Track Listing

1. Image-Autumn-Womb
2. In a Notebook
3. Finding It There
4. Subtle the Sum
5. Threnody
6. Now
7. Winter of 1539-1540
8. Ouendake
9. John Harrington
10. Apalachee
11. Gardener
12. Mound Builders
13. Gifts
14. Clement Danes
15. Evelyn

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66302 in Music
• Released on: 2008-07-08
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
The Malady of Elegance is the second poetic full-length from Boston-based composer Keith Kenniff, better known to some as Helios. Taking cues from Corduroy Road, Keith again restricts himself to the piano in conjuring up his humble soundscapes and again the listener is pulled into a deep, meditative and filmic world as the notes glide to a slow, pensive meter. Keith's Two Point Discrimination EP was a collection of haunting experiments in form and sound, but The Malady of Elegance sees him back into the warming, homespun territory of Corduroy Road. That's not to say these compositions are upbeat, far from it in fact, but there are lines to be drawn to folk music, and while Keith no longer draws on the American Civil War as a primary influence, there is still the sense that the ghosts of old America haunt the keys. Since the release of Corduroy Road, Keith's music has become a staple of documentary filmmakers, feature film producers and even advertising, with Goldmund being the primary focus of this. Countless BBC documentaries and short films have been graced by his memorable compositions and needless to say, The Malady of Elegance will be equally as high-profile in these circles.

Customer Reviews

Headphone Commute Review
Keith Kenniff is back on Type Records with his second full length album under Goldmund alias, titled The Malady Of Elegance. A previous EP, Two Point Discrimination (Western Vinyl, 2007), hit the streets on the heels of Kenniff's much anticipated Helios release, Ayres (Type, 2007). Whether Kenniff flips between his more ambient and acoustic electronica works under Helios or modern and contemporary classical pieces under Goldmund, he seems to shine at everything he touches. Especially when it comes to piano keys. The Malady Of Elegance is very cozy, intimate and personal. It is, as if Keith was playing in your own living room and you had your ear against the sound board, picking up each stroke of a hammer, a creek of the pedal, and a soft brush of the finger tips. The melancholic lullabies gently sway the listener into a meditative state of contemplation. It is especially important to recognize how a simple single instrument, like piano, can capture enough emotion to be gently wrapped in an album. The story behind The Malady Of Elegance is a bit of a mystery. But the aged photograph on the cover, the track titles and the music itself, hint at a voyage into the past, suggesting "that the ghosts of old America [still] haunt the keys." And even if this cinematic fantasy creates a world a bit out of reach, it's still comforting to know, that on The Malady Of Elegance Keith Kenniff plays for you. Your own private performance. Incidentally... The album layout and design of The Malady Of Elegance was designed by Erik Skodvin, who is none other than Svarte Greiner and one half of Deaf Center. They must be friends ;). The cover photograph on the album, however, was taken by Linus Lohoff. Meanwhile... It seems that Mr. Kenniff has been a bit busy with yet another release on John Twells' (Xela) Type Records, this time under Helios moniker, titled Caesura. You can be sure I'll grab that one as well. Recommended for the likes of Hauschka, Sylvain Chauveau, Erik Satie, Peter Broderick and Max Richter.

Godly
The music made me cry of joy. The music is simply godly, it is delicate and yet overwhelmingly strong, it cuts through to your deepest hideaways in your soul that you forgot about. There are not many notes in each story, but the silence between them is breathtaking. I just simply don't have enough words to describe the sense of recognition. It is the most enjoyable piano music I have ever heard. I do wish the very best to the author. Please, do continue doing whatever you are doing that produces this wonderful music.