Sonic Cinema 09- Music videos from Chiminyo, Defrag and Gifts From Crows

This live session recording of “Reachin’” by North London based drummer Chiminyo shows a raw and energetic performance that features his unique electronic and percussion setup. With no loops or backing tracks, viewers and listeners can witness firsthand the self-coded software innovated by the musician, where each cymbal and drum crash hit triggers synths and samples to play live with him. The raw and futuristic, psychedelic track comes from his debut 2020 album I Am Panda which represented the artist’s experimentation and venture away from Jazz. Chiminyo has previously performed with other top London musicians including Maisha and Cykada.

‘Glass Ship’ is a track from Defrag’s album Float that will be debuting on February 22, 2022. Depicting a dystopian scene and metaphor, the video portrays ominous elements including a veiled figure manipulating puzzle pieces, a large glass orb in the sky, and an apocalyptic fragility. Creating a metaphor for the current climate crisis, the video tells the story of a loss of control in a vessel that appears strong, but actually is weak and vulnerable to the wrong influence.

Float will be the third album from Defrag who previously released Drown in 2014 and Lament Element in 2009.

Gifts From Crows is Richard Laurence, a neoclassical and ambient piano composer who has come together in collaboration with Helena Whitten for the second single in the ‘Stories in Slow Light Series.’ The video for ‘The Empty Mirror’ is based on a photograph taken by Whitten of a single figure standing in front of an oval frame, capturing an area that used to hold a mirror. In the video, a solo dancer performs a contemporary routine in an old house, evoking memories of the ancestors and souls who had passed through that now-absent mirror. As the dancer moves gracefully and naturally around the space, her body flows in line with the cello, viola, and violin features within the track.

Danish musician Infralyd releases his debut album

The organic, ambient sound invites listeners to embark on a reflective journey

Danish composer and producer Infralyd has released his debut album …and it was all for you. Emerging on the scene, Marchel Mørk develops a unique breadth of work by taking inspiration from the structural elements of electronic music. Marchel infuses the genre with vulnerability by employing tools synonymous with ambient genres and neoclassical music. What results is a unique electronic minimalism that is relaxing, engaging, and eerie, all at once. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in electronic music and sound design from the Royal Music Conservatory in Denmark, Infralyd’s approach indicates that this will be the first album among many.

Prior to releasing this debut, Infralyd dropped several singles across 2020 and 2021. In January of this year, he released his first EP Somehow There is Light which featured a number of tracks that he released as singles across 2020 including “We Fell in Love, Ran Away, And Lived Our Lives,” “Rain,” “Fleur,” and “Saudade.” Subsequently, throughout this past year, he has released singles including “I Played a Simple Melody,” “Tára,” “Gleam,” and “False Sunset,” all of which feature on the new album. The forest visuals that accompanied the singles with each release have cumulated in the full album art reflecting that motif. Finally, Marchel curates the Spotify playlists “Classical Electronics,” “Ambient Fog,” and “Piano Textures.”

…and it was all for you was inspired by the artist’s penchant for daydreaming and inner reflection, commenting on the way one’s mind is attracted to calm and beautiful things in the world. Fascinated with the phenomena of nature and its beauty, Infralyd invites listeners to linger in their thoughts through the music and develop a reflective mindset. The organic sound reflected in the tracks develop an atmospheric, melodic album with an underlying sense of fragility and grace.

See more from the artist:

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Boundary transcending neo-classical from Hideyuki Hashimoto

The Japanese artist brings forth unfiltered emotion, as his newest EP surfaces

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Hideyuki Hashimoto of Kagawa Japan, excels within the genre of neo-classical. A skilled pianist Hashimoto uses light touches of electronica to elevate the soft, physical texture of his solo piano compositions. The normally silent background tones of shifting mechanisms within the piano are embraced, rather than highlighted and dug out from the final release. This ambient sound is drifted into his work, adding layers of organic warmth to his tracks and bringing down boundaries between the minimalist percussion and audience. Particularly during this time of isolation from live music, it’s an artistic choice which carries with it an emotional resonance.

Hashimoto has just made public his newest EP ‘Fragment’, a compact trio of songs which demonstrate the artist’s patient appreciation for the impact simple beauty can have. All three tracks were improvised at the time of recording, an approach which has allowed the pianist to capture a moments from the past two years with a raw and personal intensity.  Winter 2020, summer 2020, and winter 2021 have all been times of turmoil and unavoidable personal reflection. In the Fragment EP Hashimoto works to encapsulate memories, effectively creating a diary of sound; it’s warm, intimate, and evaporates distance that seems insurmountable.

Support the release on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify.

Hear more from Hideyuki Hashimoto
Website / Insta / Soundcloud / Spotify

Jay Chakravorty expresses emotion with grace, in ‘Alexia, Berlin’

Live performance of 'Alexia, Berlin', recorded between lockdowns in 2020.Taken from the forthcoming album, 'A Map With No Memory', out April 23rd 2021 on Unp...

Putting aside time for solo work, Chakravorty partners with Unperceived Records to release debut album ‘A Map With No Memory’

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Self -taught composer Jay Chakravorty has worked to find his place as a musician, experimenting with different projects created under different names, breaking into TV and film and honing his talents in classical leaning electronica along the way. As a session musician Chakravorty has worked with names like Bright Light Bright Light, Bryde and Emma McGrath. Now however, he seems intent on bringing forward his own sound, which promises to be worth listening out for.

Like the projects he’s been involved with Chakravorty’s style is fluid and varied, but now that his debut solo album is on the brink of release we’ve had a glimpse of what a totally independent approach will sound like. The tracks released so far approach from different genres, but each ventures into environments cinematic and imbued with emotion.

‘Sunlight at Stratford Station’ takes on heavier waves of synth but remains a meditative track, slow paced and gentle rhythms building up a quiet intensity. Our featured track ‘Alexia, Berlin’ moves much further into neo-classical, drawing on Chakravorty’s skills as a multi-instrumentalist, as well as those of his supporting cast of musicians. Strings and piano filter through to create a track where melody is tended to with painstaking care and patient love.

Support the release on Spotify and Bandcamp

Check out more from Jay Chakravorty
Instagram / Facebook / Bandcamp

Marihiko Hara and Polar M offer a moment of peace, with ‘Our Season’

The two artists have composed an EP which strikes a more hopeful note, and sets off a new series of ambient work

As a medium that reflects on emotion and internal narratives, music has been a pathway to expression for many artists working during the pandemic. Compositions inspired by feelings of isolation and depression have seen steady release, but so too have tracks built around patience and hope.

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Our featured track ‘Our Season’ is part of a four track EP of the same name, which gently draws on those emotions which have become part of our daily lives. Produced by Japanese duo Marihiko Hara and Polar M, the collection is to be included in the ‘Music for Home’ series mapped out by the electro-acoustic label Mü-nest.

Marihiko’s discography focuses on ambient, experimental and beat music. He’s created scores for theatre, visual audio art as well as an award winning short movie. His collaborator in this project is Polar M (aka Masumi Muranaka), who shines for his skills as a guitarist and his own work in media projects.

Together they’ve been able to create music which circulates quiet, beautiful melodies, brought to life my classical piano and warm ambient synthesizer. Our Season is a carries a feeling of warmth, guitar lending another organic dimension to a track which stands out as an oasis of peace.

Support the release on Bandcamp and Spotify

Check out more from Marihiko Hara
Spotify / Soundcloud/ Facebook

Check out more from Polar M
Instagram / Homepage / Spotify

A Winged Victory for the Sullen move towards ambience on a grand scale

'So That The City Can Begin To Exist', taken from A Winged Victory For The Sullen's new album 'Invisible Cities'.The single is out now, and the album follows...

With their new LP planned for February 26th the duo shed further light on their neo classical production

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‘A Winged Victory for the Sullen’ is the title for a collaborative project created by composers Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O’Halloran. Beginning with a self-titled debut album back in 2011 on Erased Tapes, the duo have since received widespread acclaim for their delicately constructed scores of neo classical electronica.

In their own respective careers within the music industry, Wiltzie and O’Halloran have managed both to gather diverse experience and involve themselves with a host of major productions.

Wiltzie was a founding member of the ambient focused group ’Stars of the Lid’, and has scored media ranging from Hollywood blockbusters such as 2014’s ‘Godzilla’ to television dramas like ‘House M.D’ and ‘Top Boy’. Self-taught pianst O’Halloran has been also heavily active in media, earning a collection of nominations and awards for the compositions he’s produced.

Together the pair forms a formidable partnership, equal to the ambitious undertaking of scoring Invisible Cities.  Directed by the London Olympics ceremony video designer Leo Warner, Invisible Cities is a multimedia performance on an impressive scale. Though the production is delayed, Wiltzie and O’Halloran’s score is to be released as a 45 minute collection, the opening track of has just been released. ‘So That the City Can Begin to Exist’ permeates the air with heavy emotion.

Pre-order the album on Bandcamp or stream the single on Spotify

Check out more from A Winged Victory for the Sullen

Instagram / Spotify / Youtube / Facebook

Constantly in motion - Kumi Takahara shares elegant new video for 'Tide'

The first thing that comes to mind about Kumi Takahara’s new track ‘Tide’ is how it seems to have perfectly captured the essence of it’s namesake.

The opening ambient sounds give way to swirling, constantly moving interwoven string melodies that seem to drift from plaintive, to wondrous and uplifting, back and forth.

Delicate vocals and instrumentation build into an evolving and deep piece that does indeed remind of moving waters, and showcases a real talent in arranging and composition from Takahara, who it seems is under the influence of Phillip Glass. This of course is by no means a bad thing…

The accompanying video only adds to the experience of the music with natural imagery, soft focus, light patterns, and intriguing time lapse shots in a demonstration of elegance and taste.

There is a lot to like here and thankfully there is more to come as a debut album titled ‘See-Through’ is due for release February 24th also. Takahara describes it as “Introspective and expansive at the same time, — a collection of classical music with a contemporary spirit.” which seems apt based on the evidence so far.

For now ‘Tide’ is the only track available from the record, but if it is is anything to go by then the album should be a very interesting listen.

Support the release on Bandcamp and Spotify

Check out more from Kumi Takahara
Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp

Listen to the label- Flau Records
Website / Twitter / Insta / Facebook / Bandcamp

Epic, patient ambience from A Winged Victory for the Sullen

'Desires Are Already Memories', taken from A Winged Victory For The Sullen's new album 'Invisible Cities'.'Invisible Cities' is out February 26th on vinyl (B...

The two pivotal producers present an introduction to an album which promises to be monumental

‘A Winged Victory for the Sullen’ is name with intense weight behind it. A duo of two inarguably talented composers, the project has become one of the highest achieving and popular media involved sources of ambient electronica. Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O’Halloran released their self-titled debut album back in 2011, the quality of which ensured a lasting impact on the field of neo-classical.

The obvious demand for their work speaks volumes of the success of their combined talent. Wiltzie has composed scores for instantly recognizable titles such as ‘Transformers: Dark Side of The Moon’ and ‘House M.D.’, and O’Halloran is able to boast an Emmy for the theme music he created for the Amazon series ‘Transparent’. Their work in major films and TV series is extensive, and it’s an impressive feat to have met the high expectations which preceded each album release.

Their most recent LP ‘The Undivided Five’ is majestic, and swells with ambient synth that defines the wave of modern neo-classical. So too does their newest release ‘Desires Are Already Memories’, a track taken from upcoming album ‘Invisible Cities’ which reworks the duo’s score for the incredibly ambitious multimedia stage show of the same name, to be released in February 2021.

Pre-order the album on Bandcamp or stream the single on Spotify

Check out more from A Winged Victory for the Sullen

Instagram / Spotify / Youtube / Facebook

World Merging Neo-classical work from Odalie

Extrait de Derrière l'Écran Le spectacle Derrière l'Écran propose sous la forme d'un spectacle audiovisuel un temps propice à l'émerveillement et l'observati...

The French band return with plans to expand on their intimate discography

Odalie have a style which leans towards tones of ambient, drone, and experimental. The force and emotion behind the band’s sound however, comes from the infusion of deeply moving cello performance which permeates their work.

Beginning to make their presence known in the French electronica community back in 2019 with the release of their self-titled EP, Odalie have shown themselves to be capable of producing deeply thoughtful music.

Their limited public discography demonstrates quality over quantity, and brings to light the multi-instrumental talents required to produce meaningful neo-classical work. As careful percussion, pads and fragile textures of found-sound cultivate an ethereal touch, bass lines pull to the surface much more potent, dominant energies. It’s between these two contrasting fields that the cello flows, at times gravitating to the organic, then returning to regions populated by flavours of glitch and manipulated synth.

Our featured track is a hint of things to come, created to feature in the group’s upcoming audio-visual show in April 2021. ‘Les Hybres’ is an extended release reaching beyond eight minutes, time which is spent in the service of raw melody, gently blending with electronic influences to become a fluid, rich composition.

Stream the release on Youtube

Check out more from Odalie
Instagram / Bandcamp / Spotify / Soundcloud / Facebook

Peace, beauty, unity: Keno and Tristan De Liège release Transatlantyk

The chance encounter and balance of skills behind Keno and Tristan De Liège’s new EP

Neo classical producer David Hanke (also known as Keno) first met Tristan de Liège over the internet back in 2018, quickly forging a connection through their shared interests in music. Despite never having met in person, the two have been creating instrumental hip-hop, downtempo and gorgeously rich cinematic styled music since they composed their first track together and found the desire to move further as collaborators.

The pair’s October 2nd release ‘Transatlantyk’ is proof of their natural artistic relationship, regardless of international distance. Among the twelve tracks are inclusions which invigorate, sooth, and envelop the listener. The percussion and classical influence gives a raw power, which serves to vitalise the progressive drum beats and sampling.

On a small selection of tracks, vocalist Elodie Rama has imbibed the sound with a further level of smooth as honey harmonies. These tracks present a few perfect moments where three uniquely talented musicians have come together, joined by chance and a love of music.

Our featured track ‘Dancing in the Dark’ radiates warmth through vocals and downtempo tones which melt through the cold isolation and oncoming winter. It’s a collaboration which may never have happened if not for the limitations and pressures of this year, as we look online to keep social relationships alive.

Support the album on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

Check out more from Tristan de Liège on Soundcloud / Facebook / Bandcamp

and more from Keno on Soundcloud / Instagram / Spotify / Facebook