~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This is my second track inspired by the BBC show "The Last Kingdom", which is set in 800s England at a time when the Vikings invaded the then very shaky and segmented handful of warring kingdoms that made up the British Isles.

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
Bowed Strings: hurdy gurdy, nyckelharpa, tromba marina, cello
Plucked Strings: medieval lutes x2
Percussion: frame drum x2, snare, timpani
Wind: vulture bone flute, fujara, war horn
Vocals: two female soloists, female shouts/whispers/breaths, male shouts

Heathen

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
About a week ago I was having a dream. In this dream I saw a sort of ancient, enchanted landscape, more or less like something out of Lord of the Rings. There was a broad waterway of some sort, with a narrow stone bridge crossing it. The waterway and bridge were actually quite long such that the ends disappeared into the mist. There was a young woman running toward the base of the bridge. She then turned onto the bridge and as she did so, music started playing. It featured an ethereal Celtic melody sung by a female vocalist. There were also some heavy, bassy drums thumping along, driving the song, and perhaps the girl, forward. At that moment I awoke from the dream. It was the middle of the night. The melody still fresh in my mind, I opened the voice memo app on my phone and sung the melody into it repeatedly. Several days later I recorded this song. The A and B melodic lines that appear repeatedly throughout the song (performed by a number of instruments including the main vocalist, the soprano whistle, the lute) are note for note the melody that I heard in my dream and subsequently sung into my phone. I honestly didn't even know that it was possible to compose a song in a dream. I'm still a bit baffled. But also very pleased as I very much like this tune and I think that the final composition has done my subconscious proud! Another interesting point, this time on the name ... it is complete gibberish but interestingly ALSO came to me in the semi-conscious state immediately following the dream. I have absolutely no idea why or how, but it did and somehow I feel it's rather fitting as it has a vaguely old english / ancient / Celtic sort of quality that feels well suited to the music.

Anyway, please put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy this little Celtic journey! Thank you for listening!
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
Bowed Strings: nyckelharpa (performing a drone-like bass line during the choruses), hurdy gurdy drone + rhythm (the one making the buzzing noises, my favorite instrument of all time)
Plucked Strings: cittern (B melody, panned hard right), bass citole, plucked psaltery, theorbo (for accents)
Percussion: tympanum romanum, frame drum x2 (one centered, one panned hard right), taiko (panned hard left in latter half of song)
Wind: soprano whistle
Vocals: female soloist, male soloist, female shouts, male shouts, female whispers

Aefthere Ahno

Æfthêre Ahnó

For more orchestral tracks please check out my full orchestral album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/orchestral-works-original

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~

My goal with this track was to create a Hitchcock-esque retro thriller type of vibe. There are 4 particular things that are rather unique to this track as compared to my other orchestral works:

(1) This piece is a fair bit drier than most of the rest of my orchestral work as I preferred a strong sense of clarity over putting my listeners in a particularly reverberant space. The increased dryness I think adds to the immediacy of the sound and makes it feel therefore more menacing/threatening in a way. 
(2) I used quite a few non-traditional orchestral instruments (basset horn, cimbasso, etc) in unison parts in the track to create a rather unique sonic palette. 
(3) I use quite a few less common articulations (ricochets, marteles, rips, various trills) to add additional sonic interest and engagement.
(4) I added some intentional dissonance in spots to further lend to the creepy vibe. 

Hopefully my little experiment has been successful. Please put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~

Brass: horn, tuba, bass trombone, cimbasso, euphonium
String: violin ensemble, viola ensemble, cello ensemble, double bass ensemble
Woodwinds: flute, piccolo, oboe, bass oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, basset horn, saxophone, contrabassoon
Percussion: timpani, marimba, xylophone, tom ensemble, bass drums, piano (used percussively)
Vocals: female choir, male choir

War of the Worlds

My full medieval album: soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/vox-populi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"La Vie Simple" is French for "the simple life". This piece is meant to be a light medieval ode to the simpler things in life. Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instrument Discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plucked Strings: Gittern, Psaltery, Bass Citole, two more medieval lutes

