Browsing Tag

classical

The Fullers welcome you to the ‘Unreal City’ with their classical folk single.

Posted on 13 August 2021

The brutalist architecture in the single artwork perfectly captures the bleak tone in the Fullers’ latest semi-orchestral single, Unreal City, which comes with 70s melancholic pop-rock nostalgia and a sorrowful indie post-punk edge.

The Fullers have been in formation since 2018; they garnered the attention of BBC Surrey and Essex before transforming their rock sound to make the most of songwriter Peter Neilan’s classical training. The evolution in their sound allows classical motifs to coalesce with folk elements; any fans of Ben Folds will want to pay attention.

Unreal City was officially released on August 13th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Venezuelan aural ambassador Morris Northcutt has released his latest classical score, Tonada Del Cabrestero

Posted on 9 August 2021

Ahead of the release of his solo debut album, award-winning professional touring artist Morris Northcutt teased what is to come with the richly cinematic, deeply emotional classical composition, Tonada Del Cabrestero, composed by Simon Diaz.

To name a few, the Latin-inspired artist’s accolades include winning global music awards, being a Bach Conn-Selmer solo performing artist and touring the globe with performance groups such as Mannheim Steamroller, Critical Mass Big Band, The Blues Brothers Reunion Band, Puget Brass, and the Tacoma Concert Band to the Seattle Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Breath of Aire, and the Tacoma Symphony.

Before you even learn the intent behind the instrumental score, you feel the ego-less sense of passion in the production; you get a sense that Tonada Del Cabrestero is pulling emotion from a much deeper place. Tonada Del Cabrestero was created in collaboration with Venezuelan artists impacted by the economical disaster imparted by quarantine measures.

It was designed to pay ode to the culture that has been stifled and to introduce the world to the cinematic magic of Venezuelan music. It embraces Northcutt’s bold virtuosic flair, bringing a sense of warmth to the soundscape that proves that beyond borders and language barriers, we share humanity that defies the suffocating concepts of tribalism and late-stage capitalism. Frankly, we’re obsessed. Venezuela couldn’t ask for a better aural ambassador.

Tonada Del Cabrestero was released on July 23rd and is now available on Spotify. The debut album is due for official release on August 30th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shift your perception on affection with TIBIBI’s ethereal neo-classic single, Remind Me.

Posted on 1 August 2021

‘Remind Me’ is the latest artfully ethereal release from alternative singer-songwriter, producer and engineer, TIBIBI; whose neo-classic works carry the same haunting weight as Portishead while registering as enticingly authentic.

The single melodically spins the story of a person falling in love but not falling deep enough to lose their head. The suitably meditative semi-orchestral synth-pop single allows the lyrics to resonate as a mantra, a promise to yourself that you won’t descend to the depths of love you can’t pull yourself up from.

Remind Me starts as a neo-classic piano loop before classical strings weave into the mix with reverb-swathed analogue synths. TIBIBI’s gently layered vocals meld succinctly into the single which is conceptually powerful enough to shift your perception of love.

Remind Me is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chiptune meets classical in Mr. Tyler Larson’s Flight of the Bumble Bee (Arcade Version)

Posted on 16 July 2021

Rimsky-Korsakov’s original score, Flight of the Bumble Bee, was imagined for a full symphonic orchestra; Mr. Tyler Larson inventively reimagined it through arcade sounds and vintage synths.

In this unexpected collision of chiptune and classical, the flurrying notes swathe you in 80s nostalgia while the dizzying pace of the intermittent bleeps leaves you utterly arrested. I have heard Flight of the Bumble Bee covered many times before, but this theatrically digital rendition is easily one of the most inventive.

Flight of the Bumble Bee (Arcade Version) released on July 1st. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nizar Bredan starts a ‘Journey’ with his latest neo-classic composition.

Posted on 21 June 2021

Libya-born, Brussels-based self-taught neoclassical composer and pianist Nizar Breden has released his latest composition, Journey; through the gentle melodic crescendos, Bredan’s diverse cultural heritage emerges through the delicate score that is provoking and profound in equal measure.

By switching between dramatic, uplifting and tentative cadences, Journey is a score that will leave you hooked by its multifaceted nature, expressive textures, and Bredan’s ability to melodically flit between melancholy and an almost Machiavellian style of playfulness.

After finding influence in the wandering tones of Chopin, the circulating melodies of Tiersen and the evocative works Ólafur Arnalds, Ludovico Einaudi and Nils Frahm, Bredan discernibly found his signature style that will easily enamour any fans of the aforementioned.

Journey is the first of the singles to come from his new series of original compositions; the rest are due to follow throughout 2021 and 2022.

Journey is now available to stream via Spotify.

Lee Olivier-Hall – This is Only the Beginning: A Conceptually Profound Neo-Classic Account of Lockdown-Melancholy

Posted on 4 June 2021

Artist and composer Lee Olivier-Hall is set to release his most candid work to date. His EP ‘Moments in Sound’ was written during the pandemic as the film composer captured the emotional impact of uncertainty, fear and isolation.

The conceptual duplicity of the lead single, This is Only the Beginning, plays with our newly found pessimism and fear of beginnings as the tender ambient neo-classic keys reflect the fragility of our optimism. The use of spatial effect and instrumental minimalism is devastatingly profound as it mimics the hollow, vacuous nature of our new world.

Since graduating from BIMM London, the artist has primarily focused on composing for film, his experience scoring for film reflects in the visual nature of the four-track EP which is easily one of the most stunning accounts of lockdown melancholy.

This is Only the Beginning will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from June 4th. In the meantime, you can check out Lee Olivier-Hall via his website, Instagram or Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Follow Your Heart: Outstanding German classical composer Michael Livschitz impresses highly yet again with ‘While Hope Is Still Alive’

Posted on 22 April 2021

After the beautifully elegant pieces that were a majestic listen called ‘Farewell in the Rain‘ and ‘When Broken Hearts Are Silent’, Michael Livschitz inspires us to go beyond what we currently can see on ‘While Hope Is Still Alive‘.

Michael Livschitz is a tremendously skilled Munich, Germany-based classical composer, songwriter and author, who forms monumental melodies and sublime creations, that grab you right in the sweet spot of your beating heart.

Your tender body somehow feels so at ease with his wonderful music loud in your headphones, his elevating soundscapes puts all the constant worries to bed and shuts the door behind them.

As he subtly charges up his flexible fingers, we are brought into a world that comes with many warnings, as so many humans out there don’t want you to succeed. This is all about going for your dreams while you still can, as the planet burns quicker than we first thought — his terrific display has your body shaking in excitement for the possibilities that do indeed lay ahead — if you want them enough.

‘While Hope Is Still Alive‘ from the classical master Michael Livschitz, is an awe-inspiring effort from a true artist, who pours his heart and soul into every available sinew of this carefully crafted gem. This is a song to embrace wholeheartedly, as you find your path and stick to the plan, whilst feeling refreshed by such an angelic piece of music that cleanses your whole mind, from the toxins of this world that needs healing.

Stream this stunning song on Spotify and see his IG for more visuals.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Paul Ettore Tabone takes us to ‘Heaven’

Posted on 21 April 2021

Opening up with some Spanish guitar, Paul Ettore Tabone – a.k.a. The Tenor From Oz – brings us an Italian language operatic version of Bryan Adams’ ‘Heaven’, as a sampler from his new album ‘This Is Me’.

Paul was given the prestigious ‘Most Promising Voice For Music Theatre’ in both 2007 and 2009 at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, before making his operatic debut in Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’, a period in West Side Story and Puccini’s ‘Madame Butterfly’, and a four year West End run in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom Of The Opera’. That operatic heritage and training has stood Tabone in good stead here, his deep, rich resonant tenor voice carrying the song beautifully, the combination with the Italian language lyrical translation transforming a pop-rock classic into something much deeper and more emotional.

You can hear ‘Heaven (Paradiso)’ on Soundcloud; order Paul’s debut album, ‘This Is Me’, from Paul’s website.

Review by Alex Holmes

Award-winning composer Diesel Keys has released his latest single, ‘What I’m After’, featuring Josie Soden.

Posted on 16 April 2021
What I'm After by Diesel Keys

Award-winning Yorkshire-based songwriter and composer Diesel Keys is set to scoop up more accolades after releasing his latest jazzy piano pop single, ‘What I’m After’, featuring vocals from Josie Soden.

There’s a grandiose air to the ballad that unravels with intensity while avoiding falling into the realms of theatrical novelty. Josie Soden’s sensual and soulful vocals were the perfect choice to compliment the neo-classic keys that glide through crescendos and sparsely intimate progressions. With the infusion of the horn section, you’ll get to swim amongst the tonal warmth that only Jazz can offer.

It’s a stunning release that sets plenty of anticipation for Diesel Key’s future endeavours and releases.

What I’m After is available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Classically trained London singer-songwriter Libby Phippard has released her latest single, ‘Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay’.

Posted on 5 April 2021
Libby Phippard

London singer-songwriter Libby Phippard’s latest single, ‘Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay’ is the kind of revival needed to keep classical music relevant in 2021.

With her operatic training, background in classical music and tendency to draw influence from everyone from Hozier to Ariana Grande, her latest ballad is a theatrical release that doesn’t allow any of the pain of a relationship expiring to hide behind smoke and mirror. Instead, it bridges the gap between those grandiose lovesongs that have always been around and the common experience of romantic duality.

It is criminal for singles such as Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay to be relegated to soundtracks. If society can see the beauty in acts such as Daughter and Tom Odell, there’s no reason why the same affection can’t be found in Libby Phippard’s timeless sound.

Please Don’t Ask Me to Say is due for official release on March 12th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud. Head over to the artist’s official website for more info.

Review by Amelia Vandergast