Immense Instrumentalists – A Round-Up Review

Instrumental music sometimes gets a bad rep, but it’s a style of music I really love, allowing talented musicians to show off their songwriting and performance skills without the distraction of vocals. Because instrumental music doesn’t always get the good press it deserves, I decided to curate a round-up review and playlist based around the style. However, every band/artist listed is different from the one that came before, appealing across the genre boundaries. Why not give our playlist a go at the bottom of this review?!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by BC Smith

BC Smith – Ashes

First up is BC Smith with Ashes, a folky piece of music with a dreamy sound. It opens with some lovely acoustic guitar motifs, which are added to as the piece continues. Occasional piano and guitar flourishes tail off from the main melody, allowing the acoustic guitar chords to provide a cool rhythmic backing to the track. The string section that appears later on is also a lovely surprise, enveloping the listener BC Smith’s hauntingly beautiful sound – it truly is a masterpiece, and one that deserves to be heard!

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Didier Recloux – First Walk

Didier Recloux is a primarily a film composer, creating beautiful pieces of classical music with an ambient neoclassical sound. First Walk shows off Didier’s talents perfectly – it starts out fairly slowly with some pretty backing effects and some orchestral noises, before a flowing piano melody kicks in, alongside a nice flute motif. However, the music soon builds up, adding a cacophony of sounds, including some almost discordant brass instrumentation. It all works surprisingly well though, making for one must listen track from me!

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<;> – Humdingled

Next up we have the very interestingly titled <;>, who creates electronic drone meditations like Humdingled, taken from new album Humdingled Yumdinger. The track won’t be for everyone, as it’s possibly the most experimental number on this list, but those who aren’t afraid to take the plunge might get a kick out of it! It’s quite an eerie piece of music, seeing this artist use a range of different sound effects and instrumental flourishes to turn the drone genre on its head. It’s well worth a listen though, so give it a whirl below!

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Periscopi Invertit – Ball de l’àliga

Ball de l’àliga is a track created by Periscopi Invertit, a London-based artist who mixes Catalan folk melodies with North African rhythms and modern jazz. The track also has a bit of a reggae feel to it – especially in terms of the rhythm that bounces along in lovely style. The main melody is provided bu a pretty flute section, changing slightly as the piece continues, making it all sound extremely unique in the modern music industry! The track picks up the pace a little later on, keeping you constantly on your toes.

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Parallel Harmonic – Eternal Starlight

We have another London-based act for you in the form of Parallel Harmonic. Eternal Starlight is the name of this track – it’s something of a prog rock song, but I also felt there was a bit of an 80s vibe thrown in there too – particularly with the synthy melody that carries throughout the track. However, a killer guitar solo later emerges, appealing to those into their rock and metal as well. Another thing I liked is how upbeat the track is, making you want to tap your feet along to the spacy rhythms in an instant!

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Aptøsrs – Rust Mountain

Aptøsrs is a new instrumental project created by Independent Music Award-nominated composer/songwriter Paul Terry, with Rust Mountain being one of his first songs to be released. It’s another 80s influenced track, starting out slowly before the eerie synth and basslines kick in with the drums. As the music progresses, it goes through several different movements, remaining atmospheric throughout. The final section ramps the tension right up, making for something incredibly cinematic and epic sounding, perfect for a film score!

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VIRTUAL JASPER – Beast Effect

VIRTUAL JASPER is a Copenhagen-based electronic composer and producer, adding his own innovative style into the world of EDM. Beast Effect has a really fast tempo, simply throbbing along to the synths and bass. The synths have an almost creepy sound at times, really grabbing your attention. The track breaks down every so often to add some pre-recorded choir-esque style vocals into the mix, but it’s still an instrumental piece, as these vocals are added more as a musical effect than anything else.

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MRMT – The Grand Ravetoad

The Grand Ravetoad is a track taken from MRMT’s self-titled record, also called MRMT. As you might have guessed from the title, it’s a song that delves into a few different electronic genres, creating something really distinctive at the moment. A fast drum beat carries through the tune in the background against some vocalised backing effects, as the bass rumbles along nicely. The synths are the real focal point here though – they’re actually a little eerie at times, but they really add to the cool atmosphere the track has.

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Guitari – Elon’s Musk

Guitari is a new project from Ari Joshua, with new release Elon’s Musk also seeing a collaboration with iLL Gates and Cory Cavazos. The song is aptly titled, as it does have a spacy feel, being remarkably different from most of Ari’s other work. A steady beat progresses through the music, as the synths dance around in the background, changing as the piece progresses onto other forms. It’s a really relaxing track, perfect for listening to after a long hard day at the office – find out for yourselves below!

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Elleodin – Cadmus

Elleodin is the musical moniker of London producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Lara Mason. Cadmus is our first introduction to her work, but I’m sure it won’t be our last! It’s a bit of a slow burner at first, building up the tension with an array of interesting synth melodies and some huge drum beats. It’s the sort of track you’ll need to listen to a few times through at first, to ensure you get everything. Towards the end, the song slowly fades out, leaving you longing for more, long after its finished!

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Weightausend – Hijack Momentum

Last, but certainly not least, is Italian artist Weightausend and their new track, Hijack Momentum. It’s one of the most experimental songs on this list, opening with some interesting sound effects, drawing your attention straight away. It’s a little discordant at first, until the synths and rhythm section kick in for good, but the piece still retains its unique qualities throughout. It’s a really cinematic piece of music, and one that I think would work well on the big screen – why not take a listen and see what you think?!

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