Four tracks from the previous album Vortex have now found their way to Equinox, where they form a powerful unit with the other six tracks. These six were created, played, recorded and produced entirely by Pieter himself, a confirmation of his ever-growing self-confidence.
On Equinox, Pieter’s piano playing frequently and clearly conveys his predilection for the romantic, lyrical, opulent approach. His fingers and his mind can handle that again. After many therapies he has almost overcome the RSI with great patience and perseverance. Witness the recent show in TivoliVredenburg where he improvised non-stop on the piano and grand piano for 10 hours.
While much comparable neoclassical music tends to soundscapes and tapestries of sound, Pieter seems to steer his tracks on Equinox more and more in the direction of real “songs”.
Song titles such as Event Horizon, Supernova and The Star Shift are borrowed from astronomy, in which Pieter has been extremely interested since childhood. Album title Equinox is too. “Equinox,” he explains, “is when the sun is above the equator, at its highest point, when the day and night are the same length. That is the change to spring or to autumn, the dawn of a new season.” It goes without saying that the album ends with August Sings, which seems to radiate a summer glow and harmony.
The album Equinox also expressly wants to reflect a new balance that Pieter has found in his life. Physically and mentally. “I live healthier and more consciously, with more sport and more peace in my private life. I now experience music almost physically as a healing force.” On Equinox, Pieter de Graaf opened the doors to hope, love, warmth, willpower and a positive outlook on life. You can hear that from the album. In all its elegant grace, Equinox is the expression of pure emotion and pure beauty. That’s what makes Equinox such a fantastic, immersive and unique listening experience.