Browsing Tag

classical

Michael Carson emulated the emotional connection of artistic expression with ‘Blades on Ice’

The classical music composer, Michael Carson takes inspiration from everything from the vastness of the universe to the majesty in the contortions of the human form; for one of his most captivatingly seminal scores, Blades on Ice, he took his fans on an audio-visual journey inspired by the grace of Olympian figure skaters.

To the accompaniment of his orchestral arrangement, the artistry and expression of the figure skaters are heightened to the nth degree. By soundtracking their defiance of physics, Carson amplified the tension within the dramatic routines, added to the melancholy of their sombre performances, and made melodic their spirited sequences. While some soundscapes cradle what it means to be human, others demonstrate the definition of extraordinary, Blades on Ice superlatively lies in the latter camp.

The official music video for Blades on Ice is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Michael Carson emanated ephemeral grace in his classical score, The Elusive Ballerina

https://youtu.be/U9r0QzgCdEQ`

For his latest orchestral score and music video, the fan-revered and critically acclaimed composer Michael Carson captured the ephemeral grace of The Elusive Ballerina.

The evocative beauty of the masterpiece wouldn’t leave the score out of place in a performance of Swan Lake. With the pirouetting orchestral melodies which ebb and flow in mellifluous rhythm, your rhythmic pulses will be efficaciously awoken to the tune of Carson’s contemporary classical narrative that will capture your attention and flood catharsis into your senses.

On the basis of The Elusive Ballerina, and all of the pieces that have preceded it, it is only a matter of time before Carson’s name is one of the biggest in the classical realm.

Stream the music video for The Elusive Ballerina which premiered on August 12th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

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.

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

Malta’s Stanley Fenech shall summon our pool-splashed spirits with Summer Time

Showing us all that 50 is the new 20, Stanley Fenech is in a happy mood and guides us deep into a much more fulfilled place with the sun-soaked ray of sunshine that is his Summer Time.

Stanley Fenech is a Malta-born electronic music producer and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in the classical music world through his family and has constantly evolved throughout his career.

Summer Time from Malta-born electronic music producer Stanley Fenech is a calming single with minimal fuss. That’s the point it appears. This is for all the humans in the world who want to forget about their lives. Splashing around is the aim. Experimental you’d say. There’s something rather joyous about this song and it might even swap a frown into a smile.

In a dark time for humanity, perhaps this will ease the worries away into the bottom of the swimming pool.

Turn this up on Spotify.

Find out more on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Prithvi Prakash is the caring role model the world needs

Known best for beautiful releases such as Yarn and Balance, we sat down with Prithvi Prakash recently and had one of those genuine chats you just can’t make up. She flows so splendidly and gives the world those tender Butterfly kisses we all needed, on this massively insightful interview.

Hello there. We truly appreciate your time. Please tell us more about how you started in the music world and what fueled your passion.

I’ve been singing since the age of four or five. At the age of six, I started learning Indian classical music when I moved to India and through that I stayed connected with music for the next 10 years. But I think I realized that I wanted to pursue music full-time after I came to Berklee College of Music.

Tell us more about living in India and USA. Which country do you prefer and what are the differences in your opinion?

So I was born in the US and I was brought up in India. I’ve lived about 12 years in India and came back to the US for college. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite but I think I’m grateful for having experienced the culture of two different countries. Living in India had me exposed to a very different music scene. I was trained in Indian classical music and also grew up on a lot of Indian film music. Then I came to the US and I was exposed to the whole Indie scene in the US which is way bigger in the US than it is in India. With that came a whole bunch of genres including EDM, singer-songwriter, folk music and everything in between. I think my experiences of living in both these countries has helped me understand my sound as a musician and opened my mind up to so many different opportunities that I can access in both countries.

Please tell us about your most recent release and the creative process involved.

My most recent release is called Butterfly. The song is extremely special to me. The song is written from the perspective of my parents. One day during the pandemic I was just inspired and the first thought that crossed my mind was how it must feel for my parents to have me grow up and leave the house and go out there to make my own identity after having nurtured me and protected me for all these years. Butterfly is a metaphor for the metamorphosis of a butterfly from a caterpillar and is written from the lens of a mother or a parent watching that metamorphosis and the different emotions they experience while watching their child go through life.

How do you distinguish yourself from other artists?

I don’t think I have ever written a song or produced a track with the thought that I need to be different or I need to stand out from other artists because that really hinders the natural creative process. Having said that, I do bring in little elements of my culture and of my influences that I have grown up listening to into my music. These experiences are unique to me and by bringing them into my music I can only hope that I can create a signature for myself.

How have your experiences crafted your sound to what it is now?

Having trained in Indian classical music for over 15 years the way I think about melody is heavily influenced by that. Along with that I also listened to a lot of AR Rahman, Coldplay and Taylor Swift and this unique blend of such different influences helps me craft a sound that is unique to me.

Where is one venue or festival you’d love to play live?

I have never played a Sofar concert before and I would love to play a Sofar concert or any sort of intimate concert because I think my music is very emotionally intimate. The thought of being able to connect emotionally with all the people in a room through my music is far more exciting to me than playing a large festival with thousands of people in the audience – though, I am not complaining if it happens!

Last, what are your hopes and dreams for your career?

I just want to make good music, really high-quality music and reach new audiences to take my music where it deserves to be taken.

Turn this up on Spotify.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Just Like Honey: Maya’s Radio Orchestra Let the Light in with her jazz blues rendezvous, Suntrap

Maya’s Radio Orchestra brought sun-bleached luminosity by the smorgasbord with her latest baroquely beguiling single, Suntrap. Just as the sun illuminates dust when it hits a room, the radiance in Suntrap through the honeyed vocals and swirling harps suspend the dusty underground jazz bars while the piano arrangement underpins the warm arrangement; contributed to by producer Lauren Gilmour’s scintillating synth lines. With the dreamy and lofty drum fills bringing a lemon slice of Portishead-reminiscent glamour, Suntrap becomes a sonic plateau that you will want to visit time and time again.

Maya says: “When I wrote this song, it was the end of February, and the midst of a very long dark, damp, Glasgow winter, and I was feeling very down. We underestimate how difficult the winter in Scotland can be, all whilst having to continue with our day-to-day lives as if we’re not affected by nature and the lack of sunlight.

Writing this song was my way of processing this uncomfortable realisation that capitalism and the need for productivity are incompatible with our human nature and that it’s having a detrimental effect on our communal mental health.”

Maya is a Glasgow-based British-Nepali singer-songwriter, harpist, pianist and vocalist. She is highly revered for her texturally intricate harmonies, which cathartically coalesce with her classy instrumentation and lyricality that unravels as conceptually philosophical poetry.

The sun will hit the airwaves on May 3rd. Stream Suntrap on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

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

Ten(or)s Across the Board for Cameron Owen’s Striking Rework of Bridge Over Troubled Water

After growing up to the sounds of Simon and Garfunkel, listening to Cameron Owen’s classical reworking of Bridge of Troubled Water was an evocative trip of nostalgia. Yet, it was the cinematic crescendos which gripped the senses tight enough to leave a mark which made this a truly unforgettable release.

Tuning this consolingly dulcet classic into a cuttingly intense orchestral masterpiece that is enough to stun you into arrestive awe was undoubtedly no easy feat, but Cameron Owen, armed with his beguilingly commanded operatic tenor range, stunningly succeeded.

With the number of accolades and awards under the British Pianist and singer’s belt, we’re hardly coloured surprised by the international virtuoso’s talents, but God damn, he epitomised visceralism with this dramatical reinvention. I genuinely can’t bring myself to stop listening to it.

Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucy Chan Interview on A&R Factory: Mr Apologetic and letting us into her vulnerable new release

The A&R Factory Team recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the ultra-talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter and actress, Lucy Chan. Showing us deeply into her young music career so far, her debut album, and her love of film, we find a truly focused creative who is ready for world domination.

Hello there Lucy Chan. We truly appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. How are you doing today and please let us know where you are in the world as we speak?

Lucy: Hi!! Thank you so much for having me! I’m currently based in Sydney, Australia. I’m doing alright, hope you are too!

Mr Apologetic is your latest single and this is an absolute anthem. What does this song mean to you and what should listeners take from this experience?

Lucy: Thank you so much! This song is super close to my heart. I wrote this song about a person that meant a lot to me. It’s definitely my most vulnerable and honest song that I’ve released so far. I truly believe that everyone has a person in their love life that floats in and out, but it never really is the end of your story with them. It’s often that same person that you constantly forgive, even after everything that’s happened. So, I wrote this for that person in my life. This song is the second single from a project that I’ve been working on for a while – my debut album. I’m super excited to put it out there sometime this year, I feel like it’s definitely a lot more mature than my EP. The rest of the album also comes from a very honest place, which isn’t something that I really explored on my EP. It’s a scary thing to face your true emotions, but it’s also super important.

Songwriting is the one place where I can truly be myself, and completely face what I’m feeling and dealing with. Every song off my album comes from either a place of heartbreak or true happiness. As for what listeners should take from this experience, I really hope that everyone can relate to it on some level. I know everyone has that person in their life, so hopefully, this song can remind them of that person. If it provides some sort of escapism for listeners, then I’d be very content.

What is it like being the niece of the legendary band manager Leslie Chan? Does it add extra pressure on you or has it helped with your career instead?

Lucy: Honestly, coming from such a musical family, and being the niece of Leslie Chan has definitely helped with my career and goals a lot. My uncle is a very helpful and honest person when it comes to me and my career. Because of this, I am able to constantly improve my songwriting, and performing. I’m super grateful to have been guided by his advice so far in my career. It allows me to have greater expectations of myself as an artist so I’m definitely very grateful.

My mum has been a super helpful person in my life as well. She’s a Chinese classical musician, so her guidance has always been very appreciated. I am also classically trained – I began piano lessons at the age of 4, so having that kind of background has been a really great influence on my pop music. I definitely do acknowledge my privilege, and I’m super grateful for it. But I also feel that without hard work, nothing will work out. So even though there is that connection, there is a lot of hard work that comes after it.

Besides music, what else are you most passionate about at the moment?

Lucy: I’ve always been very passionate about film and acting, along with my music! During the pandemic, my dad managed to write a few short films, that are currently in the making. I got to be a part of it, so I’m super grateful for that. I’m currently on my uni break, so I’ve been working on a lot of my own scriptwriting and acting on the side as well. Fingers crossed that one day they’ll take off and become real films!

Please tell us more about your experiences at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and how the studies advanced your songwriting process and skillset in general.

Lucy: The con (which is the nickname for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music) is an incredible place. I just finished up my second year there, so I’m going into my third year this year! I study musicology at the con, which is so different from what I’m doing with my career, but it’s definitely helped a lot. Studying classical music, alongside theory subjects and music history has definitely shaped the way I compose my pop songs. When you study classical music, you’re essentially studying the basis for all music. It’s fundamental to any musician.

For example, when I sit down at my piano in my room to write songs, I always consider adding classical elements to my pop songs, even if it is a small factor. Most of the time, it’ll be a chord progression. Studying at the con is an amazing experience. You’re surrounded by the most talented musicians in the country, which gives you a lot of motivation to constantly improve your art. On the other hand, it gives you chances to work with other incredibly talented musicians.

What advice would you give to young artists trying to make it in this fickle business?

Lucy: I think that if you truly want to succeed in this industry, you have got to have a strong mindset, and the ability to deal with pressure and constant failure. You’ve got to focus on yourself and career, and not get distracted by anything that comes your way. In this industry, you’ll constantly be put down again and again, but if you’re able to grow and learn from those failures, and still keep trying, then you’re on the right road. It’s also important to remember that not everyone will like you, so if you’re ready to put up with all of that, and spend most of your time on your craft, then you’ll get somewhere.

Last question. What are your long-term goals in music and where do you see everything headed creative-wise?

Lucy: I’ve had the same goals in music for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to sing and write songs and perform them. I just want to keep making music and keep doing what I love and see where that takes me. I have so many dreams and goals – I’d love to move to Los Angeles after graduation. I have got a lot of improvement to do in my art, and a lot to learn, so I’m keen for that. As an artist, it’s crucial to constantly set new goals and try to improve yourself. There’s a lot of space for improvement in my music. Hopefully, in the next 10 years, I’ll be able to achieve my goals and aspirations for my career!

Listen up to this fine song on Spotify. View more news on her IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen