The Dark World Of BW RECKNAGEL - New Classical Composer Launches Debut Album

[eflatminor]

London based, German classical composer BW Recknagel has launched his new website
https://www.bwrecknagel.com and Album Release "Nihilum", available as download only, in June 2009.

BW Recknagel's debut Album "Nihilum" comes like a breath of fresh air in the midst of classical releases.
Fresh, as his piano compositions are of extreme deep and dark nature. With many contemporary composers being obsessed with abstract art and, as a result, struggling to meet a wider audience, BW Recknagel has no intention to re-invent the wheel but simply focuses on making beautiful music, truly authentic and inspired.

All 10 pieces, ranging from Minimalism to dark Romanticism, have hypnotic tones of such intimacy and emotional depth that the listener is immediately drawn into a world of deep yet edgy relaxation - from the first note to the last with a commercial edge and the potential of inviting a wider audience.

Performed by Russian Pianist Xenia Russo, her sensitive and expertly colored playing brings the final magical touch to this unique work, emphasizing the "openness" of BW Recknagel's music, painting a picture of melancholy and sadness, taking you into a journey of your own inner stories of emotion.

Tracks like "Singularity", "Fading Love" and "Before The Dark" bear references to the early 20th Century French impressionists such as Eric Satie or Debussy whereby the Album develops into more complex, classical material in the line of dark romanticism. The mainly chord based, also longest track on the Album, "Requiem For A Friend" deserves special recognition for his incredible authentic, dark and sinister "storytelling". The Album closes with three of the most commercial tunes, "Nihilum", "Dusk" and "Follow Your Bliss" and again show BW Recknagel unique style and handwriting with a talent to write strong themes (leitmotivs) without leaving the classical terrain.   

More surprisingly, BW Recknagel has never set a foot into a musical academy but his colorful background and musical London life and career are more than an interesting read:

Raised by a musical family, he grew up with classical music and trained in classical piano and guitar for more than 14 years. Exploring and making music from all genres has always been his passion and the rather uninspired landscape of his German hometown Dortmund led to the move to London, a leap in the dark but it was about being in the right place at the right time - his own private Hacienda.

He soon teamed up with 80's producer Zeus B Held (Transvision Vamp, Men Without Hats, John Foxx) and became his in-house studio engineer at VoiceVersa Studio, at the heart of London's music metropolis in Portobello Rd. For the years to come, the studio turned into one of the most vibrant places during the Brit Pop/Dance Mania era. His new collaboration with Cult Journalist Kris Needs made him remix more than 40 Top UK artists including Primal Scream, St.Etienne, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) Malcolm MacLaren, The Prodigy - to name but a few. His own instrumental chillout work under the name Headman/Full Moon Fashions was also spotted by Billy MacKenzie of critically acclaimed The Associates fame and he staged his comeback single Loom feat. Billy MacKenzie "Anacostia Bay At The Edge Of The World", sung over one of BW Recknagel's original Teutonic instrumental tracks.

Still, the years 1992 to 2000 were anything but classical. BW's life was a nonstop mixture of dance culture hedonism - think chemically influenced creativity for the 90s, detox units, rehab and production work all in the mix. In a productive haze and with the energy of five, he founded Millennium Records Ltd., (a dance imprint still active now with distribution in 20 countries) so becoming a music mogul was a natural progression. His move back to his classical roots was more accidental. "I haven't touched or listened to classical music in 10 years and simply hearing a piece in a cab pushed a button and I haven't looked back since." He saw and experienced the seedy underbelly of London living for 17 years and like an avid voyeur, took in everything - these were times about being on the outside-being-in.

In the latter 5 years composing was about bringing light to the darkness - pure and intense fun for him so he never envisaged going public with his private ecstasies. Pressure from friends made him focus in 2008 and the result is the mesmerizing 2009 debut of "Nhilium", a 10 track album of sheer emotional bliss - this man has stories to tell!


BW RECKNAGEL "Nihilum" is available as download under:
https://www.bwrecknagel.com

[go12_3]

I listened to some of the pieces, and they remind me of Liszt with the dark and somber
themes.....it isn't my kind of music really.  Makes me sad and  depressed........hum....

best wishes,

go12_3

[retrouvailles]

This all sounds incredibly derivative. There isn't one shred of originality that I detected. It all just sounds like a bunch of common practice pilfering, sort of how a first year composition student would compose. I wouldn't even file this under classical, but rather new age, which is not my sort of thing. The moment you file it under classical, you get compared to the huge names of our time. This music rambles endlessly a lot of times for me. If I want to listen to great piano music of our time, I'll listen to the myriad of great composers who actually contribute some originality and freshness to their music. I'm sorry, but this just sounds like a first year composition student composed it. And why would I buy this when I could hear this kind of writing for free at my university? Sorry to be rather scathing, but I'm sure others will agree with me.

[communist]

This all sounds incredibly derivative. There isn't one shred of originality that I detected. It all just sounds like a bunch of common practice pilfering, sort of how a first year composition student would compose. I wouldn't even file this under classical, but rather new age, which is not my sort of thing. The moment you file it under classical, you get compared to the huge names of our time. This music rambles endlessly a lot of times for me. If I want to listen to great piano music of our time, I'll listen to the myriad of great composers who actually contribute some originality and freshness to their music. I'm sorry, but this just sounds like a first year composition student composed it. And why would I buy this when I could hear this kind of writing for free at my university? Sorry to be rather scathing, but I'm sure others will agree with me.

I agree with you. And the nocturne was a complete knock-off of Beethoven sonata op.27 no.2 in C-sharp minor "Clair de Lune"

[thalbergmad]

Do i detect a first post advertiser??

Thal

[thetamman]

I agree with you. And the nocturne was a complete knock-off of Beethoven sonata op.27 no.2 in C-sharp minor "Clair de Lune"

Totally agree, except dont you mean Sonata 14? The opening is a rip-off the Moonlight Sonata-_-.

This all sounds incredibly derivative. There isn't one shred of originality that I detected. It all just sounds like a bunch of common practice pilfering, sort of how a first year composition student would compose. I wouldn't even file this under classical, but rather new age, which is not my sort of thing. The moment you file it under classical, you get compared to the huge names of our time. This music rambles endlessly a lot of times for me. If I want to listen to great piano music of our time, I'll listen to the myriad of great composers who actually contribute some originality and freshness to their music. I'm sorry, but this just sounds like a first year composition student composed it. And why would I buy this when I could hear this kind of writing for free at my university? Sorry to be rather scathing, but I'm sure others will agree with me.

I totally agree, and would go even further in expressing my dissatisfaction at having wasted half an hour of my life. I want it back! => eflatminor - I'll give you edgy - I felt edgy and wanted to change the track no.  after listening to the first 10 seconds of each piece. I couldn't relax at all, cos of the badness of it. I was hoping it'd get better as it progressed, but the more I listened, the more annoyed I became. The music in fact thus had the opposite effect of relaxation - and if I had the CD, I would probably have chucked it out the window, in frustration at wasting my precious listening time. I was bored, and whilst the harmonies were tolerable in themselves, and probably the only point of interest - overuse meant the music just rambled endlessly, going nowhere. but I'm sorry, but I feel I'm being honest and pretty fair in my critique - just so more people dont waste their time.

Music should have purpose, direction, and engage the listener - epic fail in all three categories.

Regards,
thetamman