Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres' striking new album ‘Play Echoes‘ is a collaboration with Her Ensemble, the UK's first women and non-binary orchestra formed during the pandemic. ‘Play Echoes‘ is a profoundly meditative, beguiling collection combining classical instrumentation with electronic and electro-mechanical elements. The record, consisting of twelve songs, has its origins in an intimate recording of a conversation between a three-year-old Hamilton-Ayres and her mother, parts of which appear in the innocently optimistic opener, ‘Olympia‘. From the vibrant, piano-led chamber music of ‘London '92‘ and the more extravagantly romantic ‘Stone Stairs‘ to ‘Grenadine's‘ and ‘Unbound's‘ rippling synths, the record summons an air of nostalgia both bitter-sweet and immersive. Confirming her as one of the most emotionally articulate and compelling composers of her era, ‘Play Echoes‘ represents childhood dreams come true and adult reflections made real. The album was primarily recorded at LEITER's studio in Berlin's Funkhaus complex and is available on CD, LP and via all streaming platforms.
