CELEBRATED CELLIST & COMPOSER PETER GREGSON ANNOUNCES NEW SELF TITLED ALBUM PETER GREGSON OUT APRIL 11 ON DECCA RECORDS US
LEAD SINGLE “VISION” OUT NOW
Watch the “Vision” video HERE
17 JANUARY 2025 (TORONTO, ON) – Today, acclaimed British cellist and composer Peter Gregson has announced his self-titled album, Peter Gregson. Out April 11 via Decca Records US, the album is the definitive representation of his artistry and further establishes Gregson as one of the most exciting composers of our time. Out now is the first single “Vision”. Listen here and pre-order the album here.
Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England, the nine-song set is a collection of “songs without words” – a nod to the Romantic-era notion popularized by 19th-century composer Felix Mendelssohn – showcasing Gregson’s signature cello sound and modular synthesizer.
Acknowledging his blending of disparate sound sources, Gregson and his team recorded the cello to tape while capturing the synthesizer accompaniment digitally. Not just any synthesizer, either: Searching for the sound he had in his head, Gregson took matters into his own hands and built his own. “A modular synthesizer typically would have an oscillator, and then go into filters, maybe a sequencer, reverb, delays—things to create a complete sound world,” he explains. Gregson’s bespoke set-up comprises similar elements, including a series of samplers and sequencers. “But the big thing is that it doesn’t have any oscillators; it only has a mic input for the cello,” he says. “So everything that runs through it is a cello, and everything that comes out of it was created on a cello.” The synthesizer, he notes, actually allows him to use every sound the cello can produce, including coarse scrapes and subsonic rumbles, for expressive purposes.
The accompanying video for “Vision” starts off in the predawn hours, tracking Gregson as he is transported through the urban canyons of NYC. Matching the illuminating rays of the early morning sun, the music comes in waves – starting off like a gentle stirring that moves imperceptibly forward becoming bolder to match the moving backdrop of the awakening city. It’s a wonderful atmospheric aural and visual vignette. You can watch the video HERE.
Among the most prolific modern composers, Gregson has released six solo albums since 2010 including three for Deutsche Grammophon. He has composed multiple scores for film, television, ballet, and video games including Blackbird, Netflix’s Waco: American Apocalypse, and PlayStation’s Boundless. His music has also been featured in popular television shows like Bridgerton and The New Pope, as well as fashion campaigns for brands including Balenciaga, Bvlgari, and Burberry. Additionally, Gregson has premiered works by composers that include Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannson, Steve Reich, and many more.
Peter Gregson Tracklist
1. Sphere
2. Prism
3. Ritual
4. Constellation
5. Prayer
6. Vision
7. Unsaid
8. Horizon
9. Rise
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