Featured Artists, Songs and Posts
Feautures
Songs, Artists and Music News that has win Nagamag’s attention. Timeless sound harmony and unique pesonalities that are worthing extra attention! With no specific release date or music genre, fine music never expires.
Andrei Poliakov Interview on Nagamag
.
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
Andrei Poliakov:
The foundation of my works is a well-educated neoclassical, romantic soundscape, but as soon as the music begins, it starts looking for cross-over opportunities to develop into an exciting house-party, jazz, pop, or electronic music, all these easily transforming to warm classical follow-ups – hence the eclectic style which I hope helps me tell better stories without words.
Essentially, I treat a musical genre as an additional color for the compositions, like seasoning in food; these colors help me get the emotions across and tell the stories to the listener with better precision and stronger impact:
I do not feel bound by a genre or a style, and instead I use and abuse the variety of styles to paint a deeper and more colorful, meaningful musical picture. Nevertheless, the Piano is always staying as a centerpiece of my compositions as I believe the richness and diversity of sounds of the “king of music” easily trumps any other instrument I know
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Andrei Poliakov:
I am a professional musician, composer and producer, received a fundamental classical music master education as a pianist and an oboist in Russia, and then continued with the professional musical career performing with world-renowned orchestras. Later I diversified my musical taste and capacity into jazz, rock, and pop genres, performing and recording with various bands and solo.
Since 2012 I have been living in Switzerland, Geneva, engaging into various professional activities both in artistic and business domains.
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Andrei Poliakov:
I started learning piano at a very early age of 3 or 4 years old: my parents are pianists and music has always been in the center of my life.
When I was in school (yes, seriously underage…) my favorite pastime while cutting lessons was to grab a couple of friends, buy a box of beers, go to a nearest abandoned building (which we had a lot in Russia in the 90s), sit down on a window sill, take a sip of a cold one, and put the 6th symphony by Tchaikovsky, or the 2nd (no, 3rd… any of them!) Rachmaninov’s piano concerto on a Walkman and basically drown in emotions and thoughts… and beer.
Hence, the music that has influenced me the most, comes from the second half of 19th – first half of 20th century – and I must admit, most of it is Russian music or music with Russian roots. Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Skryabin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky – but also Mahler, Bruckner, Richard Strauss – these composers influenced my taste the most. Depth of thought, wide array of emotions, unimaginable soundscape and extremely clever and elegant arrangement solutions; beautiful harmonies and melodies…
Being a teenager, I of course dived into the world of rock and pop music, starting with The Beatles - the band that still remains my all time favorite, and all the usual suspects: Queen, Michael Jackson, Metallica... and this journey continues to date.
Nagamag:
Is there a story behind your latest release "Moonlight" and would you like to share it?
Andrei Poliakov:
I dedicated this short piano essay to the Moon and to the most beautiful village in the world: Céligny - a tiny little place in Switzerland, where I live.
Céligny is inhabited by incredibly kind, smart, and very warm people, has an unbelievably rich and beautiful nature, and stunning views along with very old historical houses drowning in floral multi-coloredness, and there is #MontBlanc 🏔 on the horizon... and don't get me started on the birds' chirping and singing...
Once it was a home for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the latter is buried in the old cemetery of the village.
Céligny is an unfathomably cozy place on this planet, and I feel very blessed to have had a chance to engrave my very intimate memories of this village.
I have actually composed the Moonlight in the heart of a former water mill!
And then one early morning in February I woke up and couldn’t fall asleep again. I decided to go for a walk and took along a video camera, and there was a full Moon in the skies! I was so enchanted and intrigued by mysterious flair of that morning that I couldn’t stop the camera running - and then I decided to use some of that footage for the video of this track.
Nagamag:
Is Moonlight going to be a part of a bigger project you are working on right now?
Andrei Poliakov:
Yes, this new solo piano release “MOONLIGHT” is continuing to form my live album “Moonlight & Sunshine”, and it follows the previous releases of 2020: “Declaration of Love”, “Lullaby”, and “La Promenade in Paris”
The “Moonlight & Sunshine” album has an uncommon approach for the neoclassics genre: every next release features 2 different versions of one motive, coming to life as a piano solo piece, interpreting a narrative in the moonlight, and as a fully arranged piece, revealing the same story under the sunshine.
The album has been evolving live on the major streaming platforms as a playlist (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others), thereby gradually forming the full album as new pairs of tracks are released.
The album Moonlight & Sunshine on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3MCyNWldBXCbZdLKehspn2?si=882c2e2dc09d4074
In a few weeks I am planning to follow up and release the fully arranged track called "Sunshine", which is inspired by the melodics of Moonlight, but features a duet of piano and violin (played by a very talented violinist from Russia) and other instruments.
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
Andrei Poliakov:
The Beatles "Here comes the Sun"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
Andrei Poliakov:
Ludovico Einaudi Una Mattina
Rohne – Ceres (Spotify)
“Rhythm is our everything. It makes the heart pump blood through the pulsating veins. The polyrhythmy in the track -Ceres- just drives you crazy, and the rich ambient layers immerse you as if in a thick substance, where you dissolve and melt ...”
“Ритм наше всё. Он заставляет сердце гонять кровь по пульсирующим в такт венам. Полиритмия в треке -Ceres- просто сводит с ума, а насыщенные слои ambient погружают тебя словно в густую субстанцию, где ты растворяешься и таешь...”
-Nagamag.com
Over a year since his last release, Rohne breaks the silence with “Ceres” — a blend of lush ambience, foley recordings, driving sub, and broken house rhythms. The emotive yet expansive track seems to act as the perfect departure from his debut album, taking his sound gently into a more club oriented direction.
Stream/download link here: https://ffm.to/rohne-ceres
Originating from the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, electronic producer Rohne (Keenan Branch) has spent recent years honing his craft while traveling the world with a laptop, headphones, and field recorder. The culmination of ideas and inspirations captured at his home studio, mobile set ups in India, and places in-between, now lead to the release of his debut work Meridian. The album represents the blooming of a bond between Rohne, his art, and the world around him. Drawing influences from a wide range of genres, lush, organic and ethereal sounds, Rohne’s nuanced style of electronic music is an intimate and immersive experience of its own.
https://www.rohnemusic.com/
LukHash, Meredith Bull – Dying Breath (Spotify)
“A mysterious and truly memorable piece. -Dying Breath- combines the melody and rhythm of dark and synth wave, in which the union of electronic, experimental and neo-gothic music makes this track neo-romantic of the 21st century. Definitely in the collection!”
“Загадочное и по-настоящему запоминающееся произведение. -Dying Breath- сочетает мелодику и ритмику dark и synth wave, в которой союз из электронной, экспериментальной и неоготической музыки делает этот трек неоромантикой 21 века. Однозначно в коллекцию!”
-Nagamag.com
LukHash returns with a darkly atmospheric, retro synth track featuring the ethereal vocals of LA-based artist, Meredith Bull. ‘Dying Breath’ is the final single released from, ‘We Are Stardust’, the new album from LukHash, forthcoming April 9th on influential, retro synth label NRW Records. The classically trained musician from Poland, now Edinburgh-based, is making waves with his innovative blend of modern electronic music production, 80’s nostalgia, dystopian cyberpunk and retro arcade gaming culture. His fanbase is global and growing fast with his last two albums topping the electronic sales charts on Bandcamp (with ‘Transient Offworld’ hitting #8 in the overall Bandcamp sales chart). His music has broken the 10 million streams barrier on Spotify, while videos of his experimentation with custom-modified Commodore 64 computers and hacked, original Nintendo Gameboys went viral on YouTube (and more recently TikTok). LukHash is an exciting and creative artist set for big things in 2021. ‘Dying Breath’ is out now on NRW Records – stream / download here: https://lukhash.lnk.to/DyingBreath.
LukHash embraced the nostalgia of the 8-bit and 16-bit machine-generated sounds of the old Commodore 64’s and Nintendo Gameboys that he grew up listening to. Together with the 80’s pop and rock his parents loved, these influences became a significant part of his music as he began to fuse them with his contemporary productions. He became fascinated with the classic computer sound chips and shared videos of his ideas to his YouTube channel which took on a life of their own, as retro synth fans, ‘chiptune’ fanatics gamers and electronic music lovers across the world joined him in his obsession. With his skills honed LukHash now has a unique sound which he sometimes describes as ‘Chipwave’ – a fusion of synthwave, chiptune and modern electronic music.
Meredith Bull is a hugely talented artist, going viral on her own accord thanks to a creative and amusing TikTok presence, where she has now reached over 2.5m likes for her creations. She has collaborated with artists including Elijah Kelley, LSDream, and Taylor Kade. She first joined forces with LukHash last year on ‘Big In Japan’, a cover of the 80’s Alphaville classic, which was so well received that the duo have been working on more collaborations, starting with ‘Dying Breath’ – watch this space!
‘Dying Breath’ pulls the listener into a futuristic world with big chords, a jagged synth bass and acid riff creating a sense of flying through the unknown. The retro electronic beats drive things forwards while Meredith Bull’s angelic, almost dreamlike vocals add to a deeply emotive track. The chorus keeps building with the strength of a classic power ballad adding to the dystopian imagery, but somehow the track is still infused with hope for the future.
‘We Are Stardust’ will be LukHash’s ninth album underlining how prolific this artist is. NewRetroWave is recognised as the key driving force behind the burgeoning retro synth scene and NRW Records is the ideal label for LukHash. NewRetroWave has provided a platform for every significant artist creating this sound at some point as its YouTube channel has grown to over 1.13 million followers.
LukHash’s musicality is undeniable but his desire to create something new while so clearly enjoying his influences makes him an artist who stands out. His futuristic, cyberpunk vibe has roots in the sounds of an electronic past. LukHash’s music is connecting across the generations and excitement for his new album continues to grow.
https://www.instagram.com/lukhashdotcom
Mythos Interview on Nagamag
.
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
Mythos:
Mythos is electro-acoustic music featuring beats, synth, acoustic guitar, piano and vocalese. Mythos was signed with new age label Higher Octave Music during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Mythos:
For 25 years, Mythos has been creating timeless, ethereal music fusing electronic beats with vocalese, piano, acoustic guitar, synths and sounds from around the world. 2021 marks the 25th Anniversary for the duo of Bob D’Eith (producer and piano) and Paul Schmidt (acoustic guitar) with special guest performances from Jennifer Scott (vocals), Jasmin Parkin (vocals), Rene Worst (bass), Pepe Danza, (percussion), Niko Quintal (percussion) and many others.
Bob’s father spent many years trying to convince him to work with his brother’s talented friend Paul. When Bob was trying to create music for film and television, he teamed up with Paul to co-write together. As Bob and Paul started producing music and working with Vancouver session players Jennifer Scott and Rene Worst, it became apparent that they had created something special. Mythos was born. In 1996, Mythos released the “Introspection” EP independently. The first single “November Dance” (in instrumental dance track with no lyrics) was released and much to the surprise of the artists became a commercial radio hit and retail success. “Introspection” went on to win a WCMA Award and was nominated for a JUNO Award. “Introspection” was picked up by a Bay area label entitled XDOT25 and released internationally.
The second release “Iridescence” was released briefly in Canada, however Max Amadi from XDOT25 pitched Mythos to the Malibu based label Higher Octave (Virgin/EMI0). Max’s suggestion of the pairing of Mythos with the brilliant fine artist Gil Bruvel led Higher Octave to release the 16 track self-titled “Mythos” (1998) that went on to be released in 33 countries and sell in the high five figures. Hot on the heels of the success of “Mythos”, Higher Octave released “Reality of a Dreamer” (2000) and “Eternity” (2002). Mythos spent years in the Billboard charts and was added to many essential compilations in the time. Mythos was also used for “Victoria’s Secret” Cannes runway production during this time. Mythos won a second WCMA award during this period.
Once Higher Octave merged with their parent label, Mythos moved over to Alula Records/Allegro (Oregon) releasing “Purity” (2006) for the world less Canada that was retained by Adagio Music/Pacific Music/Warner. For a few years, Paul went to Korea to teach English and Bob developed his career building Music BC (a non-profit music industry association) and his entertainment law practice. In 2012, Bob and Paul re-united for the album “Journey” released through Adagio Music/IODA (2013). In 2014, Adagio Music released a “best of” series of Mythos tracks including a special Vinyl release. A new Album “Journey” (2018) was released on Adagio/The Orchard.
2021 is Mythos’ 25th Anniversary and this year we are pleased to release “XXV” a 14-track album including 5 new tracks and 9 fully remastered classics. The lead-off single “Legacy” featuring Cam Blake (Bob’s son and Indie Rock artist in his own right), uses progressive rock and electronic elements and was produced with returning performances by Jennifer Scott and Rene Worst. “Fly Away” is going to please many Mythos fans, getting back to Mythos’ musical roots. “Bonum et Malum” explores the dichotomy between good and evil, sadness and joy. “Progression” is a piece that evolves through the addition of ever complex melodies, all woven together into a tapestry of sound. “Recuerdos de la Alahambra” originally composed by Francisco Tárrega and arranged for guitar and strings by Mythos, features a beautiful classical guitar performance by Paul Schmidt. The balance of the tracks (November Dance, Brazil, Planinata, Alchemy, Ascent, Icarus, Surrender, Eros and Spiritus) are a selection of Mythos’ most enduring tracks from previous albums fully remastered for the digital environment.
Mythos continues to have a large following around the world with over 2 Million streams a year from over 90 countries.
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Mythos:
From Bob. In pre-school my teacher recognized my rhythm while playing toy drums. I was very fortunate to have had amazing mentors when I was young who inspired my love of music. This has lasted my entire life.
Nagamag:
What is special this year?
Mythos:
2021 is the 25th Anniversary for Mythos. Bob D'Eith and Paul Schmidt have been partners in this amazing project for all this time, creating timeless, ethereal music that defies genre.
Nagamag:
Why do you think that the project has lasted so long?
Mythos:
From Bob, for me it is a question of balance. If I am not creating, I don't feel alive. Mythos has given both Paul and me a great outlet for our expressions over the years. I really cherish that.
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
Mythos:
Miles Davis "So What"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
Mythos:
Enigma "Return to Innocence"
Matan Arkin Interview on Nagamag
.
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
Matan Arkin:
A mix of Folk and Electronic
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Matan Arkin:
Drummer,dj,pianist
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Matan Arkin:
Bach, Minuet
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
Matan Arkin:
Dino Valenti "Children of the Sun"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
Matan Arkin:
Thom Yorke "The Eraser"
Vocalizer – Overthinking It (Video)
“It’s not always easy to make decisions and we tend to overthink many different things. A truth that is mentioned via Vocalizer’s new song. The Electro Pop hit that can change the way you face reality and give you the power to go on.”
-Nagamag.com
Vocalizer is an exciting new pop project that sees four Music Industry friends teaming up to create massive, engaging records. With emotional, hook-drenched songs that instantly resonate with audiences worldwide, the power of their writing and production is undeniable. Vocalizer is Paul Visser, Ria Jaggard, Peter Ruppert, and Hugh Goldsmith, one of the world’s most successful A&R executives, credited with over 20 number one records with artists as Take That, Blue, Atomic Kitten, and Billie Piper
https://www.instagram.com/vocalizermusic/