modern classical | Musicosity

modern classical

Dustin O'Halloran

A self-taught pianist from the age of 7, Dustin O'Halloran's personal histories give us some clue to the thickly-woven tapestries of his music: he has lived in LA (where he studied art at Santa Monica College and formed the much-adored Devics with Sara Lov), Italy (in the depths of rural Emilia Romagna) and Berlin. His arresting, heartbreaking music is as much an elegant exercise in nuance and grace as it is a pure, intuitive, personal expression – and here is where we see some explanation into Dustin's quiet rise to notoriety and his continued ascension.

Artist Type: 

Kimmo Pohjonen

Kimmo Pohjonen (b. 1964) is one of the most respected and in-demand musicians and performers in Finland. An accordionist of exceptional ability and imagination, Kimmo's musical history goes back more than twenty years in rock, folk, avant-garde, improvisation, classical, dance and theatre music projects. In 1996 he embarked on a solo career with his solo 5-row accordion project, featuring extreme and original compositions, live loops and effects, a dynamic and animated stage performance, orchestrated lights and surround sound.

Artist Type: 

Eighth Blackbird

Hailed as “Friendly, unpretentious, idealistic and highly skilled” by the New Yorker, eighth blackbird is widely lauded for its unusual performing style – often playing from memory with virtuosic and theatrical flair – and its efforts to make new music accessible to wide audiences. The ensemble’s 2005-06 10th anniversary season includes tours of California– taking in Los Angeles’s Disney Hall and stops in La Jolla, Stanford and Davis; a performance at New York’s 92nd Street Y; and the ensemble’s debut performance at Boston’s renowned Celebrity Series.

Artist Type: 

Daemonia Nymphe

Daemonia Nymphe (Δαιμόνια Νύμφη) is a band established in Athens in 1994 by Spyros Giasafaki and Evi Stergiou. The band's music is modeled after and is often categorized as ethereal, neoclassical, neofolk or gothic.
Daemonia Nymphe uses authentic instruments, including lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura and double flute, which are made by the Greek master Nicholas Brass. Their shows are very theatrical, with members wearing masks and ancient dress. Their lyrics are drawn from Orphic and Omeric hymns and Sappho's poems for Zeus and Hekate.

Read more about Daemonia Nymphe on Last.fm.

Artist Type: 

Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld

This is a quite unique collaboration, an unexpected one between the italian composer Teho Teardo and Blixa Bargeld, leader of Einstürzende Neubauten and former Bad Seeds. They first met during the realization of Ingiuria, a theatre pièce and right after that they collaborated on a song for a soundtrack, "A Quite Life". That song started the whole process of writing and producing an album together where songs and more experimental pieces could find a common ground.

Read more about Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld on Last.fm.

Artist Type: 

Bleeding Heart Narrative

Bleeding Heart Narrative is from the UK and consists of (recording wise) Oliver Barrett - who also does the illustrations for the releases. The music is epic and ephemeral, a kind of journey in sound played on many different instruments including cello, piano and vocals. His recordings include the idiosyncratic mistakes made during recording which gives the music a very tactile and honest sound. Other musicians join Oliver Barrett on stage for live performances.
- Gosia Basinska

Artist Type: