As a classical musician, I find it hard to believe that there are still classical/modern compositions in our current time that can measure up to the late composers throughout the different eras, between Chopin’s fluidity, and Liszt’s atonal harmony or even Copland’s creativity. It’s a very rich genre with lots of layers, color, and texture to consider. Toby Kasavan is a classical pianist, composer, and keyboardist who studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Later, he moved to NYC and started performing and recording in varied styles, like free jazz with William Parker and Daniel Carter, and funk with Bootsy Collins and Maceo Parker. He also performed in other styles like world music and the classical avant-garde. 

“Cosmopolitan V1” is one of the compositions in a set of 2, they explore the style and genre in which composers like Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich adopted, yet with a softer edge. The first track is a 5-minute journey with the piano that will take you through the phases of an ongoing dream, telling an exciting storyline with its ups and downs. A variety of emotions are introduced: a combination of fear, excitement, intensity, and an ongoing conversation with the occasional sweet moments. All while keeping the classical yet modern avant-garde technique and unexpected cadences with augmentations and open chords that catch you off guard and unpredictability of sound. There are occasional lower-pitched and bass-y chords stroke in unexpected moments that caught my attention. Also, a few melodic tunes with trills add a softer and sweeter side to the whole ambiance. You can even trace the elements of jazz and its tunes underneath the ongoing sound.

A very interesting and rich piece to listen to that will set you in a peaceful state of mind, leaving you wanting more.

It’s uncommon to come across a 16-year-old musician with the right amount of experience and talent to come up with a track that sounds professional and subtle. I found Alicia Daydreams exceptional in every way; the London-based singer, songwriter, and producer released her latest EP, and it just sets the bar too high for indie-pop artists. The industry is really challenging for emerging artists, so they don’t always receive recognition right away, but the minute Alicia released her 3-track EP and a remix, 2 of them, “Maze” and “Genie”, have already been played over 180K times on Spotify alone. Alicia has over 11k followers on Instagram and her songs are added to several playlists on Spotify like Summer aesthetic, Philippines top 50, Sunset Mode Music – Indie Pop, and many others, which resulted in over 7K monthly listeners.

Alicia’s voice is seductive and unique in style and tonality. It lures you in and leaves you hanging in a specific mood, and surely wanting more. The beauty of the 3 songs lies within their effortlessness; she uses simple elements and motifs played by well-chosen instruments and places them in the right places at the exact right moment. The musical phrases are subtle and to the point, while keeping them rich and interesting. Her orchestration choices are smart in how she placed the simple motifs and themes while aligning the instruments together.

The artist shares her milestones and experiences with her audience through her music. She discusses love, attraction, anticipation, and much more with deep and meaningful lyrics. Each song has a different identity and a trait that defines it, like in “Maze,” where simplicity is key with subtlety. A short yet effective electric guitar solo was played in the song while keeping the vocal line upfront and all the music far in the background. “Genie” has interesting guitar chords strummed along with a swing beat and some retro 70s sound effects. The bass line of this track is short but plays consistent notes. As for “Devil’s promise,” it starts with the sound of church bells and lo-fi sound effects with a dream-like mood.

Daydream’s EP is worth checking out, and it’s a huge step forward for the rising artist who doesn’t seem like she’s slowing down any time soon.