Bowed String: Jouhikko (melody and backing rhythm), Hurdy Gurdy (drone and rhythmic buzzing), Tromba Marina

Percussion: tympanum romanum, dayre (similar to tambourine), medieval snare, tom, multiple frame drums, shaker

Vocals: male countertenor, female soprano

La Vie Simple

For more orchestral tracks please check out my full orchestral album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/orchestral-works-original

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~

As the track title and image suggest, "Rebel" is a sonic homage to the world of Star Wars and a sequel of sorts to my prior Star Wars themed epic orchestral track "The Dark Side". A rousing, energetic kaleidoscope of bombastic brass and operatic vocals, this track is meant to pull the listener into an epic planetary battle between the cosmic forces of good and evil. May the force be with you as you enjoy this journey with a good pair of headphones!

Thank you for listening (and reading)!

Image: "The Mandalorian" by Andrew Sebastian Kwan (https://the-andrewkwan.artstation.com/)

Rebel

For more orchestral tracks please check out my full orchestral album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/orchestral-works-original

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~

"Metropolis" draws much of its aesthetic inspiration from Fritz Lang's famous 1927 German science fiction film of the same name as well as various sources from comic book canon (especially Superman and Batman). A lively and rather bombastic piece, this track is meant to conjure up images of a sprawling, hectic, dystopian metropolis. Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy!

Thank you for listening (and reading)!

Metropolis

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
Never have I had a stronger desire to finish and upload a piece as I did with this track. Please enjoy with a good pair of headphones!! :)

Solstice

Please check out my full piano album:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/still-standing
~~~~~~~~~~
This song has been in the works for 2-3 months. I would work on it for little bits at a time but would always get distracted by other projects. This is only my second ever piano solo. I'm not entirely happy with the execution but nonetheless I feel like I've come a long way since starting to play the piano a year ago. Hope you guys enjoy! :)

Image credit: Shawn McNulty

Endless Blue

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
The chorus for this song popped into my head as I was driving on the freeway a couple weeks ago. The rest is history ;) Please enjoy with a good pair of headphones!

Cliffs of Dover

Please check out my full piano album:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/still-standing
~~~~~~~~~~
This song is dedicated to everyone who has had their heart broken.

My sincere thanks for listening.

(please use headphones)

Still Standing

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
The imagery that this piece evokes for me is so strong and so specific that I've written a little introduction to the setting:

Setting: Venice, Italy circa 1432

As night tightens its icy grip on the city of Venice, people flood the streets for the annual festival of Carnivale. Hidden behind elaborate gowns and masks, they shed the restrictive chains of station and allow their baser instincts to navigate them through the Venetian night. Spectacle, pomp, and debauchery abound in the soft glow of lantern light that floods the cobblestone below. In the shadows however there lurks a different thing entirely. Something dark. Something sinister. An assassin.

My sincere thanks for listening.

Masquerade

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you guys enjoy this little snowy adventure! **Please use headphones**

Image credit: "Snow on trees in Bavarian Black Forest" by Konrad Wothe

Into the Woods

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
With this track my aim was to compose a piece which not only evoked images of medieval times, but that actually sounded like it might have been composed during that time. I'm not an expert on medieval music, but at the very least I think this one comes closer than any of my other pieces.

The name "Ad Domum Dei" is Latin for "To the House of God". The image, meanwhile, is one of a monk sneaking a drink of an alcoholic beverage. The combination of the track title and picture allude to the corruption in the church during the middle ages.

I hope you guys enjoy this trip back to the 1300s. Please use headphones!

Ad Domum Dei

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you guys enjoy this latest voyage into the middle ages. This track was somewhat inspired by the BBC series bearing the same name, which is set in 800s England at a time when the Vikings invaded the then very shaky and segmented handful of warring kingdoms that made up the British Isles.

Please enjoy with headphones!!

