Setting the tone with intricate and bright high notes with enigmatic, minor bass chords, we are already hypnotized by Toby Kasavan‘s Cosmopolitan V1. The opus expands with a cerebral and mysterious melody into a more playful dimension while maintaining intrigue and the cinematic nature that initially caught our attention.
As the piano composition expands, we experience a whimsical and immersive opus that takes us through a plethora of emotions. Speaking on his intentions, Toby confesses, “I’ve always been interested in the effects of music on the brain and the fact that when losing yourself in music the parts of the brain involved with stress and anxiety temporarily shut down.”
We understand the meditative and emotive value of the piece. Toby elaborates, “The music here is part of a set of compositions that explore the musical genre defined by composers such as Steve Reich, Terry Riley and Phillip Glass, but just a tad leaner and gentler with perhaps a bit more melody.”
We appreciate the dramatic edge that Toby delivers with Cosmopolitan V1 and the passionate way in which he performs the interweaving melodies, and patterns using two-note intervals.
As a composer, pianist and keyboardist who has been on the NYC scene, Toby Kasavan has performed and recorded in a variety of styles from funk (Menace “Doghouse” with Bootsy Collins and Maceo Parker) and free jazz (with William Parker and Daniel Carter) to world music and the classical avant-garde.
Speaking on his creative process, Toby says, “My creative process centers on not finalizing the music right away, but rather improvising the sections and then improvising putting the sections together many times, in different ways, playing repeatedly from beginning to end before starting to record. While this takes longer the he result is a more organic form, with extra measures here and there, which allows the ear to relax, and isn’t always symmetrical or in divisions of four measures.”
We are infatuated with Cosmopolitan V1, which we have added to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we also explore Cosmopolitan V2 and Dreamscape1!