Music Genre
Winter Wanderers is an atmospheric ambient chill bliss, a daydream of winter landscapes, where droney pads, gentle key notes and lush harmonies work as a warm blanket for the listeners. A wonderful single composed from Antarctic Wastelands, Matt Tondut and Lauge and released on Valley View Records.
"Forbidden Planet", one of the most popular track from new album "It is ok to be sad and dark" from Kepa Lehtinen, is a powerfully hypnotic theremin work accompanied by piano and double bass. The resulting sound is melancholy, emotional, and full of a nocturnal spirit that will work its way into your consciousness and remain there.
Few words about Kepa Lehtinen
Well-known Finland-based film and TV composer Kepa Lehtinen is proud to announce the release of his new album, Helsinki In November, that features original contemporary classical music written for piano, contrabass, and theremin. The theremin is an almost-century-old electronic instrument that’s played by hand gestures rather than direct contact and is seldom encountered in the classical world. Lehtinen, however, makes the instrument a cornerstone of his sound and Helsinki In November gives listeners a master class in what this unusual instrument can do.
https://www.facebook.com/kepalehtinenartist
https://twitter.com/KepaLehtinen
Above and Beyond' explores a distant realm and the idea of perfection through fragile beauty.
It features Simon Hewitt Jones on the solo violin, brother of Thomas Hewitt Jones which his talent on capture through his harmonies the emotions of life is limitless and unique. A very emotional theme.
Read also our interview with Thomas Hewitt Jones
http://nagamag.com/interviews/thomas-hewitt-jones-interview-on-nagamag-com/
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
Emil Smith:
Cinematic, instrumental world (middle eastern).
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Emil Smith:
My background as a music producer, sound engineer and singer/songwriter has shaped my approach to how I currently work with soundtracks and instrumental compositions. I have a deep interest in shaping timbre and working with transforming textures.
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Emil Smith:
My first head dive into music was when my brother introduced me to grunge rock. I started playing guitar and instantly connected with the genre and subculture.
A few years later I met a guy who did recordings and synth programming. I was intrigued by the creative process behind sound manipulation and using the recording studio as an instrument and a compositional tool.
Since, I've played in many small bands as a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and drummer and gradually I've been leaning towards creation and less towards live performance.
I love storytelling, and I think music is a great tool to tell a story. I bring my own story and my love of art, fiction, world music and creativity into my music.
Nagamag:
What is the idea behind the Middle Eastern instrumentation used throughout the EP?
Emil Smith:
The EP is a conceptual soundtrack for an animation project called 'Aetherreach' (in development). It's set in a desert wasteland: As the rivers are polluted by toxic waste, the drought-plagued desert tribes rebel against the tyranny of the advanced tech-nation of Aetherreach.
I wanted the soundtrack to sound middle eastern, without pointing towards a specific culture of traditional music, as the story is set in an alternate universe. This is why the instrumentation is so eclectic - I've borrowed a bit here and there: Syrian kamancheh, Armenian duduk, Turkish saz, North African percussion and kalimba - besides neoclassical strings, dark synths and glitch drums presenting the sci-fi elements from Aetherreach.
Nagamag:
Do you have any new projects coming?
Emil Smith:
I'm sketching out my first ideas for a collaborative project with world influences and dark cinematic bowed textures.
Besides that, I'm working on the score of a short documentary. In August I start a Film Scoring master degree on the National Film School of Denmark.
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
Emil Smith:
Sudan Archives "Oatmeal"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
Emil Smith:
Madar Ensemble "Silence"
Shape of Light is a deep cinematic emotional theme with mystery and tension, the brilliant sound design of synths and vocals here deliver an epic feeling, while it initially gives you a dark feeling, it finally release you to the light side.
Artist share with us few words behind this song:
"This is a song I composed when I lost someone I really loved. When she was dying she was talking about this light she was seeing but was not able to walk into. I wanted to compose this song to make her departure easier and she got the chance to listen to it before leaving us. I got the chance to have my beautiful colleague and friend from the Royal College of Music "Yiorgo Ioannou" joining me on this track who added an amazing oriental touch to it."
Few words about Morgane Matteuzzi:
Morgane studied Opera at the Royal College of Music in London. Subsequently, moved to Berlin to work on various projects with artists from this city. She fell in love with the open mindedness and spirit of the people living there. Morgane has always loved experimenting with extremes and blending sounds that one would not normally expect to be combined in order to create truly alternate and vivid compositions. Her specialty is to blend her distorted vocals with her operatic vocals. She is very versatile and loves fusing everything that moves her together to create a unique bubble; its own universe.
https://www.instagram.com/morganematteuzzi/
Aria (Italian for Air) is Muìdas’ first single. The song is characterized by a melancholic yet soothing mood, evoking the sensation of taking off and being up in the air, among gray and menacing clouds. A well performed cinenamtic theme which goes bit further the usualy solo piano design of neoclassical and explores deeper the harmonic boundaries, spiced with tickling sound layers.
For more info visit:
www.muidas.com/blog/aria-1
https://muidas.com/blog/how-it-started-1
We Have Arrived by Portals is an epic cinematic synthwave endless emotive euphoria, intelligest designed and wonderful performed, a track to remember which been synced under major brands recently. No doubt the reason for the pick. Amazing music!
Few words about PORTALS:
Heather Miley, a Certified Multi-Platinum Singer Songwriter, has taken the leap into a new dimension and project far outside her typical realm in PORTALS. Miley teamed up with producer/songwriter Kris Kovacs on their debut track “Vengeance” and the results were out-of-this-world.
With “Vengeance”, PORTALS blurs the line between contemporary alt-pop music, haunting tones, electronic rock, and cinematic music. A dizzying stew of genres is blended together via Miley’s breath-taking vocals and Kovac’s emotional and dramatic tones.
According to the duo, there is a wide-range of influences for PORTALS—from Mozart to The Prodigy, with dashes of Hans Zimmer and Tom Holkenborg mixed in for good measure. Breaking out of their more traditional artist projects has been enjoyable for the uber-creative Los Angeles-Based musician.
“[PORTALS] offers a chance to blend elements of an orchestra with synths and heavy guitars,” Miley says. “I like that we can be very weird and try something that normally you wouldn't try in writing for a different artist or genre.”
Kovacs adds: “There is an element of artistic freedom in PORTALS, I find myself looking for weirder samples as starting points. An idea could come out of a single piano note trapped in reverb or an uncomfortable low drone and figuring out how can you turn that into a piece of music, and that music a song.”
Fans and film studios are quickly being drawn to the new creative lanes that Miley and Kovacs are exploring together. Disney Studios recently licensed “Vengeance” as the main song for their official Maleficent: Mistress of Evil trailer—a perfect sonic fit given that Maleficent is a powerful fairy tale with mysterious and magical energy abound.
Like a crafty witch brewing up a special potion, PORTALS looks forward to continue mixing different genres of music together.
“We want to close the gap between the experimental and the traditional with PORTALS. How far can we take the unusual? How do we shape that into something that is listenable and enjoyable?”
The melody is introduced by the baglama (Turkish Saz). Along with the ethnic kamancheh strings the composition is driven forward by a self-customized domestic drum kit consisting of pots, pans, a singing bowl and a water jug. In an odd-time minimalistic arrangement Desert Secrets rises into a dramatic crescendo.
'Desert Secrets' is made for a scene in the animated show 'Aetherreach' (currently in development), where our two protagonists travel through drought desert villages and toxic wastelands searching a cure for the plagued lands.
It's partly inspired by the soundtrack for Jim Jarmusch's movie 'Only Lovers Left Alive'.
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
Leena Hertz:
Neo-classics, new age, instrumental, spiritual, piano, cinematic
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Leena Hertz:
I am playing piano since the time I remember myself. My mom is a music teacher and my dad is a big music lover. So piano, guitars, vinyl, music players were normal things in our family. My study background is 16 years: 9 year of classical piano school, 6 years of jazz piano in Moscow College of Improvising Music and 1 year of film composer study in Moscow Film School. Before 2018 I worked mostly as a pianist. I worked at exhibitions and events in Russia and abroad, I played covers and my own music. And I noticed that the public's reaction to my music was very positive. People told me that while listening to my music they had been wrapped in memories, different images, they cried. In 2016 I initiated a movement Piano Maniacs with the idea to connect those who are crazy about piano. But in 2017 I decided to be a professional film composer. In 2018 I started to work as a film composer. Also I've been playing sacred music for Gurdjieff's sacred dances since 2009. In June 2019 I started to record my first studio album Az Esm. It was released on 30/06/2020.
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Leena Hertz:
From the beginning of my life I felt myself as a real musician. I always played piano, sang songs, composed music. I played with rattled glass bottles that they are participants of some orchestra. I always made different noises with different things and heard music in them. Now I think that profession of sound designer could be good for me.
Nagamag:
What does the name of your album mean?
Leena Hertz:
My album is called Az Esm. It means I Am. But my music is not about myself. It's about you. You will learn something more about yourself, maybe you will recall something forgotten or maybe you'll discover something new in yourself. You will watch your own movie.
Nagamag:
Where can we listen to your album?
Leena Hertz:
Here is the link to the album: https://sl.onerpm.com/1393422220
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
Leena Hertz:
Shpongle "Around The World In A Tea Daze"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
Leena Hertz:
Shpongle "Dorset Perception"
This song serves as an intro for an animated series 'Aetherreach', which is currently in development.
It encapsulates the ethnic middle eastern setting in a science-fantasy universe with advanced robotic technology.
With organic drums and ethnic instruments such as kamancheh and duduk, the song progresses in odd time ostinatos into a crescendo of a cinematic action-packed climax.
Cover-art by the director Lakstein Fernandes.