Johnson released a solo effort titled Details Not Recorded in March 2009 on Make Mine Music. In 2014, he put out the 3" postcard EP Same Sex (Hibernate) and contributed to the Silver Servants album by Second Language Music artists. The following year, Johnson collaborated on the album My Heart Has Run Out of Breath as well as live audio-visual shows with London-based Macedonian artist Kristina Pulejkova.

Cédric Pin and Glen Johnson collaborate under the name Future Conditional, releasing The Burning Skull (Second Language Music) in 2018. Additionally, Johnson records solo material as Textile Ranch.

Angèle David-Guillou has two albums as part of Klima ('Klima' - Peacefrog, 2007; 'Serenades and Serinettes' - Second Language, 2010) alongside two solo releases on Village Green: 'Kourouma' (2013) and 'En Mouvement' (2017).

Dominic Chennell records under the moniker 'Dominic de Nebo' and with the 'Carphology Collective'.

Albums

• Popular Mechanics (i/Che, 1997)
• A Trick of the Sea (Darla, 1998)
• Low Birth Weight (Rocket Girl, 1999)
• Artists' Rifles (Rocket Girl, 2000)
• Son de Mar (4AD, 2001)
• Writers Without Homes (4AD, 2002)
• The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic (Green UFOs, 2003)
• Disaffected (Darla, 2005)
• Part Monster (Important, 2007)
• Ovations (Make Mine Music, 2009)
• Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet (Second Language, 2012)
• Closure (Second Language, 2017)

Compilations

• Seasonally Affective: A Retrospective of Piano Magic 1996–2000 (Rocket Girl, 2001)
• Heart Machinery: Piano Magic Retrospective 2001–2008 (Second Language, 2013)

Singles & EPs

• "Wrong French" (i/Che, 1996)
• "Wintersport" (i/Che, 1997)
• "For Engineers" (Wurlitzer, 1997)
• "Music for Rolex" (Lissy's, 1998)
• "There's No Need for Us to Be Alone" (Rocket Girl, 1998)
• "Fun of the Century" (Piao!, 1998)
• "Mort Aux Vaches" (Staalplat, 1998)
• "Music for Annahbird" (Piao!, 1998)
• "Amongst the Books, an Angel" (Acetone, 1999)
• "Panic Amigo" (Morr Music, 2000)
• "I Came to Your Party Dressed as a Shadow" (Acuarela, 2001)
• "Speed the Road, Rush the Lights" (Green UFOs, 2003)
• "Saint Marie EP" (Green UFOs, 2003)
• "The Opencast Heart EP" (Important Records, 2005)
• "Never It Will Be the Same Again" [Limited Edition of 100] (EN/OF, 2006)
• "Incurable EP" (Important Records, 2006)
• "Dark Horses EP" (Make Mine Music, 2008)
• "Chemical EP" (Second Language, 2012)

Related releases

• Bird Heart in Wool, Textile Ranch (Very Friendly, 2005)
• Klima, Klima (Peacefrog, 2007)
• We Don't Just Disappear, Future Conditional (LTM, 2008)
• Brave New Wales, Various Artists (Fourier Transform, 2008)
• Details Not Recorded, Glen Johnson (Make Mine Music, 2009)
• Tombola, Textile Ranch (Very Friendly, 2009)
• Serenades and Serinettes, Klima (Second Language Music, 2010)
• Kourouma, Angèle David-Guillou (Village Green, 2013)
• Same Sex, Glen Johnson (Hibernate, 2014)
• My Heart Has Run Out of Breath, Glen Johnson/Kristina Pulejkova (Second Language Music, 2015)
• En Mouvement, Angèle David-Guillou (Village Green, 2017)
• The Burning Skull, Cédric Pin/Glen Johnson (Second Language Music, 2018)
• Isotech, Future Conditional (Second Language Music, 2022)

External links

• Official website of Piano Magic