Browsing Tag

composer

Someone Screaming: Samuel Nicholson drops incredibly emotional West Coast Feeling

Posted on 9 March 2023

With intense vocals which will probably put many into a whole different mood, Samuel Nicholson shows us what true emotion sounds like on West Coast Feeling.

Samuel Nicholson is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based autistic indie rock frontman, musician, and composer who makes superb songs which are rich in warm melodies.

”Set alight by Motown records in the car with his mother, corrupted by hard rock records handed down by his father and formed by his own journeys into Jazz, Folk & Experimental Music of decades past, he is a cathartic songwriter, an impassioned singer and a gifted guitarist.” ~ Samuel Nicholson

Searing in stunning quality and brimming with raw excellence, Samuel Nicholson is one of those rare underground musicians who have the ability to change moods with an ear-shifting-like class. This is brilliant stuff and is stuffed with a shimmering glow of day-changing radiance no one can possibly dislike.

West Coast Feeling from Edinburgh, Scotland-based rock artist Samuel Nicholson is a rather special experience which will summon many sentiments right out from the basement. He sings with so much passion and delves deep into our souls, to take us into a tear-filled world which might stun many back into place.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Solya is deep in devilry beguile in her alt-indie single, Endlessly

Posted on 23 February 2023

It isn’t every day that we come across 16-year-old alt-indie singer-songwriters with the cinematic grace of a Parisian Chanteuse, and that’s just one of the reasons why you’ll want to immerse yourself in the filmic world orchestrated by the West Texas teen, Solya.

Her debut 3-track single, Fever Dream, is a beguilingly baroque amalgam of rock, pop and electronica; every guitar, synth and piano note was contributed by the triadically gifted virtuoso.

With lyrics that cut right to the core of disillusioned darkness and vocal lines that compel you to lean in so deeply that you’ll forget to come up for air, the standout single, Endlessly, is a tear-jerkingly stunning score that puts Solya in good stead for her aural icon. She’s half my age, but I’d still bow down to her iconic artistic vision.

Hear Solya’s debut release via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

We’ll Plant You a Garden: Ghostgirl radiates through the strange spaces on step out of the shade

Posted on 8 February 2023
https://ghostgirlmusic.bandcamp.com/track/step-out-of-the-shade

Self-taught and with that courageous community spirit to overcome all obstacles presented, Ghostgirl sings with the kind of spirit on the searching-for-hope song which might induce a few tears, step out of the shade.

Kay Rowan aka Ghostgirl is a London, UK-based trans composer, indie songwriter, and multi-skilled actor who grew up in classical music and genuine traditional folk.

”Was written as a prayer. Not in a religious sense, but in a profoundly human sense. Sometimes you can find yourself praying for someone to understand their own value – when you watch someone adrift in an endless ocean of their own despair, seeing every anchor as a new way to drown. It’s hard, to watch as someone gives up, daunted by their idea of who they should be. It’s hard to look into the mirror, and see that person reflected back at you, when you’re so used to externalising. So you do what we all do: you throw more anchors into the sea, and hope one reaches in time. Songs are kind of like that – little anchors to keep the world from drifting away.” ~ Kay Rowan

With a hauntingly beautiful aura and filling our veins with a rather sad story, Ghostgirl starts the restorative process and climbs out of bed to see where that true value is. This is underground music at its best due to vocally heart-healing melodies and with honest lyrics, this is a true gem.

step out of the shade from London, UK-based trans multi-talented musician Ghostgirl is a rather special effort. This is unpretentious music at its finest. There is depth here. Mountains of strength, weaved in with so much tragic innocence, in a world which seems so harsh right now.

When you know it’s time to go outside again, it’s best to find the light to warm the soul.

Hear this fine song on Bandcamp. See more via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

David Deutsch has unlocked the gateway to visceral repose, Free Shavocado

Posted on 16 January 2023

LA independent artist and composer David Deutsch has scored original music for films, TV, video games and VR interactive programs. Most notably, he scored for the film Last Survivors and contributed to The Suicide Squad, The Invisible Man, The Kingsman, and the Emmy-nominated series, Hostile Planet.

Now, he’s here with his serenely explorative release, Free Shavocado. The evocative work shimmers with sonic beguile as it leads you through the gentle yet dramatic orchestral crescendos and synth sequencing your rhythmic pulses won’t be able to resist enmeshing with.

With the Gospel-esque non-lexical vocals sporadically appearing to swathe the soundscape with surges of heart-quickening soul, Free Shavocado is a transcendental corridor to serenity and visceral repose.

Free Shavocado, taken from David Deutsch’s EP, Prism, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Umberto Bravo pulled the purity out of salaciousness with his sophomore synth-pop single, Sacred Sinner

Posted on 15 January 2023

Italian independent singer-songwriter and composer Umberto Bravo has unleashed his synthy sophomore single, Sacred Sinner, which modernises the 80s pop tonal palette with explorative vision and lavish layers of soul.

The mid-tempo ballad embellishes the 80s pop sound with gospel traditionalism through the vocals as the instrumentals push lush synth cords against consistently evolving guitars, which know just where to transfuse the gritty and transcendent tones to make the peaks and valleys of the emotional rollercoaster infinitely steeper.

Some view lust as a cardinal sin, but if anyone can make the case for the purity of salaciousness, it is Umberto Bravo in this carnally magnetic earworm that could rouse even the most sexually repressed puritans.

“Sacred Sinner is not a love song, let alone musical pornography. But it certainly goes against the traditional dynamic of the relationships of equality that exist between two people dealing with intimacy.”

Sacred Sinner was released on January 14th across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Suspenseful and Seductive in the Instrumental Realm

Posted on 5 December 2022

This has been a great week for new lo-fi tracks. In addition to the stellar producers that I’ve been handed earlier, a couple of days ago, I also get to talk about playNo’s newest instrumental “My Chick.” The Texas born producer and composer has released a fantastically psychedelic music video on his YouTube channel. The music is great, but the swirling colors looking like a tie-die fractal is something I could stare at for days.

The track is simultaneously upbeat and laid back, which in and of itself is quite an accomplishment. Beginning with some sound-design cascades offering a mood setting intro, the track breaks into new chords and pulsating static notes that take over the tune. The playful marimba and piano dialogue make for a mysterious sound – but not something that takes itself too seriously, which is nice. If you could cross some of the best music from “Plant Vs. Zombies” with an upscale jazz club in Harlem, you might get a sense of what I’m describing. Background vocal samples round out the dazzle with “My Chick” and we have a lovely listening experience.

Hopping over to playNo’s Instagram page will be a joy for dog-lovers. Many of his stories feature his pet pit-bull which is an adorableness overload. It’s nice to see the personal side of a gifted producer who obviously works very hard on his craft but isn’t afraid to play also.

Anirudh Rajagopalan shared his secrets of success as a genre & culture fusionist composer, director and performer in an expansively exclusive A&R Factory Interview

Posted on 21 November 2022

A&R Factory sat down with the globally renowned fusionist composer, director and performer Anirudh Rajagopalan to get an insight into his multilingual and multisonical talents that have captured audiences across the globe.

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Anirudh Rajagopalan, thank you for taking the time to discuss your impressive career as a music composer, director, and performer. We love how intrinsically you blend different sonic cultures from across the world. Have you always had a fusionist style?

I’ve not always had a fusionist style, especially when I was growing up in a household that was and is deeply rooted in Indian music. Indian music ranges from Carnatic Music, film music, Hindustani Music, and more. India’s musical landscape today is very vibrant and that’s where I really started. But as my awareness of diversity increased over the years, eventually so did my thoughts about listening to other kinds of music.

In school, I took Western orchestra, where I played violin in a traditional string orchestra for several years, and I would go home and hear Indian music. Part of me was wondering how I could fuse what I learned from my school orchestra with what I was hearing at home. I thought especially about how such genres can work together.

This idea stayed in my head for several years, until I could finally act on it when I used my first music software which had access to electronic versions of such instruments I was familiar with. So, given a blank canvas, I experimented and found that fusions could work anywhere and anytime as long as you are willing to put in the work and imagination.

What are your favourite genres to work with?

I am rooted in multiple genres of Indian music, but the two I am most rooted in are Carnatic Music and Bollywood.

We’re blown away by your ability to sing in so many languages, English, Tamil, Hindi, Spanish, German, Croatian, Korean, and Japanese, to name a few. Which language do you enjoy singing in the most?

I enjoy singing in Hindi and English. Hindi is the main language of Bollywood movies, which are famous all around the world.

You were born into a very musical family with family members making an ever-lasting mark in the Indian film industry; how has this affected your journey as an artist?

It has definitely affected my journey as an artist, as it defined where I started. My family continues to make strides in the Indian film industry and other places as opportunities arise. I was born into a family that is grounded in Carnatic Music. As I grew up, I watched my mother teach generations of kids the musical genre that she was trained in.

Eventually, I chose to play the mridangam, which is the main percussion instrument of Carnatic Music. Through over a decade of experience, I have begun to think of ways as to how Carnatic Music can find its way into the Indian film industry and other sections of the world. Carnatic Music has made its way into the film industry now, but I think it can have a much greater presence. I do not believe that any single musical genre has to be kept completely separate from the world, and there is room for every genre to expand, grow, and become more popular.

What are your Future Ambitions with Your Music?

I haven’t taken this sound across the country yet. I haven’t done anything like a tour or anything yet, but I look forward to finding such opportunities. As of now, I have taken my culturally fusionist sound through all streaming services. Maintaining these artist pages along with a website is how I have been going to get started. But I have performed Carnatic Music and Bollywood concerts for the past decade and overall, the reception has been positive as long as I performed to my best. I still believe I can eventually take my work to more places.

Given your success which has included receiving many accolades, you have surely got some advice to give to aspiring artists and struggling artists. What would your number one piece of advice be?

I would advise artists to start with a vision. My vision, as an example, is to fuse ideas and instruments from different cultures. I have been rooted in Carnatic Music, but I also have experience in Western Orchestra and am slowly getting into European genres. So, using the resources I currently have, I try to fuse what I have learned from each genre to make such works.

Most of my works have a good portion of a traditional string orchestra, but you will find some unique instruments in them. For example, maybe a glockenspiel, harpsichord, or piccolo has the leading voice. Or an electric bass keeps the bass platform up. I also use principles of Carnatic Music and Western Music Theory to determine beats so I can compose each line of my recordings so they sound pleasing to the ear.

I would advise struggling artists to keep networking and be open to new ideas and try as many as they can. You never know what might end up working.

What projects are currently in the works?

I just finished up a new album and a new single in the past month, where I explored making music that sounded more soulful. It is out on all streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.), and my artist name is “Anirudh Rajagopalan” (just my name). More information about my works and my life can be found on my website.

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Listen to Anirudh Rajagopalan’s fusionist sounds on Spotify.

Follow the artist on Twitter and Instagram.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Emanuele Tozzi sends us back in time on the joyful Cristina’s world

Posted on 8 November 2022

With silky skills which are rather easy-to-hear, Emanuele Tozzi trains our ears on the real prize that is the quality single to be inspired by called Cristina’s world.

Emanuele Tozzi is an Abruzzo, Italy-born New York-based indie jazz composer who studied at Scuola Civica di Jazz in Milano and is known as one of the underground legends in the local music scene.

”In addition to his musical skills, Emanuele holds a Law degree, an LL.M, and a Diploma of Sommelier. He completed two New York marathons and two New York Triathlons.” ~ Emanuele Tozzi

Showcasing his marvellous skills for the world to find true peace inside, Emanuele Tozzi sends a shiver down the spine with a precise performance, which is such a blessing to hear in this inhospitable world.

Cristina’s world from Abruzzo, Italy-born New York-based indie jazz composer Emanuele Tozzi is such a magnificent song which will heal the ears of so many. Smooth in texture and brimming with a harmonious nature, this is exactly the kind of song the world needs more of.

Listen up on Spotify and see more info on his website here.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

We Need Hope: Peter Xifaras shows us deep inside the Lost Innocence of this harsh world

Posted on 5 October 2022

Performed by the exquisite Czech National Symphony, Peter Xifaras shows us deep inside a tragic moment for humankind as the tears flow, bloodshed reigns, and bullets fly everyday on Lost Innocence.

Peter Xifaras is a USA-based world renowned classical musician, composer, guitarist, orchestrator, and producer who is the mastermind of this deep experience.

”Peter Xifaras, the creative force behind the symphoneX Orchestra, is an award-winning artist whose music has topped Billboard’s Classical & Crossover charts. Whether it’s Cinematic, Classical, Jazz-Fusion, or Spoken-Word, Peter’s body of work has garnered praise for successfully crossing over musical boundaries.” ~ Peter Xifaras

Taking us into the destroyed woods where the fire burns deep and the haunting mourning only increases, Peter Xifaras is absolutely excellent on this track that features the outstanding Czech National Symphony.

Lost Innocence from the USA-based multi-talented classical creative Peter Xifaras is a really stunning song that needs to be played loud all over the world. Its texture is packed with true love to the world, as this is a real message that should strike hot to so many who have felt the pain.

Performed to perfection, this is a statement song.

Listen up on YouTube and see more on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Ivar Kangur – Crossing Oceans: an 80s soundtrack to synaesthesia

Posted on 22 September 2022

In one of the most cinematic synthpop scores you could ever hope to immerse yourself within, Crossing Oceans, taken from Ivan Kangur’s 2022 album, Anno Domini, is an 80s soundtrack to synaesthesia.

After taking up classical piano at the age of 14 at the Royal Conservatory of music and working his way through his grades, he discovered his passion for composition, which ultimately saw him joining a new wave band in the 80s and film scoring. His third album, Anno Domini, is a continuation of his love of pop and sonic cinematics; from the first hammer of the analog synth, Crossing Oceans, keeps true to its titular nomination; the strident progressions break borders in the universality of their appeal. Delve right in; the water is lovely.

Crossing Oceans is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast