Adriano Koch

Silence your surroundings or better yet, slip on your headphones. Tune into the opening track of the album, 'A Room for Nothing', and find yourself immersed in its recurring piano chords, the touch of fingers on keys, and the almost palpable breathing of the instrumentalist. Then there's the silence, stretching out the notes and stimulating the imagination. Next, let your ears wander to the following track 'Bloom'. The melody of the piano, the humming voice, a mid-tempo beat, and a touch of synth converge into a cocoon of aerial beauty. The acoustic intimacy of the previous track is abandoned for a weave of textures, a sonic and atmospheric blend evocative of the ambient genre.

Welcome to the universe of Adriano Koch, a Swiss musician who has crafted his own space. Like German Nils Frahm, one of his inspirations, Koch views the piano as a box of magic. He caresses the strings, occasionally muffles them, and diverts their mechanics into percussion. Koch's upright piano is more than just a piano, it's a launchpad to a soothing and moving elsewhere, where the acoustic transcends through electronic means.

Before he could express himself on his keyboards, Koch had to learn to break free from rules. As a child, he had his first musician's emotions imitating his mother playing piano at home. He then joined a jazz school that taught him to improvise. One day, a new path presented itself: Sébastien Kohler, a member of the electro group Shakedown, gifted him a Mac equipped with Logic Pro, a computer-assisted music creation software. This gift irrevocably redefined Koch's horizons. He abandoned jazz and freed himself from all constraints to fully dedicate himself to music. "When I told my parents my desire to become a musician, their reaction was akin to if I had told them I wanted to become an astronaut."

At 17, he set out on his own, performing concert after concert to fulfill his goal: to make a living from the music he hears in his head, an atmospheric, cross-genre music reflecting his sensitivity. In 2018, his self-produced debut album, 'Leap', helped him hone his skills in production, mixing, and mastering. His 2020 single 'Brief' confirmed his sonic direction, still centred on the piano but now embellished with synthetic melodies, vocals, and samples, creating a delicate, dreamlike universe full of life and texture. Koch continues to refine his sound design and deepen his research, not for clinical perfection, but to better underline emotions and, sometimes, to let go. Koch allows serendipity into his tracks. The hypnotic and highly cinematic 'I Feel Warm' emerged from a series of happy and graceful coincidences. He manipulated a voicemail left by his girlfriend, at first for fun, before realizing that her voice fits perfectly with the track's drama. The music oscillates between acoustic poetry and hypnotic techno in 'I'll Keep You Waiting', demonstrating Koch's ability to transition from solitary melancholy to dance floor communion, from intimate to universal, in one breath.

In discussing the creation of « Bloom », Adriano speaks about the concept of imperfection and how it serves as an essential component of his artistic vision. He believes that these imperfections, when captured in his music, create a sense of authenticity that resonates with listeners on a deeper level. This idea is exemplified in his recording techniques, which often involve using older, less polished equipment to capture the raw, human element in his music.

The album explores various themes, from the challenges of pursuing a career in music to the artist's own personal journey of overcoming depression. These deeply emotional subjects are woven into the fabric of the album, creating a rich tapestry of experiences that listeners can connect with and find solace in.

If Koch named this album 'Bloom', it's because he feels himself blossoming, his talent in full bloom. "My music is about my personal journey, how I built myself after a childhood I didn't particularly like. This album is an ode to self-discovery and the beauty of growth". To visually accompany each of the tracks on 'Bloom', Koch created a visual universe shot on super 8 film for each songs, adding even more soul to his work. Soon, he will be sharing his feverish and sensitive music with his audience, transmitting all the emotions that seize him when he composes.