Crisscrossing from 4 Hands by Roedelius & Story

German sound pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius and American composer Tim Story ring in the New Year with a sizzling prepared piano piece, fittingly named Crisscrossing.

Weaving together forty years of friendship, the eleven pieces on their forthcoming Erased Tapes debut 4 Hands, out February 25, convey restraint and empathy, and a way of communicating beyond words.

"Together we shaped the basic compositions, sometimes carefully preparing the piano with various materials (including my own hands), and Achim’s performances were committed to tape. I continued to compose and refine my parts in the following months. Because it was all recorded on the same piano, the result has a very appealing consistency of sound, and hopefully blurs our individual contributions into a single integrated voice” — Tim Story

“For me, these pieces express a different kind of beauty, they evoke more than the sum of their parts, they are a wordless dialogue, a bridge across the great water that separates our cultures from one another. ‘Allons enfants des deux patrie, haha!’” — Hans-Joachim Roedelius

Austria-based German composer Hans-Joachim Roedelius has profoundly influenced generations of musicians, whilst the Grammy-nominated American composer Tim Story's unique blend of careful composition and innovative sound design has garnered a dedicated worldwide following. As long-time friends and colleagues, Roedelius and Story have collaborated on various projects throughout the years.