Browsing Tag

neo classic composer

Tact rendered ‘Catharsis’ in their neo-classic homage to human resilience

Tact, led by the visionary Franco Tartaglia, has earned a revered reputation for kindling their compositions with heightened emotion since their 2009 formation. With their latest jazz-infused neo-classic soundtrack, Catharsis, they reached the pinnacle of evocative poignancy while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit.

Ensuing from a diaphanously ornate feat of cultivated ambience, the instrumental arrangement, as suggested by its name, leads the listener over the brink of emotional release through a strikingly thematic crescendo of jazz-instilled rhythmic complexity.

Leading up to the crescendo, the delicate touch of minor key piano notes hit deep, stirring the senses before the addition of fluid, finger-picked classical guitars injects palpable warmth into the piece. Wordlessly, the piece reflects the often-overlooked beauty within humanity; our ability to physically, psychologically, and spiritually endure atrocity in the tumultuous human experience and take it within our stride.

Catharsis stands as a vibrant testament to the band’s journey and evolution; recorded at Temple Studios and accompanied by a film crafted by Kenneth Scicluna and Klara Vassallo, the release is the ultimate homage to inner strength and dignity.

Stream the official video for Catharsis on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spielbone has released their neo-classic electronica aid to rumination ‘Les mérites du doute’

German-Ivorian composer, Spielbone, made their debut in 2018 with their minimalist neo-classic twist on ambient electronica, in 2020, he released his pacifyingly immersive album ‘Infinitesimal’ any fans of Nils Frahm or similar contemporaries are going to want to pay attention.

In a time when sanctity of any form is scarce, meditative soundscapes such as Les mérites du doute are worth their weight in aural gold. As Chamber strings draw across the keys, the ruminative soundscape pulls you in deeper into the sanguine essence. Spielbone’s ability to set synapses alight and make heartstrings feel taut will undoubtedly see him going far in 2021 and beyond.

You can hear the album for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Sonophonix drive us ‘Crazy In Love’ with their latest single

https://vimeo.com/461511090

Commencing with a beautiful, arpeggiated piano motif before being joined by the deep, sonorous swell of cello, ‘Crazy In Love’ is a beautiful, haunting piece, an instrumental duet of resonant, musical artistry and elegance that showcases the talents of two incredible musicians.

Pianist Deborah Robb and cellist Xue Yang Liu met while students at the Mannes School of Music at the New School in New York City.  While attending Mannes they performed chamber music together and were members of the Mannes American Composers Ensemble (MACE) under the direction of composer Lowell Liebermann.  Their Sonophonix duo merges their composing, arranging and improvisation skills, and ‘Crazy In Love’ is a perfect example of their art, allowing each performer the personal space to breathe whilst intertwining their individual contributions into something altogether greater, a delicate, mellow, composition of refinement and elegance that transcends the classical genre and becomes something altogether of its own.

Crazy In Love can be heard from the Sonophonix website.

Review by Alex Holmes