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SAAH Interview on Nagamag

Categories: Features, Interviews, Neoclassical Features, Neoclassical Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Contemporary Classical, Interview, Interview (osf), Modern Classical, Neoclassical, Piano, Saah|

SAAH
Interview

Nagamag:
Which are the genres that describe your music style better?

SAAH:
Neoclassical, contemporary classical, modern classical piano,

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

SAAH:
I was given an old piano at the age of nine. i immediately fell in love with that instrument(i actually wanted a flute, but I didn´t get one)
since then I loved to improvise and create little melodies.
i also had piano lessons for some years, but I always preferred to play by ear.
that´s why I decided not to study at the music university.
i played in bands and the last years I´ve been composing for theatres and I´ve been creating solo piano pieces in my tiny homestudio. Last year I won the European song writing award in the category: music for motion pictures. since then I´ve been releasing heartfelt solo piano songs. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love and to share my music with everybody who wants to listen.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

SAAH:
I guess it was when i first heard some Tory Amos songs (i fell in love with her way to play the piano) and later i really loved the Keith Jarrett´s Köln concert (i was so impressed by the spirit and vibes of his free and harmonic improvising )

Nagamag:
do you have any plans for the near future?

SAAH:
Yes, I have :)
I always desired to play outside in nature or in other special places with my stage piano.
...so I had a stunning handmade piano shell built by a very talented man and now (about 2 weeks ago) a wonderful painter completed this work with a very special and beautiful painting on the cover of the shell, that means a lot to me.
So from now on I will also share some little video clips from outside, playing on Juna (that´s my pianos name;) - it means the desired..... I am over the moon excited about that.

Nagamag:
Many artists listen to genres that they are not producing music for. Which track is your favorite that is NOT similar to yours?

SAAH:
INCUBUS "Wish you were here"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which is the track from a similar artist you admire?

SAAH:
Franco Roberts (He has a different piano sound, I really like his work) "axolotl"

Discover & Listen to SAAH

SAAH on Spotify

SAAH's Signature Track

SAAH on Social Media

SAAHmusik

saahmusic

SAAH's Website

www.saah.at

Maria Grönlund Interview on Nagamag

Categories: Features, Interviews, Neoclassical Features, Neoclassical Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Contemporary Classical, Interview, Interview (osf), Maria Grönlund, Modern Classical, Neo-classical|

Maria Grönlund
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Maria Grönlund:
Neo-Classical, Modern Classical, Contemporary Classical

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Maria Grönlund:
You may know Stockholm’s Maria Gronlund from her weekly live stream ‘Meet Me At The Piano’ on Facebook. Or from her debut album ‘Songs of a Sad Sailor’, which was a Spotify Classical Pick. Or even from her short collection last Autumn called ‘Colors of my Mind: Pt. 1’, which was the first of three releases that will go to make up her next LP ‘Colors of my Mind’. Part 2 of the collection is nearly upon us with three pieces of neo-classical imagination due later this month.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Maria Grönlund:
There was a lot of music and singing in my family, and I was five or six years old when we inherited a big, black, shiny piano from my grandfather. My mother had always dreamed of learning how to play the piano, and she found us an Austrian piano teacher named Helga, who taught us both to play in her house. I was tiny, and I got my lessons at a brown piano in her basement, and then I stood and peeked into the living room with the two grand pianos standing opposite each other, while my mom got her lesson. I was totally fascinated by the instruments and imagined they were like fairy tale ships to another world, since they gave out such amazing sound. I've been in love with the piano ever since.

Nagamag:
Tell us more about the project you're working on right now!

Maria Grönlund:
I'm in the midst of a project called 'Colors of my mind', which will culminate in a full album released both digitally and physically, and with an online album experience which will feature the creation process of the music and all the art involved. Artwork merch will also be an important part of this project.
It all originates from a lengthy, filmed joint improvisation I made together with an artist, Madelene Egerfält, where she painted what she heard me play and i played what I saw her paint. We both came into a state of flow and had a really intense experience. The painting is just amazing, and I feel it depicts both her and me, and the situation it was created in.

I've used the musical material from this occasion and built it out to ten piano pieces that I release in three rounds. EP Colors of my mind Pt.1 was released in the late fall, Pt.2 now in March, and Pt.3 and thus the full album is planned for late spring/early summer this year.

Nagamag:
What's the ethos behind your music?

Maria Grönlund:
I feel so rich having music in my life. It helps me cope with stress and difficulties. I often play to calm myself down and to sort my thoughts and feelings out. My vision is to share the feeling of relief and joy I get from playing with people who might need it.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Maria Grönlund:
Imogen Heap "Earth"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Maria Grönlund:
Poppy Ackroyd "Time"

Discover & Listen to Maria Grönlund

Maria Grönlund on Spotify

Maria Grönlund's Signature Track

Maria Grönlund on Social Media

MariaGronlundmusic

maria_gronlund

Maria Grönlund's Website

www.mariagronlund.com

Stephen Caulfield Interview on Nagamag

Categories: Ambient Features, Ambient Interviews, Features, Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Ambient, Contemporary Classical, Dark Ambient, Interview, Interview (osf), Neo-classical, Space Music, Stephen Caulfield|

Stephen Caulfield
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Stephen Caulfield:
Ambient, Contemporary Classical, Neo-classical, Dark Ambient, Space Music

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Stephen Caulfield:
I am a musician and composer that has been making music for a long as I can remember. I grew up in a a pretty large musical family with what felt like music all around me. However I've always preferred writing and working on my own and following my own passions. I was always looking for anything I could lay my hands on that made some kind of interesting music or noise which meant that I never became too locked into any particular music style or genre, something that is still reflected in the music that I listen to. Essentially I love music that moves me emotionally in some way whether I am the one making it or not. Over the years I have released 5 albums and worked on 3 film soundtracks.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Stephen Caulfield:
Growing up I remember hearing artists like Queen, ABBA, The Beatles, Blondie and Pink Floyd all through my childhood, in fact sometimes it feels like I have them written into my DNA. This gave me a real appreciation for the power of music to move people emotionally and unite them in a shared experience. It also taught me to follow my own path, success is amazing if it happens, but staying true to your artistic vision will give you creative satisfaction and fulfilment.

Nagamag:
How did your new album come about?

Stephen Caulfield:
My new album, ‘Circuits’ kind of took me by surprise, I wasn't planning on making it and all of a sudden, there it was. I had been working on music for a number of different projects and when I put them together I realised that they worked well together and formed a cohesive album that I really like. On the album I have continued to explore ambient and piano led composition, but I have also introduced some stronger orchestral elements too which I think provide some nice dynamic range over the course of the 15 tracks. As well as the music on Circuits, I have made videos for each track on the album using a series photographs of light manipulations I made that I then animated.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Stephen Caulfield:
The Japanese House "Chewing Cotton Wool"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Stephen Caulfield:
Jóhann Jóhannsson "Flight From The City"

Discover & Listen to Stephen Caulfield

Stephen Caulfield on Spotify

Stephen Caulfield's Signature Track

Stephen Caulfield on Social Media

stephencaulfieldmusic

scaulfield

comscaulfield

Stephen Caulfield's Website

stephencaulfield.com

Matt Stewart-Evans Interview on Nagamag.com

Categories: Features, Interviews, Neoclassical Features, Neoclassical Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Contemporary Classical, Interview, Interview (osf), Matt Stewart-Evans, Neoclassical|

Matt Stewart-Evans
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
As a solo artist - contemporary classical, neo-classical, whatever you want to call it.

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
I’ve been playing piano for the past 12 years or so and have been writing music alongside that, whilst completing various music theory and performance exams right through to making the decision last year to switch to composing (almost) full-time.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
I've had a fascination of music from quite an early age, but only had a couple of years of piano lessons as a child before being distracted by other things in life. Thankfully my teacher was very good despite my lack of attention at the time, and I built a solid grasp of the essentials which was hugely valuable in picking the instrument back up years later. At 15, I got my first pair of turntables and mixer and that was my main musical outlet for the next ten years, but piano slowly took up more time and become more serious as a realised how much satisfaction I got from developing my skills and writing.

Nagamag:
What was a defining moment for you as an artist?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
A big change for me came around four years ago when 1631 Recordings contacted me to ask whether I'd be interested in adding one of my piano pieces "Opus #24" onto a compilation (Piano Cloud), as they were just starting out the label. That ended up being very successful and was playlisted for 6 months or so. Up until then, I'd not considered releasing my music commercially, but that was a big moment for me in terms of seeing an unexpected reward for doing something I loved, which made me consider how I could make it more central to my life.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
Djrum "Showreel, Pt. 3"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Matt Stewart-Evans:
Hania Rani "F Major"

Discover & Listen to Matt Stewart-Evans

Matt Stewart-Evans on Spotify

Matt Stewart-Evans' Signature Track

Matt Stewart-Evans on Social Media

MattStewartEvans

mattstewartevans

matstewartevans

Matt Stewart-Evans' Website

www.mattstewartevans.com

Thomas Hewitt Jones Interview on Nagamag.com

Categories: Features, Interviews, Neoclassical Features, Neoclassical Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Cinematic, Contemporary Classical, Interview, Interview (osf), Thomas Hewitt Jones|

Thomas Hewitt Jones
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
Cinematic, Contemporary Classical

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
I was born into a musical family and played, performed and wrote music from a young age. I studied music classically and won the BBC Young Composer Competition in my teens, which led to many commissions and published works. I now work as a composer of commercial and concert music, and have had music played widely on TV, radio and in the cinema. I also write choral music and next month am due to start writing 3 new albums for EMI.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
I have always loved music's unique ability to express things which words cannot. Within its profoundly emotional universal language one can express aspects of the human experience and I find composing the most fulfilling thing. As a child I always loved attending concerts, and it was regular trips to the cinema which piqued my interest in music serving a narrative. I have been composing since I was about 5 years old!

Nagamag:
What's the coolest commission you've completed?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
Last year I wrote my first three albums for Juice EMI which was pretty fun. My first job back in London (after assisting eminent film composer David Buckley in LA after university) was writing music for the London 2012 Olympic Mascots films, which played in UK cinemas leading up to the London Olympics. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I was forever grateful at the time to Barnaby Spurrier, Producer at Tomboy Films, for bringing me on to the project at the time.

Nagamag:
How are you enjoying Coronavirus lockdown?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
Yes it is a strange time at the moment, isn't it. What a worrying time for the world. Although many music commissions have been postponed, my wife is expecting our first child very shortly, so hopefully that will add a new flavour to our lockdown! Musically, there are several new works that were recorded last year and were set for release throughout this spring and summer. I feel that music of all types is much needed at the moment, providing consolation and hope in times such as these.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
Johann Sebastian Bach "Goldberg Variations"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Thomas Hewitt Jones:
Carducci String Quartet Shostakovich "String Quartet no. 2 in A major op.68"

Discover & Listen to Thomas Hewitt Jones

Thomas Hewitt Jones on Spotify

Thomas Hewitt Jones' Signature Track

Thomas Hewitt Jones on Social Media

thomashewittjonesmusic

@thewittjones

Thomas Hewitt Jones' Website

www.thomashewittjones.com

Akkor Interview on Nagamag.com

Categories: Electronica Features, Electronica Interviews, Features, Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Akkor, Ambient, Contemporary Classical, Experimental, Interview, Interview (osf), Minimal Electronica, progressive|

Akkor
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Akkor:
Akkor is experimental/minimal electronica with influences from progressive, ambient and contemporary classical music. My main tools of composition are piano, synthesizers, found noises and field recordings.

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Akkor:
I hold a masters degree in Sonic Arts from Istanbul Technical University's Center for Advanced Studies in Music. I was a participant of the Red Bull Music Academy 2018, Berlin. As someone who has roots from being a progressive rock keyboardist, I’ve always been interested in sound design and composition. In around 2018, I got concentrated on surround audio and creating audiovisual performances.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Akkor:
In around 2003, when I learned about how Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall triggered country-wide protests of racial inequities in South Africa, I realized how big being creative and productive can affect the world and became passionate about it.

Nagamag:
You mentioned audiovisual performances, can you clarify this a bit?

Akkor:
I’m very excited about creating surround audio and composing for lighting systems to create sound and light performances that are in communication. Besides my solo works, I collaborate with artists from various disciplines to design site specific live stages for Akkor. Multi-channel audio surrounds the audience, I focus on this phenomenon and try to enrich it with the visual aspect of my live performances. I also collaborate to create artistic productions such as installations and video artworks.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Akkor:
King Crimson "Starless" (Red album)

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Akkor:
Murcof "Reflejo"

Discover & Listen to Akkor

Akkor on Spotify

Akkor's Signature Track

Akkor on Social Media

akkorAV

akkorofficial

AkkorMusic

Akkor's Website

akkor.net

Pedro Meirelles Interview on Nagamag.com

Categories: Features, Interviews, Neoclassical Features, Neoclassical Interviews, The Latest|Tags: Brazilian Classical, Contemporary Classical, Interview, Interview (osf), Minimalist Classical, Pedro Meirelles|

Pedro Meirelles
Interview

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Pedro Meirelles:
Contemporary Classical, Minimalist Classical, Brazilian Classical

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Pedro Meirelles:
I’m a composer/producer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’ve loved classical music and rock my whole life, so, besides composing and producing my solo instrumental catalogue throughout the years as an independent artist, I’ve also worked at different projects with names from the rock world such as Andrew Scheps (Rick Rubin), Serj Tankian (System of a Down) and Gogol Bordello.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Pedro Meirelles:
Yes, getting in touch with the score of the movie “The Adventures of Chatran”, by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, which I listened to for the first time when I was around 4. At the time, I got so obsessed with the film because of its beautiful and hypnotic synth music that I wanted to go watch it over and over again at the theater.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Pedro Meirelles:
Nirvana "Lithium"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?