Ed Carlsen is a composer and producer from Sardinia, Italy. Professionally trained as a guitarist, Ed ultimately began to translate these skills onto piano, using his own compositions as the foundation in which to discover the instrument. His approach to the piano was unconventional, while retaining the versatility developed through studying the guitar.

Morning Hour is Ed Carlsen’s third album, set for a September 27th release date on Canadian ambient/instrumental imprint Moderna Records. He started writing it in May 2018, while living in Krakow, with most of the recording and production process concluding during his return to Sardinia, Italy. Carlsen blends elements from modern classical music, such as intimate piano and strings, with electronic rhythms and ambient soundscapes. But it’s important to understand that the shapeshifting sounds on the new album are rooted in real life experiences — the sense of place in distant locales, the confronting of anxieties, the loss of life, and ultimately, the redemptive choice in leaving the darkness behind for a new light. Ahead of Morning Hour’s release, Carlsen has shared the single “Hands, Heart,” which is now available to stream.

Seeking to marry his musical knowledge with production techniques, Carlsen pursued studies in Music Technology at the London College of Music. There he gained an interest in sound design and making music for film and visual media. After a long break from playing, in 2015 he returned to the piano, but with a different approach: rather than learning through the study of other artists, he set to further his development through writing his own songs. This, combined with his newfound interests in sound design, led to his debut album The Journey Tapes (2016), which was followed by the brooding Elusive Frames (2017).

From Ed Carlsen:

“The concept came from my lifelong struggle vs anxiety. For ages, I’ve been biting my fingernails proportionally to my anxiety/stress level, and I often end up having bleeding fingers. As much as it’s something that ‘society’ might laugh about, I reflected upon the fact that the bleeding of my hands is a direct consequence of the bleeding of my heart. The more it suffers, the more my hands reflect so.

Visually, I see my inner self in the state of my hands, just as much as Dorian Gray could see the corruption of his soul by looking at his ever-changing painting.

Not only, Hands and Heart are the essential components of music: technique vs soul/creativity. One needs both to make music as they’re crucial in the creating process and in the performance.”

Ed Carlsen
Morning Hour
Track List:

First Light
Whisper
The Gallery
Words
Home
Interlude
Entangled
Hands, Heart
Mormor