Browsing Tag

Soundtrack

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

Posted on 28 February 2024

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

Embrace the beauty and brutality of the human experience with Mirko Sangrigoli’s seminal neo-classic composition, Z

Posted on 17 February 2024

Mirko Sangrigoli’s latest single ‘Z‘, from his sophomore LP, is a cinematic instrumental emblem of his dual artistic identity. As a jazz musician and a composer of filmic soundtracks, Sangrigoli demonstrates his ability to straddle these worlds with finesse.

Z, the title single from his 2024 album, is a narrative of the complexities of our times, articulated through the eloquence of keys. The track begins with a sense of urgency, the piano keys dancing rapidly, evoking a sense of franticness that mirrors our chaotic epoch. Yet, there’s a method to the madness, which speaks to Sangrigoli’s jazz background. The improvisational feel of jazz is present, but it’s reined in, controlled, and purposeful.

As the piece progresses, it shifts into more reflective moments; these intersections are where Sangrigoli’s talent shines brightest. The transition from the frenetic to the contemplative interludes is seamless as they open a gateway to introspection, echoing the quieter moments in our own lives.

It’s a soundtrack for the ennui-inclined existential soul, capturing the beauty and brutality of the human experience. For those seeking a musical piece that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, ‘Z’ is a journey worth embarking on.

Z was officially released on January 31st; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Pike has debuted a neo-classic composition of profound contemplation with the release of ‘Norastoria’

Posted on 12 January 2024
Nick Pike

Nick Pike’s instrumental neo-classical piece, Norastoria, is a composition of contemplation, capturing the tenderness of tentative new beginnings as vividly as the tumultuousness of reality which demands resilience to weather life’s relentless storms.

Each note is as accessible as the last in the endlessly inviting piece which keeps its finger on the evocative pulse. Words are surplus to requirement through Pike’s talent in depicting human narratives in humble neo-classic melodies. Pike’s ability to infuse each note with a sense of purpose and feeling is remarkable. The single is a journey through the highs and lows of the human experience, rendered with a sensitivity and depth that only a musician of Pike’s calibre can achieve.

As a London-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, Pike brings a unique blend of influences to Norastoria, the title single prised from his debut solo album, from the classical echoes of Beethoven and Debussy to the rhythmic intricacies of jazz and funk. The title single is a testament to Pike’s versatility and his ability to weave diverse musical threads into a cohesive and engaging narrative.

Norastoria will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from January 12th. Discover Nick Pike’s sound via his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skimo followed the muse of dystopia into their most scintillating release to date, Let It Fly, ft Ash

Posted on 11 January 2024

Skimo’s seminal single, Let It Fly, featuring the hauntingly introspective vocals of Ash, is a mesmerising journey into the depths of EBM. Taken from the LP, Connected Memory, the single begins with a cascade of shimmering reverb, wrapping around the striking non-lexical vocals of Ash. This introduction draws listeners into a world where darkness and mechanical synthetics mercilessly construct a platform around the raw vulnerability within Ash’s vocals.

The electronic beats, meticulously crafted, ensure a deep immersion into Skimo’s artistic vision allowing Let It Fly to unravel as a narrative painted in sound; a vignette which portrays the relentlessness of our evolving for the worse climate. The track resonates with a sense of harbingering urgency, which filters from the progressions into a trepidation shared with the listener. The result is a piece that not only captivates but also invites them to delve deeper into the themes Skimo explores. For any electronica fans who want their eyes wide open to the world, to lock horns with the chaos, the Connected Memory LP is as essential as they come.

Stream the Connected Memory LP in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The ‘Reckoning’ is Here, in the Form of Dissolved Girl’s Darkly Dystopic Trip-Hop Debut

Posted on 27 November 2023

With the juxtaposing vocal samples setting the cinematically disquiet tone as efficaciously as the harbingeringly dark electronic synthetics, which delve far beyond the dark depths of PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, and Portishead, Dissolved Girl made one hell of an entrance with their debut single, Reckoning.