The Last Kingdom

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you guys enjoy this little foray into the east. Turn this one up with a good pair of headphones and you will not be disappointed! My sincere thanks for listening :)

Desert Rose

Please check out my full piano album:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/still-standing
~~~~~~~~~~
I composed the majority of this piece a while ago and subsequently forgot about it. I then happened to listen to it a few days ago and it hit me like a ton of bricks (particularly the piano segment at the end) ... and I knew at that point I needed to complete it. Hopefully you guys will connect with it as well. 

Image credit: "Lost Love" by Rave-Heart
http://rave-heart.deviantart.com/art/lost-love-329850720

Broken

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in human history. At its height in the 14th century it stretched all the way from the Far East through Central Asia and the Middle East up to the edge of Central Europe. This track has a mixture of influences/styles, including Far Eastern, Middle Eastern and European Medieval which, as a whole, is meant to give a sense of the extensive cultural and spacial breadth of this fascinating civilization. Hope you guys enjoy! (As always please use headphones!!)

Khan

This track originally started out as a Celtic piece called "Valhalla", but as is so often the case with my work ... it morphed into something entirely different, until the only trace of the original piece that remained was a lone bagpipe. What emerged instead was a unique and more medieval take on the traditional Spaghetti Western kind of vibe. The piece features the aforementioned bagpipe, a kiowa native american flute, a music box, a medieval citole, deep frame drums and of course some ethereal, soaring vocals (and also several additional instruments not named). This is certainly one of my most unique and original pieces to date. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Run River, Run Wild

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
Crank this one up on a good sound system (or with headphones!) and you won't be disappointed :) Thanks for listening!

Image: "Desert Flower" by jennyeight (DeviantArt) http://jennyeight.deviantart.com

Jasmine

For more tracks with an eastern ethnic fusion vibe, please check out the full "Jasmine" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This track was super quick to compose at only about 10 hours start to finish. Everything just "flowed" very quickly and many segments were recorded in an improvisational manner in one take. Please enjoy with a good pair of headphones!

Babel

My full medieval album: https://soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/vox-populi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Vox Populi" is a latin phrase meaning "voice of the people". The name of the song, combined with the image chosen, are meant to serve as a reminder to leaders that their power is not absolute and that the will of the people can only be ignored for so long.

Since I started composing two years ago, medieval influences have formed the backbone of nearly all of my ethnic pieces. That being said, up until this time only once have I attempted to compose a piece that not only conjured up images of medieval times but sounded as though it might have actually been composed during that time frame. In my opinion, that piece, www.soundcloud.com/pianissimo/ad-domum-dei, is one of my best ... though I personally feel that this second attempt at the medieval genre has eclipsed the first. Hopefully you all will agree :)

My sincere thanks for listening!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instrument Discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This track, like so many of my medieval-influenced pieces features a hurdy gurdy that supplies both a steady drone and the characteristic rhythmic buzzing that makes that instrument so unique. New in this track though is my usage of that same instrument's melodic functionality. You can hear it playing during the choruses and it's most easy to hear it when it initially joins in at 0:20. 

Also new in this track is my usage of a Chriminia (which plays during the choruses). You might mistake it for a bagpipe as it is also a reed instrument, but the tone and style differ somewhat. That instrument lent itself well to the somewhat "eastern" medieval vibe I wanted to achieve in this track.

The plucked instrument you hear is a Gittern, which I use pretty frequently in my ethnic tracks. Meanwhile percussion is supplied by many of the usual suspects: tambourines, frame drums, snares and hand drums.

Vox Populi

Sometimes the tallest peaks are the ones we most need to climb.

For more tracks like this, check out my full piano album: soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/still-standing

Image by Amy Lighthall (https://www.etsy.com/shop/AmyLighthall?ref=l2-shopheader-name)

Mountains

My full eastern ethnic album: soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/jasmine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've composed at least 20 eastern ethnic pieces but this is the first time I set out to create a specifically Greek folk kind of sound. It was very important to me that the piece sound as "live" and organic as possible, so I recorded the whole thing without a metronome (my first non-piano piece for which this has been the case). As a result, the piece ended up being a lot less "tight" from a timing perspective as compared to my others, but I feel that the foregoing of the metronome also afforded it a greater freshness and realism that might have otherwise been difficult or impossible to achieve. When I close my eyes and listen, I can imagine sitting at that table in the picture as a live band plays at the water's edge. Hopefully the song has the same effect on all of you :)

My sincere thanks for listening!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instrument Discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The drum used is called a dayereh, which is a tambourine-like, medium-sized frame drum popular across parts of the middle east and Europe.

There are two medieval lutes in the song. The first part of the song features just one, while the latter part features two (with one panned to the far right) for some added texture.

The other plucked instrument you hear to open the second part of the piece is an Oud, which is extremely important in a lot of ethnic music from across the middle east and parts of Europe.

The wind instrument is an Armenian Duduk.

The song also features two rather ethereal female vocalists as well as some male vocal shouts for rhythm and flavor. No phrases of any kind were used in this piece. Every note was composed and recorded from scratch (as is always the case in my music with only very, very rare exceptions where I'll use vocal phrases for added flavor). 

Image: André Savy - "Santorini Walkway"

Mykonos

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
Following in the footsteps of "Into the Woods", "Kilgharrah", and "Enchanted", this piece represents my fourth journey into the mystical realm of Celtic/Fantasy. I hope you guys enjoy. Please use headphones!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instrument Discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Percussion: kettle drum and two taiko drums
Wind: bagpipe and Bulgarian piccolo flute
Bowed: violin
Plucked: celtic harp
Vocals: several different female vocalists, male vocal shouts

+ additional atmospheric sounds to create a cool ambience

Moonlight

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This piece is at least two years and literally hundreds of hours in the making. Put on a good pair of headphones and prepare for an epic journey on the high seas!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instrument Discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Percussion: kettle drum and two taiko drums
Wind: Bulgarian piccolo flute
Bowed: violin, cello, hurdy gurdy (rhythmic)
Plucked: celtic harp
Vocals: female vocalist, male tavern singers, male vocal shouts
Whale sounds: humpback whale calls (purchased/downloaded from AudioJungle)
Waves/Ship Creaks: from youtube

Legends of the Sea

This is my third ever orchestral track and my first ever epic/orchestral track in the celtic/fantasy realm. I've been wanting to release this type of piece for years but didn't have the proper instruments to do so until now. 

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods

Dance of the Elves

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
One part Celtic, one part Bluegrass, and 100% Pianissimo. Hope you guys enjoy!

Instruments: irish flute, irish soprano whistle, bodhran (irish drum), tenor banjo, acoustic guitar, irish fiddle, ocean drum, vocals

Song of the Sea

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This track incorporates ethnic balkan, gypsy, klezmer, and flamenco influences. It's the first track in a gypsy/klezmer album by the same name. Check it out here: 

soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/sofia

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments: 

Brass: tuba, euphonium, trombone (all performing staccato articulations)
String: gypsy guitar (chords), gypsy guitar (finger picking), turkish oud (chords), upright double bass (pizzicato)
Percussion: tarambuka, bass tupan, claps, shouts, whistles
Wind: clarinet (lead instrument)

Image credit: "Gypsy Dancer" by Anna Razumovskaya

Sofia

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This is a cover of the extremely popular Game of Thrones theme song by the very talented Ramin Djawadi. There are about 10,000,000 covers of this song already out there, which is a testament to the broad appeal of the song (if not at least the broad appeal of the show). Most covers tend to stay pretty close to the source material in melodic structure. I decided instead to have a very "liberal" take on the original song, clearly retaining key characteristics of its core identity while also introducing as much of my own aesthetic as possible. Whereas the original piece is very heavy on bowed strings, my take contains none. Instead I've opted for a focus on plucked strings, of which there are seven instruments. The goal was to create something of a kaleidoscope of plucked string sounds ... a thick atmosphere rich in melody and harmony. Hopefully I've succeeded!  

