Browsing Tag

Neo-Classical

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

Jason Potter paved the way to a spiritual journey with his sophomore album, ‘The Marriage of Celestial Things’.

Posted on 14 May 2021
The Marriage of Celestial Things by Jason Potter

Experimentally spiritual London-based artist Jason Potter has followed on from his 2020 debut album with the release of ‘The Marriage of Celestial Things’. With Gregorian chants meeting gothic inclination, the dark sermonic soundscapes may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Yet, anyone with the proclivity to delve into an exploration of the duality between damnation and salvation will want to bear witness to the subversive eight-track album.

The opening single, Creation, acts as a guide into the light within the arcane orchestral album; but it isn’t long before the haunting and evocatively striking tones pierce through the ambience in the neo-classic soundscape. With ominous spoken-word offerings, The Marriage of Celestial Things purposely disturbs as a method of awakening.

When fully immersed in the album, you can practically feel your tunnel vision widening as you’re drawn away from superficiality and forced to reconcile with the vastness of the universe and yourself.

While some artists fall out of the mainstream to make a point, perceptibly, Potter’s authenticity was something that he didn’t have to orchestrate.

The Marriage of Celestial Things is available to stream and download on Bandcamp from May 14th, 2021.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Crosby – A Strong Tide of Liberty: An Intimate Take on Neo-Classical

Posted on 11 April 2021

Brian Crosby’s ‘A Strong Tide of Liberty’ may not be an OST to a motion picture film, but the minimalist neo-classic soundscape will evoke plenty of its own imagery as it experiments with your rhythmic pulses and allows you to rehash memories that ring with the same psychological timbre.

It’s a stunning instrumental piano score, and thankfully, there will be plenty more to come from the Irish-based composer in 2021 and beyond. A Strong Tide of Liberty is just one of the singles to feature on their modern and intimate album, ‘Imbrium’.

A Strong Tide of Liberty is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Georgia Polyniki collaborated with Angeliki Preza and Angelo Bianco for her latest exotic operetta

Posted on 3 March 2021

For her latest release, classically trained singer, Georgia Polyniki, collaborated with pianist Angeliki Preza and fellow vocalist Angelo Bianco to create a stunning operetta.

Georgia Polyniki’s award-winning vocals breathe new life into the Greek lyrics, originally scribed by Theoklis Kuyalis, in her romantically sentimental score. In a time when it seems like beauty is hard to find, the true beauty of voices such as Georgia Polyniki’s shine through. British unilingual minds may not be able to decipher the poetry in the lyricism, but the tenderness of the neo-classic piano keys, the quiescence of the classical strings and the power of Georgia Polyniki’s striking vocals definitely set the amorous tone.

Georgia Polyniki’s latest release can be heard via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

John McCrea sets a post-classical score with ‘Mantra Mantra’

Posted on 12 February 2021

Dublin-based composer and electronica artist, John McCrea, paints with textures of post-classical, Europop and ambient minimalism, yet his un-constrainable sonic prowess becomes more than just sound through the imagery it inspires and the emotion it evokes. The perfect introduction to their cinematic style is the title single to their latest solo album, ‘Mantra Mantra’.

Mantra Mantra is a progressively sensual whirlwind of intensity which permits flurried piano notes to capture urgency while the low reverberant hum of the bassline is a grounding layer of realism which reflects the dread which is very much a part of our mortal coil.

It’s so much more than your average vibe out playlist essential, crank up the volume and you’ll enter a new world constructed by the enigmatic artist who has made a name for himself writing for theatre and dance. His talent is just as mesmerising as a standalone soundscape, there are a plethora of layers to unpack, any attempt to dissect the soundscape feels like butchery.

Mantra Mantra is available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Christmas song to bring shelter to those less fortunate: ‘New Beginnings’ from the sweet soul Julia Thomsen ushers in light from darkness

Posted on 7 January 2021

‘The things you take for granted someone else is praying for’.

‘New Beginnings‘ from the music wonder that is Julia Thomsen, gives the world a peaceful song to embrace and never let go, Despite all the doom and gloom in the world, we must always remember that away from the tv sets, there is still beauty out there and we must never give up while looking for it.

Julia Thomsen is a London-based Neo-classical film tv composer who makes music to relax the tired body, mind and soul, who is a leading light in everything that is pure with the world. She is a supremely talented creative who brings back that genuine feel, that washes away all of your self-doubt and replaces it with a cinematic piece of magnificence.

The spectacular instrumental is so peaceful and reminds you of a romantic movie, the carefully crafted song is something so needed and a small tear will probably roll down your cheek, as you smile and know that life will be back to almost-normal this time next year. The rainbow will come again and we can see close friends and family, albeit with a bit more caution than before; until we can fully heal inside.

‘New Beginnings‘ is a song made to help others less fortunate during this time of year and Julia Thomsen shows us that love and light is still around and strong during this incredibly challenging time. This is a new melody of beauty that will help you relax and think positive thoughts while you mediate or listen to this while you are working from home. Love does win in the end and together, we can all help in some way.

Please support this worthwhile cause of assisting those homeless right now and help Julia to get to the desired target on Justgiving.

Stream her peaceful message via Spotify and see more from Julia on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

John Riesen and Neill Campbell – Oh Holy Night: A stunning Classical showcase of nocturnal piety

Posted on 22 December 2020

Plenty of people will be making difficult compromises this Christmas, one thing which we definitely don’t have to compromise on, thanks to artists such as John Riesen and Neill Campbell, is festively enrapturing music.

Their Classical cover album, Christmas at Home, is a collection of the most revered Christmas songs from across the decades, revived by award-winning Tenor, John Riesen. During the soul-melting crescendos, drinking in his theatrically transfixing vocal timbre becomes more important than breathing. Their ardent operatic stretches perfectly compliment the arcanely uplifting Classical score which is breath-taking enough to abstract you from the fact that Christmas 2020 might be a little bleaker this year.

Oh Holy Night is available to stream via Spotify along with the rest of John Riesen and Neill Campbell’s Christmas album, Christmas at Home.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sidetrack Walker – Will to Leave: Viscerally Atmospheric Progressive Neo-Classical

Posted on 15 May 2020
https://sidetrackwalker.bandcamp.com/track/will-to-leave

Berlin-based artist Sidetrack Walker has released their most captivating soundscape to date. Expect the human psyche to stare back at you when you hit play on Will to Leave which is just one of the tracks found on their latest album The Art of Starvation.

The Neo-Classical melodies perfectly capture tense, fraught and honest emotion. Under Sidetrack Walker’s deft orchestration, the progressions spill more resonance than even the most meta of lyrics ever could.

But what blew me away the most about Will to Leave was the sheer distinction. Sidetrack Walker’s tendency to pull from a myriad of genres such as Neo-Classical, Dark Folk and Prog Rock allowed their sound to spill an alchemic amount of atmospheric intensity.

You can stream and download Sidetrack Walker’s single Will to Leave along with the rest of their album which was released on April 24th for yourselves via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dom Robson-Tull – For A Friend: Accordantly Cinematic Neo-Classical

Posted on 6 April 2020

Neo-Classical multi-instrumentalist and composer Dom Robson-Tull released his latest captivatingly cathartic composition “For A Friend” on April 6th. If you’re as aurally sensitive as me, don’t be surprised if the interplays of torment and tonal optimism leave you emotionally bruised.

The Birmingham-based artist crafted a stunning piece which poignantly reflects the emotions we feel when we experience triumph after conflict. The accordantly cinematic single pairs classical strings with pensive piano keys to lay down melodies which offer a smorgasbord of weighted emotion which will stick with you for long after the track has faded to a close.

Any fans of Nils Frahm and Phillip Glass will undoubtedly want to have Dom Robson-Tull on their radar sooner rather than later.

You can check out Dom Robson-Tull’s latest single For A Friend for yourselves via Spotify.

Keep up to date with the artist’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

Posted on 31 March 2020

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