Winfried Strauss - Experimental Minimal Piano Music

Avant-garde pianist Winfried Strauss’ ‘In The End We Are All Dead’ is a bittersweet, melancholic piece that winds and lulls; taking the listener on a journey of reflection as keys chime and clash against the hum of a crackling vinyl. A specialist in minimalism, the Berlin-based composer started playing piano aged 6, and recorded his first tracks on a 16-bit Atari Computer in High School. Inspired by the likes of Max Richter, Volker Bertelmann and Philip Glass, Strauss deals in juxtaposition and will often explore antithesis within his arrangements. ‘In The End We Are All Dead’ achieves beauty through simplicity, soaring with retrospective strings and romantic melodies underpinned by the nostalgic sounds of mellotron and celesta. releases July 17, 2020 Artwork image by Alexandru Paraschiv under CC-BY 2.0 license

Song Without A Name [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Catharsis [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Colorful Black [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Benchmark 03 ft. Zefora [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Rondo Alla Turca [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Lost Dream ft. Nikolas Schreck [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

French Mood [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Lenore ft. Nikolas Schreck [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Phoenix ft. Amy Gedgaudas [snippet] by Winfried Strauss

Latest work of minimal [piano] music .... Image "sorrow" by Luise (https://www.flickr.com/photos/allerleirau/) under CC BY NC SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

This is my piano contribution to this year's Helloween. Hope you enjoy this scary and dark horror piano piece. >;-} Artwork called "Horror" by Moyan Brenn (https://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/) under CC BY 2.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Dark Helloween, Folks! ;)

Somewhere in Berlin .... Image by Lynn Friedmann (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnfriedman/) under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

"The Severe Choice" This cinematic sad orchestra piece was written in e-minor. It consist of a minimalistic piano line which is continuously progressing from E minor to C. A cello section is accompanying the piano which adds even more of a dark and dramatic feel to this piece of music. In the second part of this piece of music the piano line gets transposed up a full octave which adds a mysterious touch to this simple and soft line and a siniser and eerie pad sound enters the scene which is foreboding some haunted ending ... (The image of the full moon which I've used as track artwork is called "Suspense!" (https://www.flickr.com/photos/elbragon/4593835179/in/faves-65075082@N07/) and was made by Marcelo Braga under Creatice Commons BY 2.0. license.)

New jam session with my e-piano and a little digital delay used as looper. Image "Philosopher's Stone" (https://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3732867214/in/album-72157619164434443/) by Hartwig HKD under CC BY ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

Just a test run of my new Yamaha reface CP .... I like to use e-pianos and their sounds the "uncommon" way... ;) All recorded live. No sequencer were used just the internal digital delay. No external effects have been used despite a simple limiter. Image "Samsara + Nirvana" (https://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3557492338/) by Hartwig HKD under CC BY ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

Spoken Words by Karin Tarabochia Piano by myself Artwort "The Misty Mountains" by Justin Kern (https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinwkern/) under CC NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

Inspired by this cool mellow upright piano sound here comes a new piano fragment. Very mellow, fragile and a bit melancholic I think ....

short and little piano melody. recorded back in 2013 or 2014. minimal music at it's best. ;) photo "delight and delicious" by Rita M. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotorita/) under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

Lyrics & Spoken Words by Karin Tarabochia (@augenmerk)

Lyrics & Spoken Words by Karin Tarabochia (@augenmerk) Piano accompaniment by myself artwork: (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanmarciniak/3006887725/in/photolist-5zH5XP-ndxe7o-oiWSYs-qs75jN-91TKv6-aCx9xk-obqzKm-aYHoXk-8iPaZC-ndxMTL-qMcrvc-4YhJpf-f6YUpy-crBA7-oBaCd5-6hnsyG-atqFoh-8J2eEY-2AUTkX-drW3be-9VUGkc-mohHAA-bZZwm-bKZf-8ppXmN-2G7kqJ-9S9aif-ec47Kf-aQUjcZ-9VXw4U-jWjJ9D-ec47LN-8Vkwfk-cyXe9u-gCvSMm-g4qum-cbHbUy-4WLCYx-fnN16Y-9SBtEg-nbsYiJ-nbsLYi-nbqYdG-nbooCp-nduhfV-ndwZ8b-ndxaKo-nbr6a7-nbsJR7-aP5WTi) by Nathan Marciniak under CC BY NC 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)

A short own 12 tone composition inspired by the works of Anton Webern. Using just a single 12 tone row - no inversions or things like that. Keep things simple. ;-) artwork "Lunch" (https://secure.flickr.com/photos/erikvp/2998150144/in/album-72157608608700521/) by Erik Von Ploennies under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

lyrics & spoken words by Karin Tarabochia (@augenmerk) image "blacksmith: spiral on fire" by Bernat Casero (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bernatcg/) under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

Image "wall abstract" by tanakawho (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/) under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

dreamy minimal piano line with many variations .... Image "Blue Sunset" (https://www.flickr.com/photos/simon__syon/8508669923) by "Simon & His Camera" under CC BY ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

This piece of serial music was originally composed by the great Anton [von] Webern. I think this was more or less one of his first twelve tone pieces after writing rather atonal music. If you can't see the point in this composition -> nevermind, I'll keep on creating tonal music anyway ... ;) artwork "Clover Hearts" (https://secure.flickr.com/photos/erikvp/4892332882/in/photostream/) by Erik Von Ploennies under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

Song taken from the "Pièces Froides" works. Respect to the master Erik Satie! Minimal/piano music wouldn't be what it is today without his influence ...

Solo piano work "nawex1". Piano is very thick (and sick) because I've used a heavy tape delay. I think I will do some re-mixes or re-compositiions on this theme but this is the first iteration ... Image "hammer time" has been shot by Stephen Mitchell (https://secure.flickr.com/photos/stephenliveshere/) under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/).

image by Coba (https://www.flickr.com/people/coba/) under CC BY NC ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

real art is the result of deficit - not a result of abundance.... this was recorded in one short session. i've bruised my left hand (and injured the right one as well) so I'm not able to play piano "the normal way". i've decided to play just with the elbows. this technique can still be improved as well but i think it sounds already a bit like Henry Cowell after hearing some minimal music.... ;) image by JD Lasica (https://secure.flickr.com/photos/jdlasica/) under CC BY NC 2.0

second part of "the rainy songs". another mix, other instruments, same chords, different vocals. I try still to be avant-garde. somehow. ;) vocals by http://soundcloud.com/zefora under CC BY NC 3.0 license images by www.monstropolis.org under CC BY NC ND 3.0