It wasn't until he turned 21 that Johannes Mergarten found his destiny in playing piano. After an intense period of piano and jazz studies in Munich, a desire to immerse himself in Berlin’s rich music scene initiated a move to Neukölln. There he began waiting tables in different Italian Restaurants whilst the early roots of his debut album began taking shape. Within months he met Martyn Heyne of Lichte Studio - who had previously worked with artists such as Nils Frahm and Lubomyr Melnyk - and soon the recording of his compositions was underway. Not even after a year Johannes had moved to Berlin, he became the latest signing to Lenient Tales. A poetic undertone of both melancholy and dreaminess. At the same time this album never fails to surprise with its unique drive and unconventional vibe that reflects the loneliness and liveliness of the city. Those two opposing currents coalesce beautifully. Improvisation and composition alternate with one another, constantly interweaving with dynamic playfulness. „Descending Improvisation“ for example shows Johannes Mergarten's intuition and faible for openness in his approach to music. It is a first take improvisation which was recorded under enormous reverb just to loosen things up in between recordings. Although the reverb was edited out afterwards, the track made it onto the record due to the enduring tension its fragility produces, and because it exhibits what Johannes can create on the spur of the moment.