Encircle (September 19)

ALAN BROWN

Alan is a musician with a long and revered history in the New Zealand jazz scene as a pianist & Hammond organist. He was the bandleader of the successful jazz-funk ensemble Blue Train in the 1990s and the organ-based Alan Brown Trio in the 2000s. He has been an enthusiastic music educator for many years and enjoys repairing vintage keyboards and synths.

“In late 2021, I acquired a handmade 'Ondomo,' an instrument that had interested me for a long time, which served as a key voice in my previous Rattle release Ondulation (2023). While the piano is known for its expressiveness and as a synthesiser controller, I have always been intrigued by alternative methods of interfacing with electronic musical instruments.

 This use of the Ondomo on this recording serves a more subtle purpose. Woven discreetly into the fabric, it provides a quiet but vital presence that grounds the work without demanding attention.

 Conceived in 2020, the closing track, Isolation, pays homage to William Basinski’s “The Disintegration Loops”. The sonic erosion of the work stems from digital breakdown, characterised by the gradual reduction of bits rather than traditional tape decay. Though born from a sense of separation, the piece gradually shifts to a calmer state in which the final moments evoke a sense of letting go and quietly accepting what remains.”

 Alan Brown, July 2025