The haunting anthem for a world teetering on the brink of collapse is a dystopian masterpiece, which encapsulates the unease and turmoil of contemporary times with its perturbed tones and intricately layered instrumentals. We all knew a reckoning was coming, but who would have known it would be delivered by a London-based four-piece with a penchant for the alt-90s, alt-rock, and hip-hop? Dissolved Girl not only captures the essence of an impending societal storm but also delivers a sense of catharsis – a release that fans didn’t realise they needed until it was upon them.

Forward-thinking and accessible in equal measure, the debut is a stark testament to their ability to innovate within the modern music scene. We can’t wait to hear the debut LP, which has been four years in the crafting, with the help of producer Dani Castelar and mastering engineer Matt Colton. The attention to detail paid off immensely; each note and nuance served the song’s brooding atmosphere and intensified the listener’s experience to the nth degree.

In an industry saturated with fleeting trends and disposable hits, Dissolved Girl stands as a beacon for those who crave depth, complexity, and sincerity in their playlists.

Reckoning debuted on November 13th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

Posted on 10 November 2023
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

Peter Xifaras paid an impassioned ode to an icon with ‘While My Guitar Weeps for Mehdi Rajabian’

Posted on 4 September 2023

While My Guitar Weeps for Mehdi Rajabian, performed by Peter Xifaras and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, pays homage to the bravery and tenacity of an Iranian artist imprisoned for working with female dancers and musicians, something which has been banned since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

After a three-minute trial, he was convicted and tortured during his sentence, but that wasn’t enough to break his indomitable spirit that inspired this jazzy composition, which orchestrally berates the indignity and senseless oppression; it carries the quintessence of the Iranian protesters throwing away their headscarves in a bid to retaliate against regimented oppression.

While Les Pauls don’t often take the lead in orchestral arrangements, on this wild and jazzy contemporary ride, the sonorous sustain lends itself effortlessly to the instrumental piece as Peter Xifaras demonstrates his prowess as a guitarist, composer, and producer.

Stream the official music video for While My Guitar Weeps for Mehdi Rajabian via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mother Pangea followed the muse into unchartered territory with ‘tHE mISERABLE fOSSIL’

Posted on 17 August 2023

Mother Pangea captured the mystery of his Middle Eastern roots in his latest melodically enticing single, tHE mISERABLE fOSSIL.

The neo-classic electronic hip-hop score may reach the pinnacle of experimentalism, but the artist’s inclination to follow his muse into unchartered new territory didn’t diminish the accessibility of the release; to date, tHE mISERABLE fOSSIL has clocked up almost 40k streams, and counting.

After being fascinated by the way instrumentation drives our emotions, especially by the hand of Yanni, Hans Zimmer, and Tyler Bates, Mother Pangea was keen to awaken evocative impulses with his own compositions; never one to discriminate on genre, he often turns his talents to emanating elements of pop, RnB, Indie, House, and EDM in his hybridic compositions which break every mould known to man, and a few more that are beyond our consciousness.

tHE mISERABLE fOSSIL was officially released on July 28th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JxPrezzo – A New Home: A Scintillating Exploration of Rebirth

Posted on 7 August 2023

With a touch of the more sombre scores found on the Westworld OSTs and lashings of orchestral beguile, JxPrezzo’s latest ethereal piano composition, A New Home, is a scintillating exploration of rebirth and a reconnection to security.

Four years after finding the inspiration to orchestrate his own compositions upon hearing the piano accompaniment to Echoes of Silence by the Weeknd, the solo artist released his debut score, A Year Later, in 2019.

By exploring his emotions through his always visceral minor-key melodies, each of his elevated works carries the cinematic gravitas of a composer who has dedicated their life to the craft. If you told me he graduated with honours from Julliard or The Royal Academy of Music, I wouldn’t think twice. He doesn’t just hold a candle to Nils Frahm and Philip Glass, he’s equally as luminary and eloquent in his melodies.

A New Home was added to JxPrezzo’s discography on the 7th of July; stream it on Spotify.

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