Ever felt like you listened to a song that seemed like it knew you better than you knew yourself? Let’s discuss Dan Becker. This phenomenal solo pianist and composer from Greenwood inspires the type of music that brings you to a standstill. Dan has recently put out an amazing new album titled “Echoes of Silence”. on the 2nd of January this year, and trust me when I say that the name itself screams the effect the music has on you. Let me give you a million reasons why you need to give this EP a listen!

The EP begins with “Quiet”. The song begins with atmosphere rather than a note. Before a lone, lonely, dampened piano chord or a gentle synth pad swells into existence, you will hear the faint “room tone” of a studio and something like the clicking of a pedal or a deep breath. Despite the song’s lack of lyrics, I believe it symbolizes surrender rather than just the absence of noise as the title implies. It’s when someone finally stops running and sits down to consider their actions and thoughts. The song also drifts like a memory half-remembered. The melody is expansive and minimalist. There is a lot of space between notes and slow tempos. This song, in my opinion, will make the listener lower their heart rate. You feel as though you are the only person in the room with the music, which instantly fosters intimacy and helps you re-establish a connection with yourself. This EP has the most spectacular opening thanks to this song!

“Solace” is the title of the next song. A shift towards warmth occurs at the beginning of the song. A beautiful piano melody enters the battle. After that, it develops into a recurring, cyclical pattern that resembles a soft rocking motion. “Solace” uses restrained melodic fragments to convey the subtle resonance of time and space. More major chords will be heard here, layered with delicate textures (delay or reverb) that envelop the listener like a blanket. It will make listeners consider space and time. It reassures the listener that the vastness of the galaxy is a source of wonder and admiration for the natural world rather than something to be afraid of.

“Penance” is the song that comes next. A lower-register drone or a heartbeat-like piano melody will be heard by the audience. It begins with a tense, possibly minor-key progression that makes you feel a little uneasy. This is the conflict. The title alludes to paying off a debt or facing up to past transgressions. Compared to the earlier songs, this one has more powerful melodies. The dynamics, which represent the burden of guilt, intensify from a whisper to a more urgent, intense peak. The performer  or the character in the song seems to be attempting to win someone over to their point of view. The song feels cathartic because of what I believe it is about. The increasing intensity of the music enables the listener to process their own regrets.

The song “Mercy” comes in at number four. The tension in “Penance” seems to release in this song. A high-frequency melody that sounds somewhat lighter and more optimistic, like light breaking through clouds will be felt. It begins with a long, sustained note that resolves the discord of the preceding track. Based on the song’s tone and title, it seems to be an appeal for forgiveness. Following the struggle of the previous track, “Mercy” is the liberation of such a burden. In terms of its musical qualities, the track is Ethereal and “airy”. The track features a light reverb to achieve a sense of space and to “lift” the listener away to achieve a Pure rush of emotion. Listeners would feel a sense of feeling “light”. As if a burden had been removed from their chest.

At number five we have “Inside Out”. This song feels More experimental. You will notice sounds and melodies pan to the left ear(made more intense by earphones), and then to the right and so on, and some beautiful melodies as well. It begins with a sense of disorientation but curiosity as well. This song feels like vulnerability. To be “inside out” is to have no more secrets. It’s the total exposure of the self after the healing process. This song is the most Complex and layered  song on the EP. The song contains complex melodies, symbolizing the complexity of human spirit. This song also contains a lot of truth and It will help the listener feel ‘seen’. It calls out the listener to be truthful to themselves and celebrate their complexity.

The EP bids listeners goodbye with the song “Lullaby”. The song is a sign of the return to simplicity. Initially, the audience will be introduced to the high keys of the piano and the soft melodies. The song begins in a very tentative manner, as if the song itself is reluctant to disturb someone. This song appears to symbolize the fact that The road is at its end, and the silence is no longer echoing but rather represents rest. Musically, this track is Very soft and melodic. The song then fades away to absolute silence at the end, closing the EP in a cyclical manner. Overall, this song provides A deep sense of closure. The song puts the listener in a meditative state of mind, long after this song finishes.

Each of the six tracks on this EP feels like a whispered confession shared in the dark. With sparse keys that seem to suspend time itself, moving in with deliberate steps that wind Becker through emotional landscapes both desolate and brilliant, it’s rare that such wordless, instrumental music speaks so profoundly. With the gift for soul-speaking without a word, I surely am out of words; this is the work of genius, and I’m hungry for whatever comes next.

Stream the “Echoes Of Silence” EP on Spotify

Follow Dan Becker on here and his socials: X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bandcamp