1 	Insight XIV 	2:34
2 	Insight XV 	4:02
3 	Insight XVI 	3:35
4 	Insight XVII 	3:28
5 	Insight XVIII 	4:18
6 	Insight XIX 	2:32
7 	Insight XX 	2:57
8 	Insight XXI 	3:29
9 	Insight XXII 	1:13
10 	Insight XXIII 	3:10

Composed recorded & mastered by Julien Marchal 

I remember discovering Julien Marchal back in 2014, first with a début four-track EP, and later, cementing my original perception, with a same-titled self-released Insight solo-piano album, and immediately thinking, “oh wow, I’ve found another amazing pianist to add to my list”. Marchal’s music seems to play with, and echo elements of my all-time favorite modern classical composers, such as Max Richter, Nils Frahm, and Otto Totland, and yet somehow he’s left a unique imprint of his own, avoiding all the common pitfalls of some copycats. With solo piano music on its own, it may be difficult to convey the true message behind each piece – after all, you’re left with just an instrument and live performance [I know this, because, ahem! my solo-piano album Unhinged is also released on the very same 1631 Recordings, so a fair warning here slash disclaimer about by biased love of this genre], and yet Marchal seems to reach in and touch the core of my existence with his very soul.

On this follow-up release, titled Insight II, Marchal offers us 10 more pieces, sequentially titled “Insight XIV” through “Insight XXIII” (the earlier 13 tracks are obviously on his first release, so in effect, you can listen in sequence). Opening up with one of my favorite and most intimate pieces, the recording captures my attention with close-placed mics, picking up the action of the keyboard, hammers, fingers, and all the tiny creak, breaths, and cracks that make this instrument shimmer and shine. The dampened sound is especially dear to me, as it carries a bit of loneliness, sorrow and a little grief. These melancholic melodies, at the hands of a proficient pianist (Marchal is also a piano teacher) carry forward centuries of romantic harmony and tone, perfected here with every note.

Marchal is a French composer, living in Bordeaux, inspired by everything from poetry by Bukowski to graphic novels by Manu Larcenet, and of course music, ranging from classical composers such as Eric Satie and Philip Glass to contemporary electronic works by Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, John Hopkins and Burial. Marchal’s music caught the ear of Monkey Town’s electronic producer, Robot Koch (see the music video embedded here), with two collaborative works appearing on his 2015 Hypermoment. But it is, of course, his solo piano, that captivates, allures and charms. And now I remember every piece by heart [some sheet music is also available].

I long hoped for Julien Marchal to get picked up by a label that would help project his music in this world, and I’m delighted that he has landed on 1631, an imprint established only a year ago by David Wenngren (Library Tapes) and Mattias Nilsson (of Kning Disk). Again, I’ll admit, there is slight favoritism here towards the label, since recently I became a 1631 recording artist as well, but if you take a look at the ever-growing catalog, featuring releases by Bruno Sanfilippo, Luke Howard, Endless Melancholy, Marco Caricola, CEEYS, Peter Broderick, Olan Mill, Greg Haines, and of course, Library Tapes himself, you’ll see that it’s a bit impossible not to fall in love with all it has to offer. So grab your latest copy directly from the label (oh, and be sure to pick up the two Piano Cloud Series volumes). ---headphonecommute.com

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1 	Insight XXIV 	
2 	Insight XXV 	
3 	Insight XXVI 	
4 	Insight XXVII 	
5 	Insight XXVIII 	
6 	Insight XXIX 	
7 	Insight XXX 	
8 	Insight XXXI 	
9 	Insight XXXII 	
10 	Insight XXXIII

Julien Marchal - piano 

That kind of music can come from a person with very bright heart. All tracks are great in every aspect and always bring me joy when listening. Thank you Julien. Favorite track: INSIGHT XXVII. ---Matija Štrlekar, julienmarchal.bandcamp.com

Julien Marchal is a pianist and composer from Bordeaux who released Insight III, his third studio album, on June 2nd. Recorded, mixed, and designed by the artist himself, the intimacy of his work is evident and enthralling.

Insight III starts with the song “Insight XXIV,” which introduces the listener to a world of quietude and auditive hypersensitivity. Each second is important, thus this piece contains all the hints of what will come later in the album. Delicate and smooth, natural in its progression. That’s how the artist starts the record, aiming to surprise and catch the spectator’s attention from beginning to end.

The following track, one of the most popular songs from Insight III, is called “Insight XXV.” This song builds up suspense, slowly, almost as a premonition. You can feel a wave coming at you, or picture a car accident in slow motion. It keeps building up, faster, to then fall abruptly into peace and nothingness. By the middle of the album, the music is more calm and soothing. “Insight XXIX,” the sixth track, is calm like the sound of the ocean after a storm. Structurally, it is incredibly well put together. It is vibrant within its calmness, which provides a sense of balance and stability.

In contrast, the final track has an insanely good crescendo. The song is generally more upbeat. It transmits a sense of hopefulness, it is an end full of promises. It has the power to evoke memories of tranquility. It takes you back to when you were a 5 year-old, hiding under a fort made of blankets and pillows. You can picture a beautiful sunset, painted by the rich melody. The album concludes in a comforting darkness, as the metaphorical sun falls softly under the ocean. ---Camila Craig, pianoandcoffee.com

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1 	Insight XXXIV 	
2 	Insight XXXV 	
3 	Insight XXXVI 	
4 	Insight XXXVII 	
5 	Insight XXXVIII 	
6 	Insight XXXIX 	
7 	Insight XL 	
8 	Insight XLI 	
9 	Insight XLII 	
10 	Insight XLIII

Composed By, Recorded By, Mixed By, Performer – Julien Marchal 

Julian Marchal states in the liner notes of Insight IV that each of its ten pieces are titled only by number so that listeners find their own insight into the music. This blank slate philosophy, combined with the use of just a single, unaccompanied piano for the duration of the album (the same as the previous three Insights) makes it a daunting prospect not to tread on the toes of this carefully–nurtured intimacy by trying to shoehorn it into words. (This is true for all music but truer for some). However, besides Marchal touching on the limitations of language here when it comes to describing music and emotion – dancing about architecture, so to speak – his philosophy also neatly points out that the feelings that Insight IV inspire are bigger and deeper than the everyday. As is maybe a cliché for classical music, even at its most dramatic Insight IV is both a cleansing and empowering listen. The mood generally hovers between melancholy and a brooding ambiguity (XXXVIII) and at points (XXXVII and the pickup melody of XL) Marchal’s playing is reminiscent of composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi. (To explain – the tracks are numbered continuously on from the three previous Insight albums). Marchal shows a similar knack for melody (XXXV), and even when busy, avoids flashy playing (XXXVI) whilst also avoiding wispiness even at his most delicate (XLII). Opening number XXXIV starts the album by using similar phrasing to XXIV, from previous album Insight III, with sections throughout the piece referring back to this earlier number, a clever way of using this connection as a springboard to something new.

In terms of mastering, the album is panned so that the treble and the bass sides of the piano sit, respectively, on the right and left. With hindsight, this seems like an obvious choice, as it naturally duplicates seeing a piano being played, but to someone unaccustomed to classical music, figuring this out is quite exciting, a bit like hearing double kick for the first time or finding out that the singer of Rush was actually a man. Insights can come in unexpected forms. Which will you find in Insight IV? ---gregmbrooks, mathematicaldeathgrindfromfrance.wordpress.com

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