A soundscape artist and composer, Andrew Heath creates quiet, ambient, lower-case music based around piano, electronics and field recordings, drawing inspiration from a simple piano motif, an electronic shimmer or a processed found sound. The work he produces blends piano, electronics and found sounds into a mix that on the surface sounds quite minimal and open, but on closer listening, contains detailed fragments, constantly shifting and changing place.
Early collaborations using Fender Rhodes, piano and electronics with fellow musician, Felix Jay under the name Aqeuous led to the release of ‘Tall Cloudtrees Falling’ on Hermetic Recordings in 1995. This inspired a partnership with the legendary Hans-Joachim Roedelius with whom they collaborated on ‘Meeting the Magus’ in 1997. A late night performance in an art studio resulted in the ‘Entertaining Angels’ album in 1998, which was swiftly followed by their last collection, ‘Vortexia’ in 1999.
Andrew went on to produce a number of video and site-specific, sound installations. This introduced him to the technique of working with field recordings, often leaving in the sonic detritus that most would seek to eliminate as being ‘non-musical’.
In 2014 he released his first solo album, ‘The Silent Cartographer’ on Disco Gecko Recordings. The Ambient Music Guide hailed it as “environmental ambience of the highest order” and one fan went as far as stating that “if you’re one of the legion of fans hankering after the new Budd, Roedelius or Eno, quit waiting and immerse yourself in this”.
Andrew followed this release with ‘Flux’ in 2015, ‘Europa’ in 2016 and ‘Found | Assemble” in 2017. Not only did he revisit his previous Aqueous collaboration with Roedelius to create “After The Magus – to resound” in 2015, but he recorded a concert they performed together at Stroud’s Goods Shed with Christopher Chaplin in 2016 and released that earlier this year as ‘Triptych in Blue’. Crack Magazine loved the “stunning recordings …. which are delicate, wistful and supremely moving”, while Electronic Sound Magazine complemented them on their “sublime ambient/neo-classical compositions … each mesmerising track floating beautifully in astral space”.
His 4th album for Disco Gecko Recordings, ‘Soundings’, was released worldwide in November to great acclaim. “... with a guiding hand, a steady heart and a burning desire to produce stunning beauty, Heath has created an immaculate conception to which even God would have marvelled.”... However, Andrew managed to sneak in one last release before the year ends - a beautiful slow burner with Dutch, ambient guitarist, Anne Chris Bakker. Released on the Japanese label, White Paddy Mountain.
2018 started with a wonderful sound installation commission for an exhibition about the history of the cloth industry and the mills and workers that were a part of it. Then, quickly on with more live performances before continuing with what was now, a series of field recording trips to various locations across the UK. An invite to play in The Extreme Chill Festival in Iceland must be one of the most exciting things during this year… what a place! Amazing people and landscape – a truly unforgettable experience!
His 5th solo album, Evenfall was launched with an amazing concert in London in September.