Kyoto Rain by The Laszlo Project
The Laszlo Project is back with a new sound, this time centred around the piano and more traditional instrumentation.
‘Kyoto Rain’ is influenced by the work of two much-loved Japanese composers: Joe Hisashi (who famously created the music for the beautiful Studio Ghibli films) and Nobuo Uematsu (composer of the Final Fantasy video game series).
The resulting composition is gently reflective, with a swelling sense of fantasy and mysticism. The ascending piano arpeggios represent the ‘pitter patter’ sound of the rain on the window - a musical onomatopoeia - looking out upon a gradually-building monsoon. The melody begins with the haunting sound of overlapping flugelhorn parts (played by Simon Joyner), and is later joined by a crescendo of vocals (Phoebe Wright-Spinks) and flute (Michael Underwood).
With more than 1.8 million Spotify streams already, The Laszlo Project’s music can be found on playlists across a diverse range of genres from jazz fusion to world, electro and chill-step. The forthcoming EP, of which Kyoto Rain is the debut single, continues a decades-long experimentation in sound from a composer who never fails to delight and beguile.
‘Kyoto Rain’ will be available to buy/stream from 19th February, and pre-order on Bandcamp from 12th February.
Building on an impressive career as one of EMI’s top composers, and racking up over 7million Spotify streams, Laszlo's solo career has received particular praise from BBC Radio 3 and BBC 6 Music. His new EP 'Arising' is out September 2023.