There is something deeply magnetic about the felt piano, and it has less to do with the physical mechanism and everything to do with the feelings it evokes in us. By muting those bright, high-frequency overtones and softening the sharp attack of the hammers, we trade richness for intimacy. You would think we’d find ourselves missing the endless, ringing sustain of a traditional grand piano, but no; Instead, the shortened decay creates an enclosed space, a unique sense of comfort, placing the listener in a darker place that feels less like a concert hall and more like a solemn quiet room.
John Schroter adopts this comforting aesthetic for Full Circle, a five-track EP recorded right at home on his upright piano. The EP opens with “Bundle of Joy,” a brief uplifting piece characterised by a familiar I-IV chord progression that builds a baseline of safety before completing its musical thought. While the right hand carries the main melody, we did personally focus in the left hand’s steady, rolling arpeggios, which act as a warm pillar for the song to rest on. Next comes “Follow,” a track driven by chromatic melodic themes in the right hand and supported by beautiful chord changes in the left who does the heavy lifting. It creates a nice balance, remaining optimistic but with a sense of melancholia, a feeling that quietly glues the whole EP together. In “Orbit,” the composer places the primary melodic theme down in the lower frequencies while the upper octaves provide a delicate, high-pitched accompaniment. It highlights his commitment to writing distinct, memorable themes which aren’t just ambient vibes, but melodies that would look elegant even on paper. That dedication to clean songwriting continues in “Play,” which pairs an upfront melody with a simple yet effective chord progression. It relies on a formula where straightforward patterns are met with subtle, unexpected twists, leaving the listener in a beautiful limbo between happiness and sadness. It is not a feeling easy to describe though it can surely be felt. Finally, “Gethsemane” closes the record. Though the title carries heavy weight, the music responds with a calm, quiet power that feels almost biblical in its simplicity. Rather than acting as a grand finale, it connects the final dots of the circle and invites you to start over. Going back to the beginning is often where the real answers live.
Ultimately, these pieces are deeply personal, shaped by the artist’s own reflections on family, faith, memory, and the life-changing arrival of his first grandson. When you sit with Full Circle, it becomes obvious that Schroter wasn’t just trying to tick the boxes of conventional production styles or recording techniques. He brought lived-in emotion into these keys, resulting in a short collection of music that feels grounded and beautifully moving.
The full EP will be released on August 7, 2026, but you can get a first glimpse of it now.
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