Composer and performer Joep Beving, one of the most listened-to living pianists in the world, has joined Deutsche Grammophon for the release of his sophomore album Prehension. The Dutch musician is a towering figure in the streaming world – and in real life too, thanks to his nearly 6'10 frame, wild hair and flowing beard. He has become a one-man success story – writing, recording and releasing his 2015 debut album Solipsism which has been streamed nearly 60 million times.
Joep's delicate melodies instantly struck a chord with listeners when tracks from the album first appeared on streaming music playlists alongside the likes of Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm. "I call it ‘simple music for complex emotions'," says Joep, summing up its universal appeal. "The world is a hectic place right now and I feel a deep urge to reconnect on a basic human level with people in general. Music as our universal language has the power to unite."
The first fruits of his new partnership with DG is the warm and contemplative Prehension. A natural successor to Solipsism, it carries forward the musical and philosophical themes Joep identifies in his music. "I am reacting to the absolute grotesqueness of the things that are happening around us, in which you feel so insignificant and powerless that you alienate yourself from reality and the people around you because it is so impossible to grasp. I just write what I think is beautiful, leaving out a lot of notes, telling a story through my instrument, trying to unite us with something simple, honest and beautiful."