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Touched by Love is the eighth album from German pianist/composer Bernward Koch on the Real Music label. The album contains fifteen selections from Koch’s previous releases plus two new pieces — a whopping seventeen tracks and 75 minutes of blissful music! There are four tracks from Walking Through Clouds (2006), two each from Journey to the Heart (1999), Gentle Spirit (2009), Silent Star (2011), Day of Life (2013), and Remembering (2015), and one from Flowing (1997), Koch’s Real Music debut.

Based on his past recordings, at first blush one was expecting a no edge musical experience somewhat similar to Steiner’s label mate Bernward Koch. There is a certain element of truth to that expectation but as soon as the disc loaded this was the first indication that this was going to be a unique listening experience. With only five tracks present, the shortest track runs no less than nine minutes suggesting that Steiner was in an adventurous mood.
 

Forgotten Road is the second album from pianist/composer Eamonn Karran following his 2014 Real Music debut, Distant Sun. Even more so than his first album, Forgotten Road evokes the ancient Celtic roots of Karran’s home in Northern Ireland. The music is piano-based (electronic) and often richly orchestrated (synth), reflecting a variety of moods and colorful life experiences. A devoted family man (father to five and recently a grandfather for the first time), Karran often finds his musical inspiration comes from his daily life.