Following two Eps, ‘La Machina’ and ‘Technopiano’, Fabrizio Rat releases his first album of hybrid techno, with an innovative sound palette. The Pianist combines the acoustic sounds and weird harmonics of his prepared piano with the acid loops of the TB-303 and the beats of the TR-909.

“I'm much attracted by a certain type of techno, based on the purity of sound. This music can really approach abstraction, the immateriality of thought and ideas. A track like ‘Aimard’, for example, is characteristic of his ambition. It's a sort of tunnel. It does not develop apart from a few ‘turning points’, in a similar way to lots of tracks by Jeff Mills, who has been a big inspiration to me for a long time. I feel attracted to his radical approach to techno and his taste of sonic exploration. Many tracks by him have an incredible character. As the records starts, you're all of a sudden facing a new world. That's exactly what I am most interested in, to find a strong vibe of a track, much more then constructing a form with evolution and surprises.”

‘Gould’, just before ‘Aimard’ in the record, has the same strength but plays with rhythmic elements in a more subtle way.

“It's not really techno, but still hypnotic. The first version of it had lots of 909 in it, which has been little by little removed, following the advices of Arnaud Rebotini who coproduced the album and released it on his label. Arnaud pushed me towards a more radical and extreme direction, putting the piano on the forefront and simplifying the rhythmical patterns, to be more effective. This gives to the final result more impact I think.”