In the heart of the first pandemic winter, Hilke made a simple yet profound decision: to purchase an acoustic piano once again. It turned out that this instrument would become the perfect companion for a new musical journey. After working on the heavily electronically infused songs of 'Silent Violent', Hilke rediscovered the emotional depth of a mechanical instrument like the piano. The intimate felt sound captivated her, inspiring regular sessions of dreamy improvisations.
'Silent Violent,' Hilke's debut album, was a soul-searching expedition to find her voice as a songwriter, a journey to navigate her place within the gender singing spectrum. Seeking assistance from musical friends like Dino Brandão, Odd Beholder, and Gregory Frateur from Dez Mona, she asked for their vocal interpretations of her songs. Following the release of 'Silent Violent', Hilke took the stage with a repertoire of tunes, further exploring her own singing voice - both for the songs interpreted by friends and those she had already sung on the album.
Seated at her piano at home, Hilke began to rediscover the chords that defined the songs of 'Silent Violent'. The distinctive harmonic structures, initially shaped by her typical sampling techniques in crafting the electronic soundscape, took on a new life on the piano keys. Stripped down, vulnerable, voice and piano forged an intimate connection, mirroring the themes woven into the album's lyrics.
'Piano Feroce' ended up to be so much more than an afterthought or merely acoustic renditions of earlier songs. It became the inspiration for a new phase of musical introspection.
