Keaton Henson picks his all-time favourite instrumental albums
To be a fan of Keaton Henson is to be open to change. Across his albums, the musician weaves between tender lyricist, gentle indie singer, classical composer and beyond. With each album release, his followers never know what they might get other than being safe in the knowledge that it’ll be richly emotive and beautifully made. With the release of Somnambulant Cycles, Henson returned to his love for instrumental albums.
“I like the challenge of it,” Henson told Far Out about his interest in classical or ambient instrumental works. While Henson is perhaps best known for his devastating lyrical pen and poetic voice, his eras of wordlessness provide a different kind of creation for him. “Sometimes, when I’ve been writing a lot, I like to wonder if I could say exactly that without any words,” he explained, considering these works to be delivering just as much feeling, just in a different way.
But to some listeners, the quiet of instrumental albums can often feel inaccessible or overwhelming. Without the clear emotional path weaved by words, listeners are left to feel their way through or assign their own meanings or messages to the sounds. While that can feel intimidating or revealing to Keaton Henson, that’s what’s so interesting about it.
To get started in the world of instrumental records, Henson shared five of his favourites, from luxurious scores to huge-scale compositions that prove you don’t need lyrics to make a serious emotional impact.
Keaton Henson’s favourite instrumental albums:
Burial- Untrue
The first pick merges the worlds of ambient music with the rich history of the British clubbing scene. From south London, electronic artist Burial captures the energy that Henson grew up around as a London native. “It maybe resonates with the climate and city where I grew up, so it feels like it speaks my specific language,” Henson said. But regardless of geography, it’s a record that grabs you and carries you away. “I’m pretty sure anyone from anywhere is instantly transported by these sounds,” he added.
If you listen to even one album off Henson’s list, he’d suggest it be this one. “I don’t know if there’s a more evocative instrumental record out there for me,” he said of the 2007 release.
Arvo Part – Tabula Rasa
Moving into a very different sound, Henson’s next choice steps into the world of classical music. But Tabula Rasa isn’t the tired concertos or symphonies too often associated with that world. Instead, the piece, which is made of two movements called ‘Ludus’ and ‘Silentium’, is a masterful journey between tension and quiet.
To Henson, it’s the still parts which are most interesting. “He reinvented silence for me,” he said of the impact of Estonian composer Arvo Part. From the first moment he heard it, he’s never truly left the world it creates. “I live in the space between the notes,” Henson said, “‘Silentium’ is one of the most important pieces of music to me.”
Emile Mosseri – The Last Man In San Fran score
Alongside his own albums, Keaton Henson has done a fair share of work scoring films and TV. He wrote the music for the 2020 movie Supernova, as well as some theatre and ballet productions, so soundtrack work clearly has a special place in his heart.
This recent score from the 2019 film instantly became a special one to Henson, who claimed it had “such profound impact.”
He said, “It is the most empathetic film score I’ve heard. It’s also wildly new while feeling incredibly nostalgic.” While recognising and recommending it as brilliant, there’s also a level of jealousy, as the musician added, “I’m furious I didn’t write it.”
Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven
With the absence of words to make sense of a collection or assign a clear, solid emotional life to it, it’s often hard to pin down or truly understand why a project is so impactful. That’s how Henson feels about R Plus Seven, the 2013 release from the Mercury Prize nominated producer.
“I don’t actually know why his work is so amazing; it feels pretty indecipherable,” Henson explained, “but this album specifically completely transports me, but I’m not sure where to, or if I like it there or don’t.”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada
Henson got into instrumental music young, raised in a musical home of ballet dancers, actors and a half-brother who’s also a composer. Even his earliest education in music included the most formless or broad pieces, rather than the typical diet of rock, pop or indie you might expect.
This 1999 release is a key part of that early, youthful soundtrack. “This album was really important for me growing up,” Henson said. “I think it taught me that you can make something that sounds huge without feeling aggressive or overpowering,” he added, which is a lesson clearly audible in his own impactful work, both instrumentally and in his words.
