Today I’m introducing you to the project Magnetic Vines; a project between the two composers Ross Garren and Erik Miron. Ross and Erik met in downtown LA in the early 2010s. When the world closed down in 2020 they started to record ambient electro-acoustic sounds together.

The track Silver Creek Spring was released as a single on the 6th of September, 2021, and will also be featured on an album in December.

Tell us something about your track Silver Creek Spring!
Each piano is unique, but the one-in-a-million quirks and qualities of the Beckwith centenarian nestled against the wall of Jens Kuross’s Boise studio proved the perfect conduit for the Magnetic Vines’ first solo piano release. While in Idaho to work with Jens and artist Ray Little, Magnetic Vines’ pianist Ross Garren was so intrigued by the possibilities of this instrument that he came to the studio early one morning to spend some time exploring and familiarizing himself with the piano. This session of free improvisations, inspired by the natural beauty of Idaho and the back-and-forth exchange of musician and instrument reacting to one another are documented on the Snake River Improvisation, the Magnetic Vines’ sophomore album (December 2022). Silver Creek Spring is the first single and was the first thing played that sunny Idaho morning.

Thanks for sending this in Ross and Erik!

Today I’m introducing you to the composer and piano player Fancois Mathian, from Australia, and his track Tout Doucement. Francois started playing the piano as a child and later switched to violin as his main instrument. He is classical trained but later embraced many styles as jazz, pop, rock and so on. I have previously written about tracks featuring Fransoafran, which is the very same person as Francois!

The track Tout Doucement was released as a single on the 10th of September, 2021, and will probably be on an album later on!

Tell us something about your track Tout Doucement!
My main instrument is violin, and I have mostly been composing piano and strings pieces so far, which tend to be on the stronger emotional side and more cinematic. That being said I have been increasingly drawn to the piano as a main composing vehicle to express calmer emotions, usually starting with improvised melodies I play on the keyboard and then develop . “Tout Doucement” in french means “very softly / gently”, therefore for this song the preference was to record it on a large upright felt piano to capture the emotional, intimate and tender tones of a gentle sunrise.  There is also a piano, violin and cello version of this track currently in mixing, collaboration with the wonderful cellist Eva Brönner, to be released in a few weeks.

Thanks so much for this!

Today I’m introducing you to the American artist Isle’r and the track The Day We Left. Isle’r’s first memory of music is of Mozart:

I was in my parent’s living room listening to music from the ‘Amadeus’ soundtrack. I was just a little kid, but somehow I remember everything from that moment – where I sat, the look of the room, the smell, the light, the air. Music has this incredible power like that – it connects us so deeply to memory. I’ve always loved that connection, and I started writing music shortly after.

The track The Day We Left was released on the album Memoried which came out on the 3rd of September, 2021.

Tell us something about your track The Day We Left!
This track “The Day We Left” is from my debut album “Memoried”, which just released on September 3rd. 
‘Memoried’ can describe a place, a time in our life, a day, or even just an afternoon – it means ‘full of memories’. For “The Day We Left”, I sat down and ‘scored’ my memory of leaving home. I tried to capture the feel of it all, the beauty and sadness that coexist when we leave and remember somewhere we love.

Thank you very much for sending in!

Today I’m introducing you to yet another track by the Swedish composer and piano player Ruben Fjellner from Umeå. Ruben has been making music for quite some time and has a background in EDM. When making piano music; he had to learn how to take a different approach in his music making.

It’s limitations made me go deeper into the composition side of things. Since then, I have not been able to stop.

The track Alicia was released as a single on the 6th of September, 2021.

Tell us something about your track Alicia!
This piece is inspired by my friend Alicia. An amazing person whom I’ve known for quite some time. She’s one of those friends who you can go years without talking to, only to find the friendship to be just as enjoyable once you both meet up again, as if no time had passed at all. On the production side of things, I really put a lot of space echo (RE-201) concentrated to the high frequencies, that for me gives the track kind of a silver sheen in terms of coloration.

Thanks once again for sharing your music with me Ruben!

Today I’m presenting you with the track Inverno by the German composer and piano player Saniet Baladi from Hamburg. He started playing the piano at the age of six and later went to LA to study music at the Musicians Institute Hollywood. Saniet also makes film scores using the name Sani Baladi.

The track Inverno was released as a single on the 10th of September, 2021.

Tell us something about your track Inverno!
I usually compose a piece in a very short period of time in my bedroom in Hamburg, that’s why all my pieces are very personal and speak from my heart.

Thank you for this Saniet!

Today I’m presenting you with the track The Passing of Time by the American composer and piano player Lynn Tredeau from Northern Minnesota, now located in Snake River, Idaho. Lynn started learning music at the age of five. Out of all the instruments she came across, the piano was by far her favorite!She started releasing her own music in 2015.

The track The Passing of Time was released as a single on the 31st of august, 2021.

Tell us something about your track The Passing of Time!
The Passing of Time is certainly one of those universal life experiences. As the years pass and I grow older, I realize that time is elusive in the way it slips through our lives. Just like the grains of sands that fall between our fingers no matter how carefully we try to hold on.

Thank you for this Lynn!

Today I’m introducing you to the British composer and piano player Simeon Walker and his track Leeds. Simeon lives in Leeds and started playing the piano at the age of seven. Music has always been the thing that has made the most sense to him and music is now how he makes a living.

The track Gleam was released as a singe on the 7th of September, 2021 but will also be part of the upcoming EP Imprints.

Tell us something about your track Gleam!
I record my piano music on the upright piano in my living room. It’s the piano that was at my parents house when I was growing up and learning to play, so I have spent goodness knows how many hours playing this instrument. I love it’s recorded sound, and I do feel a sense of connection and even companionship with it. It’s almost like it knows what I want it to do!

The track itself is in many ways a reflection of myself and my character. It has an overall feeling of melancholy and introspection, captured as it is on just a solo piano; but with enough movement, growth and development to hint at a touch of hopefulness as well. There’s a big window next to my piano, through which the sun shines, creating a lightness and calmness in the room when I play and record. Living in the north of the UK, it isn’t always sunny! But, from time to time, it creates a ‘gleam’ in the room through the clouds. A good metaphor for the dichotomy of melancholy and hopefulness in my music.

Thank you for this Simeon!

Today I’m introducing you to yet another track by the Dutch composer and piano player DeLange, which you can read all about in this Behind the piano article! DeLange lives near Amsterdam and grew up in a musical family.

The track Prelude was released as a single on the 7th of September, 2021 but will also be part of an upcoming album.

Tell us something about your track Prelude!
‘Prelude’ is the first new piece I wrote after I had finished the compositions for my debut album ‘Images’. While the first album paints feelings of love, loss and hope, the new pieces capture the sound of transition to a new phase of life. ‘Prelude’ is an announcement to a new beginning, a little insecure but full of curiosity.

Thank you very much for sending me this!

Today I’m presenting you with the latest track The First Camellia by the Australian composer and piano player Lucy Graham, aka. Luminem. Lucy has played the piano since she was four years old and is based in Melbourne. She started sharing her music with other just this years!

The track The First Camellia was released on the EP Back Home, which came out on September the 3rd, 2021.

Tell us something about your track The First Camellia!
The First Camellia was inspired by the first bloom of a camellia bush which sits out the front of our family home where I play piano. Camellias are often thought of as an old lady’s flower, but there is a classic beauty to them which I’ve admired more with each passing year. Whenever we see the first flower appear it sparks a little joy to know that Spring is not too far away. It seems fitting to release this in the first few sunny days of Spring! 

Thank you very much Lucy!

Today I’m presenting you with the track We Had It All by the Canadian composer and piano player Peter Belec. Peter has written music since he was 12 years old and has played the guitar for 32 years!

The track We Had It All was released as a single on the 3rd of September, 2021.

Tell us something about your track We Had It All!
‘We Had It All’ is a lament for humankind. The piece is about our precious and beautiful moment in time, perceived through the lens of someone looking back from our potentially doomed future.It was written on my 100 year old living room upright piano in a sunlit room, surrounded by plants. As the world goes through a difficult period, I found myself imagining this moment in time as something beautiful and wonderful, with a hint of poignancy due to the unfortunate devastation that humans are inflicting on our planet that has given us all life. ‘We Had It All’ is a reminder that we still have it all, it’s not too late to make positive change in this world.

Thank you vert much for this Peter!