I’ve written about contemporary Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo in the past, and I’m sure I will do so again, because his stuff is wonderful — some of it very classical in its flavor, some very cinematic, and some more jazzy-bluesy than anything else. In fact, the unpredictableness of the genres in which he works — though he never relinquishes a wonderfully strong melodic sense– is a major part of why I enjoy him so much, I think. He’s constantly surprising me. (Plus, he goes out of his way to make his music readily available, for listening and for sharing. That’s a huge thing in my book, as well. Listening to music’s always had a significantly social component.)
Case in point, a little tune called “Seven Eight” that should get your toes a-tappin’. And the technical details behind its creation are pretty fun, as well. From the composer:
We recorded me playing on the same piano three times, improvising on top of the 1st and 2nd, and moved the instrument around so that it eventually constituted a triangle, for the benefit of the Surround Sound experience.