The description of Peter Manning Robinson as “just a composer” would be to do a complete injustice to his role as a true Renaissance man of today. Be it creating Emmy Award-winning music or pushing sonic boundaries by inventing the revolutionary Refractor Piano™ or cooking up gourmet vegan meals, Peter is someone who does everything his way and at an entirely different level altogether. He is an artist whose unique blend of technological prowess, cinematic scale, and emotional touch is simply unparalleled. On June 5th, he turned this brilliance into a visual spectacle through the release of the breathtaking music video for “Bent Out of Shape.”
From the get-go, he has taken command of our world in a truly cinematic way. The video starts off hovering between the heavens and the earth, the maestro in his seat at the piano on the spacious terrace of a villa that receives plenty of sunlight, as the grandeur of a verdant valley blends seamlessly into the vastness of the sea. This is a spectacular visual introduction, to be followed by the subtle mystery of people walking out of a car, carrying an unseen story with them. As the camera lens shifts its focus towards the whitewashed architecture, there appears on the roof of this structure a distinctive figure with a waving white flag inscribed with the word “Truce” in bold red strokes—an unmistakable dramatic image that leads us to enter right into the mysterious world of this person. Departing the piano, the subject enters this realm, where he is greeted by two elegant assistants with their respectful bows before leading him into the inner photobooth. Although we do not witness the flash of the camera, time seems to stretch as he takes out the strips of photographs from his hands. Gazing at his own photograph along with the picture of a woman, he receives a distinguished red and black top hat from one of the assistants. Flashed through with enchanting scenes at his piano, the entire adventure is turned into an unbelievable yet carnival journey of destiny and creativity. There he finds himself staring at the black-and-white target, holding a sharp knife in his hands, where he needs to stab a doll right on the bull’s eye, a very close call that turns out to be such a beautiful and poetic vulnerability. With more guidance from his faithful followers, he finds a tarot reading machine, giving him a card with great reverence. As he descends a set of stairs, the emotional journey takes center stage, and he sees a woman gracefully twisted out of a clear glass box. There is no doubt in the way he loves her, as he moves closer to embrace her like she is the missing piece of his life. The stroke of genius is how the visual poetry ends with the two attendants who escorted him on his journey rather than with him. As they look out over the beautiful valley and ocean, they toast to their victory with a glass of wine, clink their glasses, take a sip, and lean back in their chairs.
The incredible music video directed by Klaus Hoch depicts the reconciliation of a relationship through an unusual exploration of the shared history of the couple in a series of dream-like scenes. The video unfolds in a breathtaking mansion above the ocean, and each sun-lit room and clear corridor becomes a scene of an incredible atmosphere created by the interplay of past and present. Guided by the piano tune, the majestic house turns into a living memory box. The distance that the characters keep from each other in the tall ceilings of the mansion becomes the embodiment of the gaps left by the past pains, and the amazing, fluid movements of the contortionist become the portrayal of the tension that the people feel when trying to mend their hearts. Though the uplifting, dancing tune of the piano conveys an element of movement and playfulness in the music, the visual story tells the deeper story of how difficult life can be. It is no coincidence that the contortionist is such a strong part of the visual story; she is the emotional center of the entire video. Through literally twisting and shaping the human body within the sterile and open architecture of the coastal villa, the video brings to life the experience of being pushed to your very limits in order to deal with your troubles.
Decorated with cinematic flair and the audacity of adventure, “Excursions” is much more than an album that one listens to; it is an awe-inspiring terrain that one experiences, music created for you to feel it in the very core of your being. Full of surprising, beautiful sound surprises, romantic melancholy of the highest order, and a silent hope that defies despair, this magnum opus resoundingly proves the validity of Peter Manning Robinson’s greatest artistic belief, that the vocabulary of instrumental music is endless, and that music can evoke pictures and inspire emotions that mere words can never achieve. And as Peter has rightly boasted with great justifiable pride, “This is the work I am most proud of”, and for all of us who have had the privilege of witnessing Peter’s genius at work, it is bound to be our soundtrack forever.
From the very first moment “Bent Out of Shape” plays, it’s clear that it is a radiant masterpiece of a song, full of joy and liveliness and delightful piano parts that immediately lift your spirit. As Peter has admitted, this beautiful creation was inspired by a very human thing, since it came into existence after Peter had gone through a series of months of suffering and struggling in the face of all the problems of this world, being a beautiful attempt to bring some positivity into his life. This is what makes a great artist truly special and unique: the gift to transform vulnerability and pain into something so beautiful. Combined with the amazing visuals accompanying the work, the video says more than any spoken word could ever convey. Despite not having one line of dialogue, the story is told in such an emotionally rich manner that you get it immediately, carried away by the flow of cinematic images of shared history. Congratulations on another incredible release, Peter; you continue to be a genius who changes the world!
Stream the “Bent Out Of Shape” video on Spotify.
Follow Peter here and his socials: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
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