Behind the piano: Magnus Murel

Behind the piano: Magnus Murel

This week I’m introducing you to Magnus Murel!

Where are you from? And where do you live?
I’m from Tjøme, a small town a couple of hours south of Oslo, Norway. Today I live in Oslo.

How long have you been playing the piano?
I’ve been playing the piano for maybe 23 years. I think I started when I was ten. When I was 15-16 I moved to composition as my main musical activity. Though I still play piano I never use sheet music and always improvise my material.

Do you play other instruments as well?
I’ve played accordion, cello, acoustic guitar and some flute.

Tell us about how you started playing music.
I don’t remember how it started. My parents told me I pointed at a shiny accordion when I was around five years old and they bought it to me.

How long have you been making piano music?
I’m making a lot of music in general, and piano music is not my main category. I’ve been composing since I was 15 years old, I’m 33 at the moment. 

Tell us something about that moment you realized you could make songs yourself!
Hm, I was 15 years old and my piano teacher told me that I always keep adding notes that wasn’t in the sheets, and that I maybe was a composer myself. After that I went home and wrote my first piece for piano and cello.

Have you made music in other genres before?
Yes, I’ve made music in a lot of different genres. Ambient, electronic, synth pop, rap, African, afro-cuban, jazz, orchestral, folk tunes, film music, dubstep etc. The list goes on, that’s one of the best thing working with film and tv, that I get to explore all these different genres.

What are your favourite artists in this “piano genre”?
This is a though one, recently I’ve discovered lots of great artist that makes beautiful music. I recently discovered Brian Crain, and the usual suspect Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds and Max Richter.

Is there one song which you play over and over again as soon as you sit down by a piano? Your own or someone else’s?
Hm, the last couple of years I always improvised when I’m at the piano, but before that I always had time to a quick play through of Beethovens third movement in the Pathetique sonata, and Souvenirs d’Andalousie by Gottschalk.

What song inspires you the most when you’re making music? Can you name just ONE song/composition?
At the moment it’s Hans Zimmer main theme from Interstellar that keep’s popping up when I’m in need of inspiration.

Tell us something about you latest release.
My latest is a release is a solo piano piece that was improvised a nostalgic love scene in a Norwegian feature movie. The movie featured a wide variety of genres, some of it kan be heard in my album “Selected Music From Film & Television”.

What’s happening next? New releases etc.
I’m always working on different film and tv projects, but I’m also working on my next EP and a stand-alone single. I don’t know which is going to be finished first, but the EP is an mixture of electronic ambient music and choir, and the single is a cinematic piece that is going to be fantastic! 🙂

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An of course, have a look at the music on Spotify!

Thank you Magnus!