Inspired by the likes of Joanna Newsom as well as Disney soundtracks, Christian Silvosa presents his own interpretation of classical, jazz and film-music composition on his debut EP, ‘Blood Moon Eclipse’, on which beautifully crafted piano melodies and dreamy, cinematic arrangements create a perfect soundtrack for cosy winter evenings by the fire. I had a chat to Christian to find out more about when he started writing music, how the EP was recorded and his dreams of composing for film.
Words by Annie Rew Shaw
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Annie) Hi Christian. When did you first start writing your own music?
Christian) It’s been nearly 15 years since I wrote a song for my cousin, who was having a really hard time. The crazy thing is that I almost did it without being aware of what was really happening – it was amazing.
I love your debut EP, ‘Blood Moon Eclipse’. Can you tell me a bit about the writing and recording process?
Every song was written and recorded just for the sake of capturing a moment or express an intimate emotion. ‘Winter Music Box’ and ‘Dreamland Silver Moon’ are about a long-distance relationship, and there was no intention of uploading them on streaming platforms at first. It was a really hard decision to share this music with the world and it took me several years to prepare for it but I thought that if these songs helped me through a bad time, they could be useful for someone else.
Since there was little in the way of budget, everything was recorded in home studios or even musicians’ houses: Ignacio Gulias and Federico Alzugaray were indispensable and I couldn't have done it without them. Esmeralda Escalante and Inés Maguire were in charge of lead vocals – they brought the compositions to life in a marvellous way. It was a lot of work and I feel blessed that so many artists I admire participated in the project.
You’ve said you’re inspired by the likes of Joanna Newsom and CocoRosie, but also Disney soundtracks, which I totally get! Can you imagine yourself writing music for film?
Film scoring has always been one of my biggest dreams. Luckily, I had the chance to compose for some independent short movies and got to work in commercials. I really love these kind of gigs. I also think that learning in music never stops, so I'm still working hard in order to get my way into a future film, hopefully one that requires a big orchestra!
What is your favourite track on the EP and why?
I would say ‘Lubona’, because the lack of lyrics enable the listener to picture any scenario or story without being conditioned. The funny thing is that I was looking for a soft or familiar sound to name the track, and a Spanish game of words showed me ‘Lubona’. So at first it was an invented word with no real meaning but after searching the internet I found that ‘Lubona’ means ‘something good to look at’. This classical solo piano piece was composed to contemplate nature, therefore I was delighted by this new information.
If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would it be?
There are so many artists I would love to work with, and every single collaboration is a great learning experience. As CocoRosie, Joanna Newsom, Yann Tiersen and The Cinematic Orchestra were my biggest influences in the album, I guess they would be my first choices.
What’s coming up next for you? Any live shows?
Before becoming an arranger and producer I used to be a pianist. I really miss those timeless moments – just to sit, play and be happy. First of all, I want to recover that space as soon as possible; every musician deserves it. There is some new music waiting on my desk and I would love to release a new album with solo piano pieces.