New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Balmorhea today unveil The Wind - Deluxe, the extended digital edition of their Deutsche Grammophon/Universal
Music debut album. On its release last year, The Wind won a host of rave reviews, The Washington Post praising its "arid, expansive, Americana-tinted meditations on the natural world". For the new edition, Balmorhea's Rob Lowe and Michael A. Muller have added four previously unreleased tracks from the original sessions, along with remixes by Joseph Shabason and Portico Quartet, and Christian Badzura's rework of "Nos". The Wind -
Deluxe is also available in Dolby Atmos.
The new tracks include a solo piano version of the album's lead single "Rose in Abstract" and "Nos Nos", another solo piano piece. Jason Treuting of Sō Percussion joins Balmorhea on "Arles", and Jesy Fortino of Tiny Vipers on "Otherness". Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist Joseph Shabason has remixed "La Vagabonde", while the London-based Portico Quartet have reimagined "Rose in Abstract".
As Lowe recalls, "Nos" grew from humble origins: "I brought this little piano piece into the studio not really intending to record it or include it on the album. In the end it's become one of my favourite moments." Christian Badzura, Vice President A&R New Repertoire at Deutsche Grammophon, felt the same. "Hearing the original 'Nos' for the very first time I was amazed by the distinct musical message captured in this miniature piano piece," he says. "In reworking the track, the aim was to compose orchestral strings around it, very subtly highlighting and following certain melodic lines and expanding its overall dynamics."
Lowe and Muller formed Balmorhea in
Texas in 2006. Over time, the duo evolved into a larger ensemble and toured extensively throughout the US and Europe. Following an intense period on the road, Balmorhea's two founders took time out to improvise and experiment together once more, their signing with DG in 2020 marking both a new beginning and a return to their musical roots.
