Samuel Pinaeu, known by his stage name SAMBOX, is a French producer, pianist, and composer who has teamed up with virtuoso cellist Anita Barbereau on his latest composition to bring up a lush, serene duet, rich with melodic ambiance, melancholic warmth, and bustling nostalgia.
Titled ‘Insouciance’, SAMBOX’s latest release is a two-part single, divided between Reminiscence and Evidence. Both pieces are a simplistic duo between his piano and Barbereau’s bone-chilling cello wails. Pineau’s piano is consistently warm but desolate. His rhythmically conventional melodic performance, together with the full, round-sounding piano, ornamented by tasteful reverb, make for a piano performance that sticks out and demands the listener’s attention, which is good as the part is full of intricate details that would easily go missing otherwise. Complementing SAMBOX’s piano playing is the cello part played by Barbereau. Her touch is soft, and her notes gracefully slide into one another throughout the composition, creating little to no distraction, but adding a stunning amount of depth and character to the sound of Pireau’s compositions.
Written in contrast to the modern, ever-changing world, and its hectic rhythms, the duo wanted ‘Insouciance’ to be captivating and serene, an invitation to cherish nostalgia and to re-explore our childhood memories when life was much simpler. Wonderfully executed. With the performances just as beautiful as the production, ‘Insouciance’ easily captivates.