Browsing Tag

Neo-Classical

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

Ryan Douglas Michelsen – Camaraderie: A Profoundly Evocative Neo-Classical Composition

Posted on 29 February 2020
https://soundcloud.com/ryanmichelsen/camaraderie

Strap on a pair of headphones and prepare yourselves to be consumed by Ryan Douglas Michelsen’s recently released orchestral composition “Camaraderie”.

The US-based songwriter and artist has demonstrated their ability to construct intensely emotive soundscapes in the past. Yet, Camaraderie stands as a testament to their virtuosic talent when it comes to making melodies bleed emotion.

With the unpredictable crescendos, expect tension to linger in the ethereally-composed instrumental Neo-Classical work. But with their distinctive improvisational style, the best way to understand Ryan Douglas Michelsen’s epically cinematic work is to indulge in it for yourself. It will probably be in a cinema near you before long. Until then, you can use your imagination to fill in the visual gaps by allowing the orchestral instrumentals to arrest your emotions through the long, tensile notes.

You can listen to Camaradereie for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Neo-Classical Pop Artist Uninhibited Has Released Her Stripped-Bare Power Ballad “Unrequited”

Posted on 20 February 2020
https://soundcloud.com/user-266138615/unrequited

Up and coming Pop singer-songwriter Uninhibited has recently released her unfalteringly soulful neo-classical single “Unrequited”, and it’s cinematic enough not to be out of place on a Disney OST.

Even though the lyrical verses contain plenty of real raw emotion, the single still boasts a cathartic fantastical feel which will never go out of trend.

While many contemporary Pop artists strive to find a new evolution of Pop to cling to, artists such as Uninhibited preserve the art form which is the cinematic orchestrally-laced love ballad. When the pensive piano-led melodies lead you into a powerful burst of orchestral strings, don’t be surprised if you feel your heart in your mouth.

You can check out the latest single from Uninhibited for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Casey McGrath – Fiddle Rabbit (A Four-Stringed Tribute to Eminem)

Posted on 18 February 2020

Any fans of the aural alchemy which 2cellos can weave will definitely want to turn their attention to the latest piece to be released by classically-trained violinist Casey McGrath.

“Fiddle Rabbit (A Four-Stringed Tribute to Eminem)” revives one of the most iconic Hip Hop melodies of recent decades. You’ll still be able to hear the smacks of the 808s with Casey McGrath’s delicate yet tensile notes quivering atop of them.  Yet, Casey McGrath laced the soundscape with her own distinction. Instead of the fraught momentum pouring from the Rap bars, you’ll hear a frenzied violin which is more than efficacious at evoking emotion as the urgency of the note progressions resonate.

It’s rare that you’ll hear a fraction of Casey McGrath’s talent on the airwaves. Classical music may not be the most accessible of genres. But it’s tracks such as Fiddle Rabbit which have the power to change just that.

You can check out Casey McGrath’s fitting ode to the Rap legend for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kenneth Douglas Mukasa – Dear Little Homie: Classically Cinematic Hip Hop

Posted on 29 January 2020
Dear Little Homie by KD Mukasa

London-based artist Kenneth Douglas Mukasa has brought Hip Hop to evocative new heights with his single “Dear Little Homie”.

While the title may make it sound like your average Hip Hop jam, the cinematic work of classically-infused Hip Hop is anything but your average 808-driven jam. There’s soul, there’s style, and a sensual amount of poised sultry vibes.

With neo-classical piano melodies and the haunting quivers of strings creating the perfect platform for Kenneth Douglas Mukasa’s vocals, it’s hard to say whether it’s the instrumentals or the vocals which bring the most emotive weight to the mix.

But what is incredibly safe to say is that Kenneth Douglas Mukasa has one of the most refreshing new approaches to Hip Hop since Scroobius Pip. And we’re all too excited to have him on our radar.