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!

Here is the original song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7L2PVdrb_8
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
Plucked String: bouzouki (x2), bass citole (x2), gittern (x2), zither
Wind/Reed: Uillean Pipes
Percussion: tympanum romanum, tom ensemble
Vocals: two different female soloists

The King in the North (Game of Thrones Cover)

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
"Clocks" has always been my favorite Coldplay song and I've been intrigued by the prospect of covering it for quite some time. Whereas the original features the standard Coldplay spread of instruments like piano, guitar, percussion, vocals etc, this cover features only strings, specifically 5 violins and 3 cellos. Also the original song is in G# I believe whereas this is in G.

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!

Here is the original song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d020hcWA_Wg
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
5 violins and 3 cellos

Violin 1: legato -- lead instrument
Violin 2: staccato
Violin 3: sul pont staccato
Violin 4: legato (rhythmic)
Violin 5: tremolo swells (panned hard left)

Cello 1: legato (harmony in first verse)
Cello 2: staccato
Cello 3: tremolo swells (panned hard right)

Clocks (Coldplay Cover)

~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
This is the sixth track in my growing gypsy/klezmer album:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/sofia

Like the others there is a rhythmic and harmonic foundation of brass staccatos and double bass pizzicatos with a smattering of other melody instruments overlaid on top. (See below for full instrument list.)

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
Brass: tuba, euphonium, trombone (all performing staccato articulations)
String: turkish oud, upright double bass (pizzicato), guitar, violin
Percussion: bass tupan, cymbal, claps, shouts, whistle
Wind: turkish clarinet (lead instrument), gaida (balkan bagpipe)
Vocals: female soloist (legato)

Image credit: Rudolf Schweitzer-Cumpăna

The Farmer's Daughter

For more Celtic/Fantasy tracks, please check out the full "Into the Woods" album here:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/into-the-woods
~~~~~~~~~~
Track Notes
~~~~~~~~~~
A reference to the famous 19th century fairytales written by the Brothers Grimm, this piece is meant to evoke imagery of elves, fairies and enchanted forests. This is my first piece after a 14 month hiatus from composing. It's been a uniquely challenging year but it feels great to finally put out a new piece of music :)

Put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy! Thank you for listening!
~~~~~~~~~~
Instruments:
~~~~~~~~~~
Bowed Strings:  solo violin, 2 solo cellos
Plucked Strings: medieval bass citole, medieval lute
Percussion: tom ensemble, taiko ensemble
Wind: bulgarian piccolo flute
Vocals: 2 female soloists, male choir (staccato), female choir (staccato), male shouts, female whispers
Atmosphere: forest sounds, birds chirping, etc

Grimm

Please check out my full piano album:
soundcloud.com/pianissimo/sets/still-standing
~~~~~~~~~~
I wrote this song for my wonderful, amazing, beautiful girlfriend <3 

My sincere thanks for listening.

(please use headphones)

Love

I'm a 35-year-old software engineer and amateur composer living in the beautiful city of Seattle. I have no musical training or background at all. I taught myself to play piano in August of 2014 and then started actually composing in January 2015.

I focus on crafting atmospheric, evocative pieces that take my listeners on a journey through both time and space. Although my focus in the past 6 years has been on cinematic ethnic music (celtic, middle eastern, medieval), I'm now starting to venture into the orchestral realm and couldn't be more excited to mix some of my ethnic sensibilities with more traditional orchestral elements.

Every piece you hear on my cloud is 100% original music that is composed, recorded (using VSTs), and produced by myself. No remixes, no covers (unless explicitly stated), no loops, and absolutely NO prerecorded "musical phrases" of any kind (with the *very* rare exception of an occasional vocal phrase to lend some added color and depth). I manually compose and record every single note of every instrument you hear ... whether it's a violin, flute, vocals, drums, or anything else! 

Also, don't be shy! Feel free to shoot me a message even just to introduce yourself. I love connecting with other soundcloud artists :)

Now that that's all out of the way, put on a good pair of headphones and enjoy!

~Tim

Pianissimo

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks