Browsing Tag

orchestral

Michael Carson sang the sun’s sonnet in his orchestral score, Solaris

Posted on 11 August 2023

The revered classical composer Michael Carson frequently looks to interstellar phenomena for inspiration for his compositions. His seminal score, Solaris, which would be more than fitting as a sonic pairing to a Brian Cox documentary, is no exception.

After day breaks via the orchestral melodies in the intro, sinister sci-fi elements start to weave their way into the grandeur of the piece to allude to the insurmountable nature of the sun, which is often forgotten about as we see it synonymous with temperateness.

His score efficaciously captures the explosively ravening nature of the hot ball of hydrogen before the orchestral strings bring you back to earth by sonically visualising the beauty of a sunset. Solaris may leave you feeling small once you contemplate the vast nature of the universe, but that is far from the only emotion evoked by his masterful maestro touch.

Stream the official music video for Solaris on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Michael Carson sonically visualised ‘A Starry Night’ in his classical composition.

Posted on 29 July 2023

If you have ever wondered what Van Gogh’s A Starry Night would sound like reimagined in a classical composition, wonder no more by going interstellar with the immersively seminal score from the world-class composer, Michael Carson.

With its evocative depth, hitting play is akin to an astronautical adventure; the gentle melodic flurrying keys and gracefully poised orchestral strings effortlessly glide to the arrestive crescendos and fleeting sinister motifs that allow A Starry Night to unravel as a progressively compelling soundscape that soundtracks the vastness of the universe.

Clearly, Carson’s Bachelors & Masters in Music Composition and doctorate in Musical Arts have served him well, as has his inclination to stay committed to perpetuating the timeless appeal of classical music in his invigorating work.

Explore the cosmos with the official music video for A Starry Night on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amsterdam composer, Knupperpouf, set a tear-tempting score in her lates piece, Marnixstraat

Posted on 19 March 2023
El Pueblo (Amsterdam Album) by Knupperpouf

For her latest release, the Amsterdam-hailing songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Knupperpouf (AKA Nicolette Lie) arranged the tear-tempting neo-classic instrumental piece, Marnixstraat.

The chamber strings cut melancholy across the score, while the poise of the piano keys melodically instil a sense of reflective repose, which you will effortlessly fall into while absorbing the baroque beguile of this wordless exemplification of what it means to be human.

Towards the outro of the short and striking single, Marnixstraat introduces nuanced rock elements that pay an ode to the artist’s sonic origins in the 90s Dutch indie scene. if anyone deserves to be lauded as a virtuoso of ethereal pensiveness, it is Knupperpouf.

Marnixstraat is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lydia Li set an otherworldly score in her orchestral composition, Enchanted Forest

Posted on 19 July 2022

From the first note, you’re down the fantastical rabbit hole in Lydia Li’s composition, Enchanted Forest. The LA-based Chinese composer and orchestrator has crafted scores for just about every form of media. But standing alone, the sense of wonder and emotional celebration of imagined celestial ephemera contained in Enchanted Forest is enough to capture your imagination and aid escapism.

Before composing her instrumental orchestral piece, Enchanted Forest, Lydia Li performed and recorded music across the globe. She provided the soundtrack to the Chinese show Bafan Shenyu, which has garnered over 40 million views. Appropriately matched levels of success and talent are rare to find, but notably, Lydia Li’s heartbreakingly astute melodies could never be over-revered. She’s raised the bar right off this stratosphere.

Visit the Enchanted Forest by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Angie Hakeem clutches the sands of time in her cinematic pop ballad, Too Soon to Die

Posted on 11 July 2022

Too Soon to Die is the latest classically cut pop single from Ohio’s sincerest singer-songwriter Angie Hakeem, who stretched her glassily dynamic vocals back through the decades to remind us of how sweet our perspectives on love and life used to be.

The real beauty within Too Soon to Die is the lyrical ambiguity that allows you to implant your own experiences with loss, grief, and fear of losing into the cinematic ballad. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place in the Disney music genre with its orchestral arrangement, swoon-worthy crescendos and vocal highs that tempt the floodgates to open.

Too Soon to Die will officially release on July 8th. You can stream it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elisa Winter – Summer Spent Dreaming: orchestrally apocalyptic post-grunge resonance

Posted on 9 July 2022

While many artists desperately wrestled with their creativity during the first lockdown only to reveal trite lyricism the performer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and baroquely phenomenal recording artist, Elisa Winter foresaw the new normal before the modern plague was on our door.

