Recorders, piano and electronics shaped by an upright piano passed from grandfather to father to son.
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- Written, performed, recorded and produced by Ade Vincent, with violin and additional voice by Jane Hendry
- Written on an upright piano passed from grandfather to father to son
- Recorder used as a recurring voice (often live-processed/vocoded)
- Electronics and acoustic material shape each other
About the Album
A.WAKE is a 14-track album by award-winning composer and performer Ade Vincent, shaped by the tone and imperfections of a piano passed through three generations.
The title holds a deliberate double meaning: awakening, and a wake – a farewell to a former self. Vincent began writing the album after inheriting his father’s piano during his father’s final months. The instrument, first purchased by his grandfather at 25 and later passed to his father, now carries three generations of touch. The record was developed over two years with the piano’s character a major influence on the writing.
Musically, A.WAKE sits between contemporary piano composition and detailed electronic production. Multi-tracked and looping pianos form its core, surrounded by analogue synthesizers, layered strings and recorders. Breath, key noise and instrument creaks are preserved rather than polished away.
A defining element of the album is Vincent’s return to the recorder – an instrument he performed at an elite level in his youth before turning to composition. Often looped or vocoded, the recorder bridges acoustic and electronic worlds, becoming a recurring voice across the record.
Vincent performs piano, recorders, keyboards, voice and electronics, and produces the album himself, with violin and additional voice by his wife Jane Hendry.
His broader work spans orchestral composition, electronic production and songwriting. He has received commissions from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and served as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Young Composer in Residence in 2017. He was previously lead singer and songwriter of indie-pop band The Tiger & Me and creates electronic music as part of the duo Artemis Aether.
A.WAKE marks the beginning of a new creative direction – a return to performance, to piano, and to a musical language shaped by everything Vincent has made before.
The title holds a deliberate double meaning: awakening, and a wake – a farewell to a former self. Vincent began writing the album after inheriting his father’s piano during his father’s final months. The instrument, first purchased by his grandfather at 25 and later passed to his father, now carries three generations of touch. The record was developed over two years with the piano’s character a major influence on the writing.
Musically, A.WAKE sits between contemporary piano composition and detailed electronic production. Multi-tracked and looping pianos form its core, surrounded by analogue synthesizers, layered strings and recorders. Breath, key noise and instrument creaks are preserved rather than polished away.
A defining element of the album is Vincent’s return to the recorder – an instrument he performed at an elite level in his youth before turning to composition. Often looped or vocoded, the recorder bridges acoustic and electronic worlds, becoming a recurring voice across the record.
Vincent performs piano, recorders, keyboards, voice and electronics, and produces the album himself, with violin and additional voice by his wife Jane Hendry.
His broader work spans orchestral composition, electronic production and songwriting. He has received commissions from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and served as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Young Composer in Residence in 2017. He was previously lead singer and songwriter of indie-pop band The Tiger & Me and creates electronic music as part of the duo Artemis Aether.
A.WAKE marks the beginning of a new creative direction – a return to performance, to piano, and to a musical language shaped by everything Vincent has made before.
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Album Credits
Ade Vincent: piano, voice, recorders, keyboards, electronics
Jane Hendry: voice, violin Recorded and produced by Ade Vincent Mixed by Hadyn Buxton Mastered by Lachlan Carrick |