Attila Fias and John Kameel Farah present an album of Earth-themed compositions and improvisations for two pianos.

PIECES OF THE EARTH is inspired by our planet in all of its manifestations: as a world of deep oceans and pillared mountains of natural wonder and majesty; as a precious island in our solar system, as a place of civilisations blooming and falling, and as a fragile, delicate environment in peril. Themes of the fluttering of birds, volcanic plumes, cosmic dervishes, dreamy gardens and trembling warnings from the Earth itself dance and intertwine throughout the album.

But it is in their unplanned improvisations which serve as interludes between pieces in which the duo's uniqueness becomes most apparent. Fias has been one of the busiest jazz pianists and studio producers in Toronto, and John Farah's musical career has entrenched itself between the classical, avant-free improv and Electronic scenes. Combine this unusually diverse combination of backgrounds with a common musical imagination that has been percolating since their teens and you have the recipe for an unusually imaginative musical experience...

"Two talented Toronto pianists - experimenter John Farah and jazzman Attila Fias - have distilled several years of improvised duo concerts into a galvanizing hour of shifting textures, rhythms and colours... It's pure magic."
-The Toronto Star

"A couple of years ago, John Kameel Farah's "Unfolding" made sure the "I" in IDM was written in 72-point boldface, with its insane, baroque keyboard and electronic compositions. This new release sees him paired with equally pyrotechnic pianist Attila Fias and their incredible dexterity is much more than mere flash. With two pianos you get double the majestic chords, twice the number of contrapuntal runs and infinitely more possibilities for atmospheric effects. If you were trying to assign a genre as a starting point, most likely it would be European classical music of the 19th and 20th centuries, but upon further investigation, the duo's eclecticism questions any idea of foundation. Hints of jazz, Middle Eastern modes and even heavy metal inform the playing. The titles are descriptive of the sonic approaches: "Fluttering" is just that; "Space Dervish" has a hypnotic twirl; and closer "Plumes" is volcanically active. Brief improvisations add welcome relief, in the form of non-linear interludes between these driving compositions. You've never heard a piano duo like this."
-Exclaim! Magazine