The track is inspired by the daily walks and runs he takes in the French capital. But he’s quick to admit that unlike its reputation as a romantic city, the traffic jams in Paris can be make it difficult to get around.
It’s busy city whose reality is far from its ‘romantic’ city reputation,” Mark explains.
“Traffic and busy people all over the places, but still a beautiful place charged with history.
I like to walk and run through the streets or along the river Seine to breathe and capture its energy.”
French Musician and composer Mark J SOLER has released a new single ‘Lazy Song’, a three-minute instrumental piece inspired by relaxing moments, conducive to inner thoughts, and of course Music as the conductor toward a form of ‘spirituality’.
“Lazy Song” was composed, played, and produced to sound like a slightly hypnotic jazz groove, deliberately laid back, like time stretching out over a solitary, quiet evening. The piano’s slightly off-sync phrasing aims to give a dreamy, drowsy sway, creating a psychedelic lounge atmosphere that’s both playful and disorienting.
“That was the intent in any case,” explains Mark. “With a simple melody to convey the introspective nature of such moment.
“Lazy Song” is part of a short EP, Walks, gathering three different styles of instrumental songs, all inspired by the ‘inner life’ idea, i.e. reproducing the world in thoughts, through Introspection, Solitude, Meditation… on Desires, Regrets, Acceptance, Nostalgia.. there are many aspects of it, making spirituality, Music being its natural language.
The second song in the EP is “Walking in the City”.
“Walking is known as one of the best remedies to evacuate dark thoughts and get back to a positive inner vision of the external world. I live near Paris. I walk a lot in the city that communicates its energy and beauty.”
The third title is called “Inner Life”, about prayer.
The solo piano is a piece filled with softness, elegance, and refinement. Its three themes, with joyful and optimistic accents, unfold with both majesty and delicacy. At the crossroads of classical, jazz, and pop, this work remains very accessible to the ear while being rich in writing and structure.
The interplay of minor and major tonalities gives it a unique charm, a distinctive character, and a singular grace.
An improvised piano piece recorded in a single take in his Reykjavík studio, it’s the second of three tracks that will form The Chromatic Sessions EP.
“Red” is a partner piece to Gold — released in July — with a final chromatic track called “Blue” set to follow.
The theme of colours emerged organically during the process of writing and recording. “It wasn’t something pre-planned,” says Dustin, who has also been nominated for an Academy Award. “I was improvising on the piano every day, and I realised I was always thinking about colours as I wrote. When you have the mic set up and you’re recording, it puts you into deep focus. There’s something about that red light being on that really pulls you into the moment.”
O’Halloran has long experienced synaesthesia — a mingling of the senses that may sound familiar to many. It can be something as simple as a taste snapping us back to a place we’ve been, a familiar scent triggering a powerful emotional flashback, or — in Dustin’s case — a certain sound evoking the feeling of a colour.
“I believe that people are more synesthetic than they realise,” he says. “It’s something that you can tune into. All sensations are ultimately translated in the brain — and I think you can learn to connect different parts of those sensations together.”
Such connections are a theme that runs through The Chromatic Sessions — including the connection between Dustin and his audience. All of the Chromatic singles come with downloadable sheet music when bought on Bandcamp, allowing listeners to play the music themselves.
It’s a gesture born of O’Halloran’s wish to forge a closer relationship with his listeners.
“Releasing music digitally feels so distant and disconnected,” he says. “And I think we’re all looking for connection. When people get involved in playing the music, it becomes part of them in a different way. It becomes communal. It becomes theirs.”
Yuma Yamaguchi—a Cannes Lions Award-winning composer known for his work in film, TV, and commercials—has launched a new music project titled Concordia.
The project kicks off with the release of the original track “Concordia” on Wednesday, April 2, followed by a biweekly remix series featuring top-tier musicians from around the globe.
Originally composed for CONCORDIA, Japan’s largest-scale interactive beach art projection event held at Odaiba Beach Park from November 2023 to January 2024, the track showcases Yamaguchi’s signature blend of minimalistic piano and orchestral textures. Featuring frequent collaborator and vocalist RANU, the piece builds to a powerful finale with intense percussion and beats.
The remix series features contributions from:
• Yuta Bandoh, acclaimed for his collaborations with artists like Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru
Utada, and for scoring projects such as Kaiju No. 8, and Belle.
• bastiengoat, a California-based producer whose tracks have been played by top DJs worldwide, including during Yaeji’s set at Boiler Room: New York.
• Dorian Concept, the Vienna-born keyboardist and producer known for collaborations with Flying Lotus and Thundercat, who brings his intricate sonic palette to the project.
The music video, starring the performance collective NOMENTokyo, premiered on April 2 Directed by Shogo Tominaga (LQVE), the video is a collaboration with creative unit SEKAISEIFUKU—a partnership between Tominaga and NOMENTokyo—who translate the musical universe of Concordia into a lyrical and dreamlike visual narrative.
Artwork is by the acclaimed visual artist buggy, with logo and graphic design by Shunsuke Kosaka.
The timeless classic “Concerto for the End of a Love” by Francis Lai is magnificently reimagined by the talented Play Paul, aka Paul de Homem-Christo, brother of the legendary Emmanuel de Homem-Christo (Daft Punk).
This remix masterfully blends the emotion and power of a French music masterpiece with the captivating beats of a contemporary DJ.
Each note of Francis Lai’s original melody is magnified by a fresh and irresistible energy. This union between the musical poetry of the composer of “A Man and a Woman” or “Love Story” and Play Paul’s sense of rhythm and innovation creates a one-of-a-kind work.
A rousing romantic piece for piano and orchestra, the track takes inspiration from the likes of Rachmaninov and John Williams.
Without the huge budget required to record a full orchestra, Michael worked with twelve fantastic musicians from across the globe to bring the piece to life, with Yuri Villar on flutes, Meredith G on french horns, Jon-Paul Frappier on trumpets, Jonas Hocherman on trombones and tuba, Nisa Addina, Damian Bolotin, Nikos Mavridis and Jean-Philippe de Passos on violins, Nikos Mavridis on violas, Marco Pescosolido and Ben Trigg on celli and Bruno Migliari on double basses. Michael played the piano and clarinet parts himself.
This piece conveys a deep sense of empathy and understanding, reflecting the resilience and strength of those affected by the recent and ongoing events in Ukraine. Michael has tried to capture a spirit of hope, solidarity and a deep emotional connection to the struggles and triumphs of the Ukrainian people, using a theme that expresses courage, emotion and endurance.
