Volume One Darren Pickering Small Worlds

• 1 Simple Ballad 07:06
• 2 Moody 7 02:49
• 3 In the Know(er) 04:14
• 4 Ixtapa 07:19
• 5 Cain Song 02:47
• 6 Standing 05:25
• 7 Estonia 04:13
• 8 Klazmus 06:34
• 9 Strega Tone Poem 05:13
• Total Runtime 45:40

Info for Volume One

Apart from continuously composing new material, a lot of Darren’s compositions have been around for years in chart form, performed in concerts, or as demos. After performing one of the ‘Live at Alex’s’ YouTube episodes and being impressed by the audio quality, Darren determined that the time had come to document some of his tunes properly. He and the band decided to use Alex’s home recording studio for the recording, and over several ‘mini-sessions’ between October and December 2021 they recorded enough material for two albums. This is Volume One.

Darren Pickering, piano, modular, iPad
Mitch Dwyer, guitar
Pete Fleming, bass
Mitch Thomas, drums

Recorded at Rapaki Studios, Christchurch, NZ
Engineered and mixed by Alex Harmer
Mastered by Steve Garden
Produced by Darren Pickering Small Worlds

Darren Pickering
is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, modular synthesist and session musician. Apart from the recordings made with his ‘Darren Pickering Small Worlds’ quartet, he has produced several solo electronic ambient works, and also enjoys performing with Bits of Beck, Swim Against the Tide, and Wulfie.

Based in Ōtautahi (Christchurch, NZ), Darren Pickering Small Worlds largely perform works composed by pianist Darren Pickering along with re-imagined reiterations of selected works from other genres. The group mostly focuses on through-composed compositions and improvisation, and the artistic direction is determined equally by all members. The cinematic flavour of their sound is enhanced by the electronic textures of Darren’s ever-expanding collection of modular systems, synths, selected iPad apps and audio manipulation devices.

Their influences include Aaron Parks, Brian Blade and The Fellowship Band, The Cinematic Orchestra, EST, Floating Points, Jacob Karlzon, Kendrick Scott Oracle, Romain Collin, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Slowly Rolling Camera, to name only a few.

Booklet for Volume One