Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Ryan Teague - Four Piano Studies [King Tree - 2013]

Ryan Teague is a British multi-instrumentalist composer who integrates electronics with acoustic instrumentation, and has released minimalist modern classical works on labels such as Type and Sonic Pieces, as well as created music for various TV and film productions.  This release of his, "Four Piano Studies" is a stripped down, unthemed collection that is over in less than 12 minutes.

Stylistically, they seem patterned off Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata", or Chopin's nocturnes, minus his characteristic embellishment.  Teague gently and evenly arpeggiates a series of simple minor chords with an introspective, melancholic feeling.  His playing is elegant and the tone of the piano is pure and rounded, with just a hint of dust in the strings.

In the latter half of each piece, he harmonizes the chords with something of a lead melody.  He doesn't play any unexpected or dissonant notes, almost as if he chose to make these pieces diatonic as possible in keeping with their being 'studies'. 

The modesty and simplicity of this release, clearly intended to be its appeal, are unfortunately its curse: it has no distinguishing features what-so-ever, at least to my ears.  It makes pleasant enough background music, but I'd much rather hear it during the credits of a sad movie, where it seems like it belongs.

I feel that any but the most devoted fans of film music and modern classical composers would have a more enjoyable and rewarding time simply listening to some Beethoven or Chopin, and even so, the only thing distinctly filmic about these pieces is that they seem designed not to fully engage one's attention on their own.  Ryan Teague may well have created some great music elsewhere, as he's clearly a competent enough musician, but it feels like whatever creativity he has was utterly restrained by the modesty of this project.  I can't say I'll be listening to it again.

Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

Josh Landry
Latest Reviews

Ryan Teague - Four Piano Studies
Ryan Teague is a British multi-instrumentalist composer who integrates electronics with acoustic instrumentation, and has released minimalist modern classica...
290324   Piranha - Piranha(DVD)
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
250324   Liza Lim - Annunciation Trip...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom