About
Eckerson's life, musical and otherwise, has been that of a nomad since his teenage years, when he left his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio to pursue his musical career. Since then he has lived in Charleston, South Carolina, San Sebastian, Spain, San Francisco, California, Seattle, Washington, and Asheville, North Carolina, and has recently returned to Cincinnati with his family to continue his musical career in his hometown.
In the past five years Tristan has released six full length albums and more than two album's worth of singles, both independently and with 1631 Recordings (Nils Frahm, Dustin O'Halloran, Hauschka), A Remarkable Idea (Bloc Party, Benoît Pioulard, Maxïmo Park, Robot Koch), Mellotron Records, 7K! Records, and Sonder House. He has toured through North America and Europe and has composed music for award winning commercials, short films, and web series. His music has received multiple sync placements in television and film, and has been streamed over forty million times worldwide. In 2022 Tristan contributed a track to the Piano Day Compilation, released by German label Leiter and featuring artists such as Olafur Arnalds, Chilly Gonzales, and Balmorhea.
Having graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California with a Master's degree in Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media, Tristan handles all aspects of the production of his music independently- from writing, recording, mixing, and mastering through to artwork and cover art design. Releasing compositions for solo piano on an almost monthly basis for the past few years, in January of 2023 Tristan also released his debut album under his Ambient project Purple Decades. "Journey Test", released by Portland based label Beacon Sound, was well received by fans and the press, and was featured in the Best Ambient on Bandcamp: February, 2023.
"Starting with a bittersweet and beautifully simple melody layered over rich, percussive chords, “Endeavour” evolves into a multi-textured piece that juxtaposes mournful moments with flashes of hope." - Second Inversion
"Proving that modern classical can contain considerable emotional heft, Tristan Eckerson offers a bright, brilliant, and beautiful world on the serene “Oscuridad.” - Beach Sloth
"The delicacy of the world of Chopin's Nocturnes, in a restful and resolutely contemporary set." - Pro/Prose Magazine
"This miniature song (in length, not in bravado) has already, in the 2 minutes since I've started listening to it, shredded my understanding of life itself into itsy-bitsy scraps." - Indie Shuffle
"Some parts remind one of the playful lightness of Yann Tiersen, the dancing energy of René Aubry, or the repetitive melodies of Philip Glass, while other parts remind one of well-known composers of the European classical and romantic traditions. But everything is illuminated in Eckerson's intention and emotion. When he plays, he closes his eyes and sinks into the music; when he speaks, he is enthusiastic about the piano he is sitting at, as if talking about a loved one." - JacJournal
"Disarm is a vibrant album, occasionally slowing down to linger in tender moments, but full of twists & turns and changes of pace as Eckerson effortlessly stirs up a lively stew of neoclassical, blues, jazz, and contemporary motifs." - Stationary Travels
"The single is an instrumental delight which provocatively combines an array of eclectic sounds to create a full-bodied celestial experience for listeners." - Northern Transmissions
"The track swells like a symphony that builds up like watching a growing tree observed through elapsed time that stems from a bud in the ground to a full-fledged tower of branches, leaves, and natural offerings for the world." - Impose Magazine
Purple Decades
Journey test - purple decades
Get the album on limited edition vinyl now
Purple Decades is the new Ambient project from Tristan Eckerson
Journey Test, the debut album from Purple Decades, is out now digitally and on limited edition vinyl via Portland based label Beacon Sound.
"Journey Test unfolds like a sonic origami with elegant melodic shapes and tidy minimalist design."
- Stationary Travels