Thijs Troch is a Belgian piano and keyboard player, who is active in the local improvised music and plays in the bands Jukwaa and Kabas, the duo Keenroh and the collective Troika (with pianist Seppe Gebruers and bassist Nils Vermeulen). His latest project is a mysterious solo album, No Need To Save, that refuses to disclose details except that «everything was recorded and composed in 2023».
Troch’s Instagram page adds that Troch plays on «various synths, electronics, field recordings, little bit of piano, a fake organ sound». The album offers four minimalist, subtle yet highly cinematic, electro-acoustic pieces that tell enigmatic stories. The mysterious cover photo by Joris Vandecatseye that captures faraway and arid, desolate desert landscapes contributes to the mysterious, spacious atmosphere.
Troch introduces brief and delicate dramatic gestures into these extended cinematic pieces. These gestures, with strange yet disturbing ritualist sounds, disrupt the quiet and meditative atmosphere that often sounds as if attempting to freeze time. This music is best experienced with eyes closed and ears wide open.
Eyal Hareuveni
Thijs Troch (synthesizers, electronics, field recordings, piano)
