Album Review/ Piano Pieces : Nick Pike’s ‘Phraxia’

Nik Pike’s piano solos envision an expanse. His neo-classical compositions are designed to craft storytelling spaces that progress with emotions that you can attach imaginative tales, real experiences, or simply just feeling to. His latest release is ‘Phraxia’, a mindful, purposeful collection that becomes powerful with progressive meaning. Each song captures momentous evolutions, cataloging the characters, movement, and stories of time, so gently and gracefully. The tracks all seem to have fantasy names, or rather foreign names that allow you to wander and make sense of the compositions any way that resonates with you. Serves as a great backdrop to involve yourself in creative pursuits. He leaves so much to take, and so many ways to take it in. 

‘Whispertide’ opens the collection. A swirling meditative space that allows you to soften, loosen, and relax. As the piano trickles, the synths ascend. The melodies wink at the peak, allowing the listener to experience the soundscape both as the peak and as the ethereal view. It’s so dreamy and vast, a beautiful space to unfurl and fly around. ‘Abaluna’ ambience has a blooming main stem. An atmosphere of warmth, refresh, and new life. 

The title track follows next. It has a classical flow, ebbing and flowing like a curving ribbon. Even the tonalities have a more solemn gradient and feel. There is an effortless discipline to it that is reminiscent of the olden days. A design that is both classic and contemporary at the same time. 

‘Aroha’ has fresh magic to it. Like finding a fairy den, it opens with luminous folds and welcomes you with its color and trusting spirit. It brings out the rest, the solace, and the goodness in you as well. While Aroha floats you to external spaces, ‘Deepward Glow’ draws you in. With pensive melodies, patient pauses, and ethereal echoes, each melody serves as a step to the deeper parts of you. 

‘Mareel’ and ‘Maramor’ also share the duality. Listening to them both allows you to integrate and understand spaces in ways that reveal a little more about yourself. ‘Für Beethoven’ is the artist’s compositional flow as inspired by one of Beethoven’s classics. Listening to the album, you begin to experience the expanse of music, but also its capacity for depth, dimension, transformation and clarity. A language that elegantly transfers energies and captures the vulnerable consciousness of the artist. And it’s an absolute pleasure. Listen Now! 

Check out their Instagram!

The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘Phraxia’ by Nick Pike here -