Neoclassical Suite is a column that will present 7 recent, distinctive tracks of the neoclassical-modern classical-contemporary -and beyond!- music field. 

The Players

Chafa

(neoclassical)

Chafa is an emerging pianist, producer, and composer based out of Los Angeles. He is currently preparing to launch onto the global music scene with his first two singles ready to drop imminently.

ÜUCE

(feat. Michele)

(neoclassical, psydub, cinematic)

Born in New Jersey, USA, musician Scott West started performing music at a young age with the support of his family and peers. With multiple projects, including Of Oceans, under his belt, Scott felt it was the time to move in a new direction and begin his work on ÜUCE, a neo-classical, ambient project.

Enjoy relaxing and reflective songs with various influences such as world, psydub, trance, etc.

Relying heavily on felt piano sounds, synths, and percussion, this new endeavor from Scott West is honest and thoughtful.

Reza Safinia

(neoclassical, post-classical)

Reza Safinia is a multi-instrumentalist composer and producer based in Los Angeles. With eclecticism at the heart of his methodology, his work spans multiple genres as well as industries, ranging from classical compositions for major film scores to electronic music production. Safinia has worked with several acclaimed artists such as , and , and has toured with .

In the film and television industry, the artist has worked as a composer for soundtracks on projects such as the 2016 Nicolas Cage film The Trust, the 2014 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Mercy, and on the Cinemax period martial arts show, Warrior, originally conceived by Bruce Lee and produced by Justin Lin.

Reza has a lifelong interest in Eastern philosophies and martial arts. As a yoga teacher as well as a Daoist, the producer’s artistry is often expressed as a fusion of two worlds, marrying classical orchestration with elements of contemporary electronic music. This melding of diverse soundscapes allows for an immersive and cinematic harmony in his music.

Safinia will be releasing two albums in 2021, Yin and Yang. The former is a classical music album which studies the feminine energy, expressed in a tranquil contemplative musicality. The latter takes on a masculine form as an electronic production, consisting of progressive house, techno, and electronica, with both albums working as a holistic and meditative body of work exploring cosmic connections.

Sam Miller

(neoclassical, solo piano)

Sam Miller is a man of unique talents. A rare musical soul who thrives in our modern day of synthesizers and microchips, but who would be equally content playing Bach fugues in a cathedral filled with orangutans. His musical output is driven by curiosity and exploration, noticeably lacking the self-aggrandizing spirit of so much pop music.

From the mysterious deserts of New Mexico, Miller is at once a songwriter, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is a master storyteller, who walks a tightrope pitched between the beauty of life’s complexities and the abyss of the subconscious. His lyrics grow more dynamic and intriguing with each listen. An elegant love song is simultaneously a riddle that would tickle the ghost of Lewis Carroll.

One of the most impressive measures of Miller’s writing is how the melodic content of the songs carry the weight of his lyrics. His attention to detail in arrangement and production creates fully realized songs that arrive at a clear destination. There is a confidence and thoughtfulness that is applied to each composition. Clever melodic hooks manage to echo in your head for days, allowing the depth of the lyrics to slowly unfurl in your thoughts. Miller’s deep and resonant voice evokes Scott Walker, Nick Cave, and even Johnny Cash. At its climax In One Place at a Time is soaring chamber pop akin to Devotchka, at its most introspective it is indie pop held together by synths and drum machines. With a close listen, there are hints of americana, traditional country, psychedelia, and even exotica.

Roman Wróblewski

(neoclassical, jazz, cinematic)

Roman Wróblewski – pianist, singer and music producer.
Wróblewski’s music is a mixture of jazz improvisation with a classical touch, emotional yet thoroughly conceptual.
…near to Debussy, Einaudi and Frahm…

HRDY

(neoclassical)

HRDY, also known as Wouter Hardy, is a Dutch composer, producer and musician. Hardy discovered the piano and played his way onto the stage with the artist Kovacs where he inhabited the role of musical director and pianist for some time.

Hardy made his 2019 global debut as a producer on the record ‘Arcade’ by Duncan Laurence. The song led the Netherlands to victory at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Over the last months, Hardy has been working on his solo project HRDY, composing music to be released on his own studio album. Influenced by music pioneers such as Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Max Richter and Joep Beving, his compositions blend the styles of the neo-classical era with ambient, electronic sounds, resulting in multi-leveled, immersive and cinematic music pieces. For the first song of the album, to be released in the first week of February 2021, HRDY utilized a string section alongside his beloved 1870 pianola, 2019 Zimmermann and multiple analog synths from the 70’s and 80’s to create a floating, enticing and intimate piece. HRDY will be complementing his full-length debut album in the course of the coming year by releasing a new song each month, enjoy!

James Hawken

(neoclassical, choir)

Born and raised in the clay villages of Cornwall. I was lucky enough that my parents had a piano and I first sat at a piano stool aged 7. I was taught classical by my aunt Muriel MBE and can still feel the whack of the ruler across my knuckles! At 12 or 13 I started teaching myself to play modern rock/pop piano and by age 14 became a semi-pro in a rock ‘n’ roll band called Grand Prix, bootlace tie and all. Several bands followed including Density 1150, The Blue Grid and Alcohol. I was lucky enough to play with some great guys and we remain good friends today. It was in Alcohol that I met Jim Ryan and after the band stopped we joined up as a duo. Thirty years later we’re still going strong! Along the way I’ve worked with artists using the Cornish language, notably Graham Sandercock. Being a Cornish speaker this is very important to me. I still have a passion for music, still feel creative and have now started producing solo work.Zimmer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Danny Elfman, Max Richter…

The Music

Christos Doukakis