Finally, her debut album, Summer and Smoke, which was officially released on Summer Solstice 2022, is here to spill orchestrally apocalyptic post-grunge resonance. The LP tracks across the tensions between truth, reality and gaslighting, with the engrossingly stunning highlight, Summer Spent Dreaming.

Lush yet tumultuous. Visceral yet encompassing the detachment we all felt in some capacity, Summer Spent Dreaming is the most authentic aural depiction of the frustration and entropy I’ve heard yet.

Everything changed, in a way it is almost impossible to put in words. I say almost because Elisa Winter discernibly succeeded with “speak to me please, what has happened to you? Searching for you in your eyes, you won’t let me in.” There’s been a disconnect that we’ve kept our heads in the sand about. Thankfully, Elisa Winter is here to vindicate the confusion in our alien relationship with reality and each other.

Elisa Winter’s latest album, Summer and Smoke, is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Daniel Ryan-Astley sets a sinister score in their composition, College Brain

Posted on 11 March 2022
Daniel Ryan-Astley

Daniel Ryan Astley’s time in professional theatre served him well in their baroquely beguiling latest single, College Brain, which sonically sits somewhere between a Kubrick and Hitchcock film score while carrying reminiscences to The Slumber Party Massacre soundtrack.

On the basis of College Brain, the 20-year-old Canadian non-binary artist notably knows just how to build the cinematic tension and keep it running the veins of their orchestral sound. Whether they continue to compose for the airwaves, films or TV, their future will undoubtedly be luminary bright.

College Brain is due for release on March 11th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Daniel Ryan-Astley’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The East and West coalesces in Yazan AL Hajari’s achingly profound classical composition, Suite for Orchestra No.2

Posted on 8 January 2022

Yazan AL Hajari’s most recent composition, Suite for Orchestra No.2, is achingly beautiful from the first quiver of the cello bow from the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. Like all of his work, this classical piece pays homage to his Arabic heritage while embracing his passion for freedom, peace and creativity.

The Damascus, Syria-born, New York-based artist wrote his first song at the age of nine before studying classical music, classical Arabic music, jazz, world music and film scoring. If anyone can break the monocultural moulds that shield us from truly embracing the beauty in all corners of our globally intertwined world, it is Yazan AL Hajari.

It’s infinitely harder to feel numb towards the atrocities relayed on Sky News once you have experienced the east and west intricately weaved together in such nuanced fashion where borders aurally dissolve and timelines intersect.

With every crescendo scored to crawl beneath the rib cage and every minor note placed to share the weight of our sickness-riddled world, this classical reflection of humanity is one of the rare works that proves the beauty we are capable of.

You can watch and hear Yazan AL Hajari’s composition come to life for yourself via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The award-winning orchestral rock composer Aldo has released his latest cinematic score, Stem the Tide.

Posted on 9 October 2021

There has been an influx of ambient and easy listening music on the airwaves in 2021; it took the talent of pianist, composer and songwriter, Aldo to prove what difference a prodigal touch to a soundscape can make.

His latest progressively orchestral, rock-tinged single, Stem the Tide, starts around ambient piano melodies and flourishes of Celtic culture; even when the momentum starts to build, the sublime tonal bliss goes untarnished. The Emmy award-winners scores have been on countless TV shows and documentaries. He has still found the time to release six albums, all of them containing the same panoramic flair that he is accoladed for in the film and TV music industry. If any artist has the ability to redefine your perception of talent, it is Aldo.

Stem the Tide is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Orchestral composer Tony Manfredonia leaves us breathless with ‘Midnight’

Posted on 21 September 2021

Michigan-based composer and orchestrator Tony Manfredonia has released his Lost at Sea EP, featuring the modern masterpiece, Midnight. Even if you’re accustomed to listening to intense OSTs, Midnight is enough to leave you feeling like Alex in the infamous Clockwork Orange aversion therapy scene.

Tony Manfredonia spreads his talent between composing and orchestrating for video games, concert halls and the airwaves. His ability to command aural alchemy through colourful orchestration and emotionally charged narratives has allowed the artist to tour the globe with the Apollo Chamber Players, the Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra and the University of Cambridge Concert Band.

Like all of his pieces, Midnight is enough to challenge your existing perception of talent. The sheer ethereal artistry pulsating through this orchestral piece is enough to trigger your emotional responses; when you throw in the expression of passion in this striking score, you’ll be left breathless.

Midnight is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast