Magdi Aboul-Kheir - The Garden of Make Believe
Magdi Aboul-Kheir stirs up pure emotion with a fantastical, neo-classical, instrumental album, 'The Garden of Make Believe' The Neo-classical composer, pianist and multi-dimensional artist, Magdi Aboul-Kheir is back with a sublime orchestral album that sounds like you're stepping into a magical, fairy tale of your own creation. The array of 10 tracks in the albums is all individually brilliant and deeply immersive. There's a radiant, golden-esuqe light that shines bright through this album, a deeply personal yet universally resonant emotional tone that hooks you in like all great compositions. This is the kind of album that we could se being th perfect score to a slow-burning, hopeful fantasy adventure epic such as The Lord of the Rings! The opening track, 'On the Meadow' graces its presence to us with a tranquil, meditative arrangement. At its core, a deeply expressive flute melody charts a transcendent path, upon which the orchestrasted instrumental build and grow. Emphatically, yet with great warmth, emotion, and gentleness. It's the kind of track you feel aligned to lose yourself into. To surrender to its blissful ebbs and crescendos. Such a beautiful, heart-warming opening that sets the mood for the album ahead. Next up, "If I Could Freeze Time' couldn't be more different. It opens onto somber piano melodies that unfold like a blues song. Spacious, atmospheric arrangements join, expanding the opus greatly. It evokes awe. wonder and unbridled reflections about the shared, intimate nature of our existence and that of every single thing we share this reality with. About the inevitable passage of time and the magic of moments that exist in the NOW. The symphony created is quite unlike anything we've heard. It results in an ephemeral, emotional listen throughout the track's 6+ min runtime. By far, our favorite track from 'The Garden of Make Believe'! 'Love in an Alternate Universe' paints a compelling, theatrical sonic narrative. One of gravitas, stirring emotion and grace. We love the way each track flows seamlessly from one into the next. The deeper you listen, the more you sense a larger theme unfolding in Magdi's album. One that challenges us to believe once more in the magic of our lives and this world we live in. Just like the track before, this too unfolds grandly, aligned with neoclassical structure and tone. Speaking on the album, Magdi Aboul-Kheir shares, “Sometimes, only the sound of an orchestra will do: The Garden of Make Believe takes the listener on an unabashedly romantic and emotionally resonant journey. Whether born from the delicate beauty of nature, the enchanting interplay of light, or the knowing encounter of two kindred souls, these ten pieces are guided throughout by heightened sensitivity, profound introspection, and a genuine sense of being moved. These are compositions that allow the inner and outer worlds to merge into one.” The title track, 'The Garden of Make Believe,' enchants with hopeful piano tones before it's joined in by equally captivating strings. It brings together all the emotional depth and playful, captivating melodicness of the album. It leaves you feeling rejuvenated and inspired, ready to take on the next adventure on this sublime, unpredictable journey we call our lives. 'The Garden of Make Believe' stands as a tall testament to the transcendental quality of neo-classical compositions to transport listeners to a realm of limitless imagination and possibilities. Magdi is, no doubt, a visionary composer who infuses his sonic creations with a deeply human, emotionally resonant character that makes each track feel like a journey of its own.
Social Treble - Crowded Silence
- English (US)
There’s a specific kind of silence that you only get to hear in crowded places. It is a specific kind where noise surrounds you, but none of it actually reaches you. Crowded Silence by Social Treble feels built inside that contradiction. The track opens with distance and ends with closure.
Charly S. - Flames of Honor
- English (US)
Charly S., also known as Charlotte, began her journey sharing piano performances on YouTube. Now at 29, she has evolved into a composer who embraces music as a universal language.
Seven Crows - Amanda On The Bed
- English (US)
Sometimes, you can sense a sort of stillness that feels almost staged. It is the kind that makes you feel like you're not sure if you've walked into a memory, a dream, or the aftermath of something unnamed. A figure rests, or waits, or simplyexists. Amanda On The Bed by Seven Crows opens like that.
Ion Odagiu - Forever In Your Arms (Special Version)
- English (US)
A song you would play in the background as you text someone you have feelings for. Think of the butterflies that stomp in your stomach. A song to accompany that feeling: Forever In Your Arms (Special Version) by Ion Odagiu.
Hanan Townshend - What We Lost II
- English (US)
On a long walk alone at night, you sit on a bench and think about the day. Your earphones are plugged in. There’s a cold breeze that passes the linen, and as you breathe, new emotions fall on your shoulders. A feeling like this is best explained by a song like What We Lost II by Hanan Townshend.
Oxiroma – Hug & Hold the Ocean (Cosmo Symphonic Version)
You sit back on your reading chair. The book you were reading lies in your lap. A scene from one of the chapters in the book made you pause. The breaths you take remind you of the days when it was the same for you. A song plays from another room: Hug & Hold the Ocean (Cosmo Symphonic Version) by Oxiroma.
Sharon Ruchman - Another Time
- English (US)
Sharon Ruchman return with Another Time, a composition that feels quietly luminous, inviting the listener into a reflective space shaped by western neoclassical traditions and contemporary sensitivity.
15th Bend-Distance
For a young artist that has just begun their foray into music, 15th Bend is an impressive leap. From just March 2020, 15th Bend has released several singles that tackle emotions and moments with musical breakdowns. Instrumental in nature, they are a pivotal move for the artist that wants to create. This is his single, Distance. Using a cinematic sequence of chords that set forth abstract images of vast space, Distance takes time to understand. As the background is fairly simple, several layers come together for a dense soundboard. Clean guitar leads take over to profess the emotion that guides the hand. Distance is an impressive and simple piece of art that says in no words, even what is complex can be simple. This approach and intent is clear in his other pieces as well. Wish, Loss & Ignite, each take the root source of the word and the intangible behind it. It is then melodically reproduced into this rich instrumental we get to hear as a result. Songs like Distance are a popular approach to melody, though the bare stripped nature of the songs can sometimes reveal wider gaps in the composition. 15th Bend has managed to close this gap with persevered effort and a dream that can go the distance. I definitely see this track in an intense scene in Interstellar, where Matthew McConaughey sets foot into a new world and is awe-struck by the sheer size and beauty.
Anoice-The Hidden Forest
Grab your best pair of headphones and settle in for a cinematic audiophilic experience. Anoice is a Japanese instrumental outfit who have been making songs for the past several years but have escaped my radar. Their new album The Hidden Forest is out now, and is a journey in symphony and a lesson in composition that we can all learn from. The artful concept The concept for the album is an avant-garde attempt at perception. Through the eyes of musicians, the music that is produced from a visual can be stunning. What Anoice do is imbibe the essence of 17 paintings perfected by Naoko Okada and provide s soul-stirring experience of listening to a visual. The treat is to listen to all the songs, then see the visuals and experience the song once more. It is like hearing a dream, however surreal that might sound. Anoice create a reservoir of emotion to draw from, ranging from the melody of long story or the melancholy that they draw from a perfect day for a funeral. The songs tend to transcend time, as you search for the visual, something you haven’t seen yet. It is a niche and beautiful concept, stretching what the creative mind has maintained to be boundaries. The ambient sounds draw us closer to the emotion-like the moments that freeze time like Zimmer’s scores. Quiet wish is an expose of the capacity of the instrumentalists, while into the light can be heard as a transitional. Each song is gripping a certain still, and is very evident by the work put in to depict it. For a song like heartbeat, they take a stirring, thriller part filled with suspense and the work of Zimmer’s own magic on the ivories. Magnolia is an encapsulated moment of joy, with the piano and ambience alone justifying the means. Curating an audio museum Listen to songs like the promised day if you want to be in awe of the seismic display of strings and synths complementing each other. As I mentioned earlier, diving into the reason behind these songs will be foolishness. The true art lies in appreciating what it can do. Takahiro Kido, Yuki Murata, Utaka Fujiwara & Tadashi Yoshikawa do a fantastic job of this passion project. That is what it feels like, moments into something that has effortlessly mastered what its intention was. Converting visuals into music isn’t easy, the picture doesn’t speak a thousand words every time. Some words perish before reaching the listener. That is where Anoice succeed. A sure fit for the series Peaky Blinders without a doubt! Check out the classic series here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/peaky_blinders
Peter Uher-New Reality
There are genre fusions. There are intra-genre relations that give birth to exciting sounds that are rare to hear. The third category is chasing fumes of otherworldly delight. That is where this artist, Peter Uher comes in. His latest album is a compilation of his work through the years, a debut that tries to create his own envelope with the fragments of sound. This is a New Reality. For a short track, Mirror Door is your transcendental portal to Peter’s dimensions. Mere mortals cannot walk through this door, so Peter holds it open for you. It is a confluence of jazz, rock and classical strokes you witness, in a all out medley of leviathan proportions. Exciting, raw and real-you can hear every note as it was composed, as the other instruments dance around the protagonist. To create a flow like a brooks’ babble, Peter chooses and uses a traditional foundation. The gentle whisper of the flute & soft sax guide the track, Look Ahead. His guitar comes in smoothly, in due course of time, carrying with it the magnanimous effect of a leading dancer. The drama, penchant for frills and flourishes is still there, albeit in a new tempo and style. Time seems to melt away by the time the solo acoustic moments create ambient shells for the guitar to caress. What will be tomorrow is the track that now includes parts of ambient progressive. Hopefully you catch the subtle changes listening on your headphones, because they are a psychedelic introduction to the track. The beats have a dissonant echo while the guitar gets by on its minimal pizazz, creating a layered approach to ambience. Building to the name The title track is a jazz fusion number, with an addictive progression by the bass and the guitar. The drums shine as well, as the silent spine of the song, ever adapting. The tone changes are incredible, truly a sound to behold. The shift in the song is not only unexpected, but an exciting approach to song composition, with different instruments taking the lead every time. A prog-jazz number if you will, by the time the mid-point rolls around, we’re in a Silencers song. The solo jam at the end has to be heard several times to be believed. Vivien’s Dream is a wonderful short track, with the saxophone taking the cake. The guitar gently dances around this, with cat’s feet as it takes no attention away. A track that just melts through the fog and rests in your head for a while. With an R&B approach, Recently is Peter Uher’s sound palette cleanser. It makes the required impact, the strings echoing through to create a beautiful loop that melts through the framework of the song. Second by second, the track bleeds through. Riverse is what you would expect to hear, a song that sounds just as intense and unbelievable in reverse. The magic of jazz being the unpredictable nature of it. All the instruments dance with their destiny in mind, in control of the notes almost. It is a long, progressive track with plenty of elements to unpack. Peter Uher closes the album with a simple Epilogue that seems to weld fragments of his favourite sounds together, with another enchanting tone on his guitar. If this is his debut, I am excited to hear what a young artist like this has in store for us. He has not only stitched a continuous tapestry of fabric for experimentation, but composed it to a level that everyone can appreciate this art. This is a new reality we would choose to explore. When you're in the dissonance of movies like The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo or in a Jack Reacher like thriller film, you better bet this sound will punctuate the gritty scenes!
Carter Fox-Cosmic Sunrise Live at Everloft Studios
Carter Fox has a unique approach to music. His hunt for tone and meticulously crafted compositions is his driving force. Ranging from chill hip-hop tunes to experimental jazz as well, this virtuoso is constantly looking for sources of inspiration and expanding his sonic horizons. This is his latest single, Cosmic Sunrise Live at Everloft Studios. With a silky, floating synth background, the bass interacts for a liminal conversation. It is in tandem, the growth and syncopation, each telling its own tale within tone and rhythm. In parts, the instrumentals break off to create their own lead pocket, becoming this exciting being that vibrates with a newfound energy. As each forages for its own path, there are chance interactions, crafted through the sorcery that lies in music. Steve Honz collaborates for this one, and the live play-by-play is an interesting outcome to watch. I encourage you to take a look at the breakthroughs and joys of a live recording session. I could hear this music for any focused transition, especially in biographies and travel logs where a picturesque setting captures the eye. The fresh outcome of the track and the powerful overlaps create their own biosphere, and so much is achieved with the keys. This leads to the top of Carter Fox and his pyramid of growing surprises. Without realizing, you might have come across many of his tracks. Songs like Eclipse and M87 are some of his hottest numbers, streamed constantly on Spotify. His compositions are a relaxing haven, and there is always something tantalizing for the senses. Carter Fox is an atmosphere god, listen to his tracks and explore his catalogue!