Remix of the Day: 'Four (Darkstar Remix) by Olafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm

The original version of this track can be found on the 'Loon' EP, which came out on Erased Tapes earlier this year. Darkstar's mix builds and builds, based around a guitar riff that Aiden started playing as they listened to the track. It's fair to say that Darkstar & Nils Frahm are currently two of my favourite artists so this is a real treat for me, and I hope it is for you too.

Recommended music: 'Solo' by Nils Frahm

This, like pretty much everything Frahm puts his name to, is a thing of beauty. Recorded on his own as improvisations, with no overdubs, it's full of sublime melodies and gentle keystrokes, evoking solitariness but not loneliness, and a sense of calm and stillness that's just mesmerising. Even on the more vibrant and animated 'Wall', which undercuts the calmness with a slight air of menace, you still feel by the end that all is well. It's an amazing example of what one man can achieve with one piano and a bucketload of talent, but there's more...

You see, this record has a purpose, and that purpose is to raise money for the building of the Klavins M450 piano. One of a kind, this will be the largest piano in the world, standing 4.5 metres tall. A prototype, the M370, has already been built, and it's that on which Frahm recorded this album (as you might have guessed that one is 3.7 metres tall). The income from 'Solo' is being used to cover the materials and labour for the construction of this wonderful instrument, which will hopefully culminate in a festival to unveil it in Berlin on Piano Day 2017. So by buying this release you're helping this historical project to succeed, as well as getting a stunning piece of music for yourself. You can buy it here, and listen to a track from it below.

Recomended music: 'Seven Hours' EP by Douglas Dare

Out on Erased Tapes on September 30th, Dare's debut release is a brilliant set of four piano-led tracks. The title track is a bit like James Blake (without the stomach-wobbling bass), while second track 'Scars' would sound at home soundtracking a particularly poignant moment in a film or tv drama. It's purely piano and vocal, with a few looped up backing vocals towards the end, and it's deeply moving. 'Lungful' has some percussion and handclaps to accompany the piano, while closer 'Flames' is another Blake-esque track which builds to a crescendo before dropping away to a solo piano, hauntingly quite - you can hear the piano being played (that sounds a but odd but you know what I mean).

You can listen to the whole EP below, and click here to order it from Erased Tapes.