You can check out Kenneth Douglas Mukasa’s single for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Martin Krampl Music – Things That Are Coming: The Most Intense Cinematic Neo-Classical Album You’ll Hear This Year

Posted on 19 January 2020

If you’re anything like me, the title to Martin Krampl Music’s debut 13-track album “Things That Are Coming” will leave you with the desperate itch to find out the nature of the things which are coming. Is it a ubiquitous threat, or is it a promise of good things to come?

There is no immediate answer which lies in the multi-layered tonality. The first single only serves to build the tension in this Classical Crossover album as dark harsh tones conflict with the light and optimistic effervescent notes. By the time the first single had drawn to a close, I was left with the affirmation that Martin Krampl may have one of the most Machiavellian composing styles we’ve ever heard.

Throwing an unexpected sample of a crying baby following a prancingly pensive piano melody in the second single was a positively Lars Von Trier-Esque move. Their ability to create urgency through perfect timing and seamless cinematic instrumental evolutions is unparalleled. Each soundscape has its own alchemy, from haunted ethereal mesmerism to dystopic Alt Rock tribalistic tones. I feel as though I’ve been put through an epic aural journey.

If anyone has any tips on how to remove your heart from your throat, it would be greatly appreciated.

You can check out Martin Krampl Music’s debut album which was released on January 17th for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dan Salomon – Longing: Delicately Remorseful Neo-Classical

Posted on 9 December 2019

“Longing” was the first track to be released from World Music artist Dan Salomon’s debut album “Contemplation”. The tender Neo-Classical soundscape may be instrumental, but the melancholy poured into the composition efficaciously rings through the tentative pensive piano keys.

Longing may embody delicacy, but there’s a striking amount of remorseful passion within Longing which manifests through forceful convictive bursts in the melodies. Any fans of Nils Frahm, Phillip Glass, Bill Ryder-Jones or Philip D Zach will welcome the introduction to the highly acclaimed virtuoso whose work has become renowned for the cathartic intimacy which it offers.

You can check out Longing along with the rest of the EP which was released in November 2019 for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jenny Q Chai is set to release her three darkly lucid Schoenberg Piano Pieces

Posted on 28 November 2019
Jenny Q Chai

For her latest release, Shanghai and New York City-based Pianist Jenny Q Chai has reinvented three darkly lucid classic Schoenberg piano scores. Each of the compositions makes it all too perceptible how she has picked up rapturous acclaim and numerous awards throughout her career.

The scores may have been archaically composed in the 20th century, but Jenny Q Chai possesses a perceptibly deft ability to take soundscapes from seemingly any decade and make them as striking as they were when originally composed.

While her style lies on the side of eclecticism, with muses such as Bach, Beethoven, Scarlatti and Ravel feeding into her style, there’s plenty of profound resonant familiarity to pick up through the disconcertingly enthralling piano pieces.

The compositions will be available to listen to from November 30th via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reverse Context – If I Used: Avant-Garde Alt Rock

Posted on 23 November 2019
Reverse Context

Reverse Context is the latest artistic endeavour by Italian Avant-Garde artist Marcello Liverani. If you haven’t already had the pleasure of experiencing their inventively visceral neo-classical soundscapes which unravel with a chillingly ethereal air, now is a perfect time.

Reverse Context’s upcoming single “If I Used” comes highly recommended to any fans of Bauhaus, Bowie, and Magazine. Reverse Context goes beyond orchestrating your typical soundscapes. It’s perceptible that they play with light and dark, the warmth of the tones to tell unique and explorative stories which you can’t help but become captivated by.

If it’s been a while since you’ve heard a combination of hauntedly phantasmal vocals over minor key piano melodies which come together to pull together through indulgently dramatic alchemy, now is the perfect time to delve into Reverse Context’s eclectic, yet nuanced style.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out Reverse Context’s evocatively striking single If I Used for yourselves. In the meantime, head on over to Spotify where you can check out their spectacularly dark earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast