Sit back and enjoy the music
“Last Days” is a minimalist masterpiece, drawing its emotional power solely from the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar. It embarks on a contemplative voyage, offering an intimate exploration of yearning, reflection, melancholy, and serenity. The song feels like a lullaby that lets you disconnect from a world that sometimes feels overwhelming. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the music!
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Artist: Harmonia & Eno ’76
Song: Welcome
Genres: #chillout #ambient
Location: Forst, Germany
Release date: November, 1997.
Comment: Today’s song played during the end credits of the 5th episode of the second season of The Bear, and I was absolutely mesmerised by it. A quick Google search told me that it was called “Welcome”, and the artist was Harmonia & Eno ’76. I found this curious, as the track had indeed reminded me of legendary music product Brian Eno, and I wondered if he had been involved with the track. (Narrator: He was).
Harmonia was a German supergroup formed in 1973 as a collaboration between members of two prominent krautrock bands. Brian Eno was a fan and described them in the mid-1970s as “the world’s most important rock group.” The band dissolved in 1976 after releasing two albums, but reformed briefly for 11 days in September 1976 to record some tracks with Mr. Eno himself. These tunes became the “Tracks & Traces” album, which remained unreleased until November 1997 due to lost tapes. In 2009, the album was reissued with additional tracks and credited to Harmonia & Eno ’76.
“Welcome” is the opening track of the album, and it has a minimalist and meditative quality. If you appreciate the art of soundscaping and the beauty of simplicity, you will find “Welcome” to be a captivating and rewarding listen. I can’t get enough of it.
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Artist: Gav Moran
Song: Lilium
Genres: #Instrumental, #Neoclassical, #Piano
Influences: Max Richter, Philip Glass
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Release date: May, 2023
Comment: Allow me to introduce you to the mesmerizing instrumental piece, “Lilium,” composed by the talented artist Gav Moran and featured on his excellent debut album, “Broken Pieces”. “Lilium” is a musical journey that effortlessly blends simplicity and elegance. The piano melody, at its core, is delicate yet profound, guiding the listener through a cascade of emotions that gradually intensify, culminating in a powerful crescendo accompanied by lush violins and cellos. This piece possesses a captivating quality that lingers long after its last note fades away.
The significance of the song’s title, “Lilium,” holds deeper meaning within its Latin origins, translating to “lily.” The lily, renowned as a symbol of purity and innocence, serves as a fitting representation for Moran’s composition. “Broken Pieces”, which was recorded in Gav’s home studio in Ireland, is full of hauntingly beautiful tracks. I highly recommend that you listen to the entire album in addition to “Lilium”. You will not regret it.
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Artist: Juliano
Song: Torn
Genres: #Instrumental, #Neoclassical, #Piano
Influences: Hania Rani, Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi
Location: Giessen, Germany
Release date: August, 2022.
Comment: Happy New Year! Let’s begin 2023 with an enchanting tune from Juliano, a neoclassical composer from Germany. Inspired by an array of related topics such as loss, grief, loneliness and inner conflict, the artist created Torn hoping it would mesmerize the listener with its beautiful melody. It is indeed a captivating piece.
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Artist: A Tree On A Hill
Song: Blue Dahlia
Genres: #Instrumental, #Neoclassical
Location: Fribourg, Switzerland
Release date: August, 2022.
Comment: There’s no much I can tell you about A Tree On A Hill. I don’t even know the artist’s real name. What I can tell you, though, is that this Swiss artist feels a deep connection with nature, which inspires him to compose moving pieces such as Blue Dahlia. The track represents the lifecycle of that beautiful flower, from the moment it is planted to the moment it gives way to a new cycle. In a way, listening to Blue Dhalia makes this interconnected world feel alive.
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Artist: The Aquaerials
Song: Cemetery Walk
Genres: #Instrumental, #Neoclassical, #Piano
Location: Grand Rapids, United States
Release date: August, 2022.
Influences: Ólafur Arnalds, Max Richter, Sigur Rós
Comment: I used to live next to a small cemetery. It was one of those green areas that happened to have some old graves in them. You would think it was a creepy experience, but, actually, taking walks there was extremely peaceful and serene, no matter what your mood was. I felt something similar when I listened to Cemetery Walk, the second track in The Aquaerials’ hauntingly beautiful new EP: After the Apocalypse. If you’ve been paying attention, you may remember then that The Aquaerials is the moniker of multi-instrumentalist Mark Swanson. who keeps composing gorgeous neoclassical melodies, just as the five tracks that make this record.
With all that is happening in the world nowadays, from the war in Ukraine to Twitter’s implosion, it comes in handy to have the soundtrack for what comes after the end of times.
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Artist: Simon Pipe
Song: Leave The Light On
Genres: #indie #relaxingmusic
Location: Worthing, Barbados
Influences: Cigarettes After Sex, Deftones, Cocteau Twins
Release date: July, 2022
Comment: Simon Pipe is a musician, songwriter, producer, and overall artist from Barbados, who has built a career out of writing and producing music for other artists, including the famous reggae act Shaggy. However, that did not fill Simon’s needs as an artist, which is why he decided to make and share his own music as well, hoping someone could relate to it.
Over the last three years, Simon has struggled with his mental health and addiction multiple times. His survival mechanism and the way he prefers to deal with his issues is making music, and Leave The Light On, in particular, is an example of that. It is a song about true love and how small gestures, such as leaving the light on for your partner when they’re late, can mean so much to them, What I enjoy the most about this lovely track is its soothing vibe, helped by Simon’s extremely appealing voice. I honestly feel I could listen to Leave The Light On all day. I hope you can enjoy it too.
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Artist: Pablo Suárez
Song: Shiver
Genres: #Instrumental, #Neoclassical, #Piano
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Release date: May, 2021.
Influences: Olafur Árnalds, Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi
Comment: With composers such as the ones mentioned above as his influences, it’s no wonder that Mexican composer and pianist Pablo Suárez‘s music sounds so enchanting. It is the type of minimalist neoclassical compositions they excel at. Take for example Shiver –part of Pablo’s latest album Retrospect–, with its delicate piano melody and hypnotic strings (played by Luis Cardoso): you won’t want the song to end.
The artist’s goal with this album was to capture the intimate aspects of each instrument, minor flaws included, to produce nostalgic melodies in piano and violin. I guess each one of us will experience the record differently, but we will all find it nothing short of magical.
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Artist: Hatsü
Song: Be Conscious
Genres: #relaxing #ambient
Location: London, United Kingdom
Release date: May, 2022.
Comment: Today, middle of the week, let’s switch gears to something extremely relaxing. Be Conscious is a hypnotic track from London-based music producer Bobby Turner, aka Hatsü, which is a Japanese name meaning Beginning. One problem I’ve found with most ambient tracks is that they tend to sound very similar to each other but, luckily, Be Conscious does not suffer from that issue. Instead, Hatsü introduces subtle changes with layer after layer of textures and tones, resulting in a gentle soundscape that will certainly help you to focus, sleep or meditate.
I hope you enjoy this ethereal piece as much as I did.
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