Browsing Tag

Electronic Neo Classical

Victor Moreno delivered nyctophoria with his original film score, Ascend All Night

Victor Moreno’s original film score, Ascend All Night, opens an unflinchingly scenic aural space; he takes a score- opulent in emotion, yet aligned with a sense of unease -past the usual remits of neo-classical into a disquieting sci-fi territory that slips away from gravity.

Thick with unsettling intrigue, akin to a dark corridor you ache to explore, Ascend All Night unravels a nyctophile’s sonic dream by painting a twilight canvas in an ocean of depth which rushes forward into the static of intercepted radio signals before moving past them into the depth of the unknown.

Celebrated for his refined compositions, Moreno has a background enriched by his time at the Swedish Center of Electroacoustic Music and Sound Art. His collaborations with figures like Oliver Ackermann and Wolfgang Tillmans, and his reuniting with sound engineer Rupert Clervaux—who has worked with Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized—bolstered the polished audial textures that define this score.

This evocative piece, central to the narrative of the short art film Ascend All Night, crescendos through a rapture of rich textures, blending piano, violins, synthesisers, and the irreplicable draw of Spanish acoustic guitar. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, or Thom Yorke, Moreno’s work has ensured that the short film is already making waves across the film festival circuit, promising a vivid journey for audiences everywhere.

Stream the original film score here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pablo Laguna exposed the shadow side of neo-classical electronica in ‘Apnoea’

Madrid’s most striking composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Pablo Laguna, built on the foundation laid by the release of his 2019 debut album, Gradus Ad  Delirium, by unleashing his unnervingly commanding album, Is Not the Land, featuring the standout instrumental score, Apnoea. The haunting sonic narrative is a compelling dive into the depths of contemporary experimental music.

Born from the mind of a composer who seamlessly blends classical training with a punk ethos, Apnoea is a masterful fusion of neo-classical orchestral strings with unsettling electronic elements.

The disquietingly arrestive soundscape is far from the conventional cinematic neo-classical path; the horror elements are beyond Lynchian as they almost veer into baroque electronic folk territory. The synths quiver and shake as much as the electronic aesthetics to deliver a poignant reflection of our tumultuous times. Even with the jarring elements in this shadow side of neo-classical electronica, you can’t help but be hypnotised by the arcanely nefarious atmosphere.

Stream Pablo Laguna’s LP, Is Not the Land, in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Basil Babychan cast a spectral shadow over his latest filmic score, Insentient Nature

https://soundcloud.com/basilbabychan/insentinent-nature/s-Zo5Ovv7zuQl?si=5165905864934628a4c17bc22fe9047c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Insentient Nature is the latest cinematically sombre neo-classic score from the avant-garde ambient composer Basil Babychan, who has garnered international critical acclaim for his phantasmally affecting work, which entwines futurism with touches of classical orchestration to create profoundly reflective sonic spaces.

The darkly compelling minor key progressions against the spectral shadows cast by the classical strings and glitchy synths lead the instrumental soundscape into a brand-new depiction of dystopia; one which allows you to see the beauty beyond the consternation. Harbingering the age of the machine and a sense of detachment from the organic world, Babychan taps into our fears, while demonstrating everything has its place and a right to belonging and freedom.

Insentient Nature is due for official release on November 10th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Electronica and Neo-Classical Converge in Ben Alexander’s Strikingly Arrestive Single “Daybreak”

If you’re looking for aural escapism (and let’s face it, in these insane times you probably are), look no further than the latest release “Daybreak” from composer, producer and artist Ben Alexander.

The stunning contemporary take on neo-classical piano soundscapes is peerlessly efficacious at arresting your own rhythmic pulses and making sure that each striking note hits with masterful accuracy.

I would give you spoilers and tell you what to expect from the momentous crescendo, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise of what’s in store once Daybreak reaches its climax. And quite honestly, I’m in awe. While it doesn’t bode well for this review that I’m fairly speechless, it definitely bodes well for Ben Alexander’s captivating composition.

You can check out Ben Alexander’s single Daybreak which was released alongside the other single “Upeo” on a 2-track release via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast