Tiny Leaves – The ‘Monday Is OK’ Mix

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Music

Shropshire-based Tiny Leaves recent album Mynd incorporated recordings of nature’s sounds and bio data from his National Trust residency at The Long Mynd (AONB)

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tiny Leaves ak Joel Pike crafts musical landscapes using delicate piano motifs, intertwined with strings and electronics. His recent album Mynd painted a musical portrait of Shropshire’s landscape, blending atmospheric soundscapes, haunting strings, and enchanting piano melodies. Pike combines music and ecology from his National Trust residency at The Long Mynd (AONB), transforming them into instruments which infused the album with an essence of the organic.

The track “With the Hollow at My Feet” earned a place on Earth Percent’s Earth Day album alongside luminaries like Brian Eno. Pike has toured with Julianna Barwick and his work has features on projects, including stage productions, and documentaries. A forthcoming video release, “Campanula Rotundifolia,” captures the graceful movements of Harebell flowers, echoing Pike’s method of translating nature’s rhythms into piano melodies. You can check and order the album here.

Given the above, we invited him to record a mixtape which showcases some of his musical interests and passions.

Listen below:

Ransom Note · Tiny Leaves – The ‘Monday Is OK’ Mix

Please introduce yourself…

Who are you:

Joel Nathaniel Pike / Tiny Leaves

Where are you:

In my home studio on a small hill in Shropshire glancing at a sunset in the corner of my window whilst attempting to answer these Qs.

What are you:

A life-time sojourner in the land of creativity, hoping to find my way through, making music, hopefully with feeling, and a lover of other’s music, art, words, and creativity. A (very) amateur naturalist, lover of the hills and keen cook. Glass is half full, enthusiastic, except for early in the mornings..

Tell us about the Monday mixtape you’ve put together for us. If it were to be drawn what would it look like?

A Quinten Blake illustration like the ones in his story ‘Patrick’…

Picture from ‘Patrick’ by Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape, 1968)

If it were a food what would it be?

A large sharing platter of many different country’s cuisines with tonnes of different flavours.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Wherever you go to open up your mind and relax – on a hill, in a bath, driving…

What should we be wearing?

Something that makes you feel good unless you’re in the bath of course.

Where was it recorded?

Go to Question 2.

Are you on the same wavelength as the boomtown rats or do you actually like Mondays?

Currently, I have less affection for them as it’s always a shock after the weekend but come September, Mondays will rule.

Who got you hooked on electronic music?

My brother used to play a lot on his decks in the late 80s/early 90’s from Leftfield to Goldie’s Timeless, so possibly from him but I was younger, so this may have been more subconscious. I also remember Fourtet’s Rounds peaking my interest in the early noughties and buying it.

Who would you say are your biggest influences and what are you hoping to achieve with your music?

The natural world is becoming a regular source of inspiration a lot at the moment. Sufjan Stevens’s ‘Come Feel The Illinoise’ was a huge game changer in terms of blowing my mind years ago and giving me this appetite to create something big a beautiful. I draw inspiration from poets, writers, and artists too like Mary Oliver, Robin Wall-Kimmerer and David Tress to mention a few.

What were your original aspirations as musicians and how do you think you’re shaping up?

I was in indie rock bands for years trying to ‘make it’ in terms of recognition, labels, decent gigs etc. I think ‘making it’ is more about spending time creating music and staying on the journey of discovery. More albums, ace collaborations and realising some of those long-time dreams too, would be cool.

Some self help questions for a Monday:

Am I excited to dive into the challenges that I have lined up for the week?

Looking at next week, there will be many but the album is out so I’ll be very happy indeed. It’s also a way less busy week so I can’t wait to get into some creative projects.

Am I looking forward to engaging with the people i am meeting or working with?

Umm, if I see anyone, Yes.

Am I going to my dream job?

Yes. A lot of the week I’ll have the absolute pleasure of exploring sounds both in the studio and out in nature.

Am I being compensated fairly for the value I bring to my job?

This one’s a bit tricky but I guess sometimes, yes.

Do I feel energised, rested, and confident?

Sometimes energised and rested, and confident but all depends on what I’m facing…

If you were trapped on a desert island with one other person, who would you choose? How long would it be before you eat them?

Liz my bestie. I’m disturbed by the second part of this question! Can we not catch fish?

Your doctor says you need more exercise….what do you take up for exercise?

Ridge walking in the Shropshire hills and cycling on my retro racing bike and a bit swimming would be nice.

If you could travel in time…where in time would you go? Why?

Back to ‘87, first skateboard, ace primary school days and upon reflection, awesome clothes.

What was the first electronic record you heard and how did it make you feel?

Difficult to remember the very first but I do remember loving Timeless by Goldie in my mid-teens, particularly liking the more ambient downtempo sounds on that.

How does your brain work when making music?

I feel it’s a bit like when you were a child playing and exploring something for the first time when I’m creating music, a sort of freedom and wonder.

How does it work when you aren’t?

I feel a wee bit lost when I’m not.

What were the first and last records you bought?

First – Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation

Last – Benedicte Maurseth – Harr

What are you obsessed with at the moment?

Middle Eastern food/cooking and the above last album.

What’s your answer to everything?

How long have we got?

Anything else we need to discuss.

What shall I do with my hundreds of CDs? Why do all the tupperware lids go missing?

Playlist: