We here at music.co.uk all have our specific areas of music knowledge, our comfort zones, if you will, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like to tackle something a little bit different once in a while, variety is the spice of life after all. So today I’m putting under the spotlight Red Cable Sunday AKA Pianist Denis Fernando, and his debut single ‘Prelude To The Nocturne’. Different is the first word that comes to mind when describing this track, as it’s the first piece of piano music we’ve been sent, and the first with PR blurb that lays heavy on the musicians passion for anti fascism/race issues. Although for me, it’s hard to equate these themes with a piece of instrumental music that stands on its own without pictures or video accompaniment, the piano is always an instrument with the ability to evoke emotions.
Prelude To The Nocturne is a piece of music that is quite smooth and flowing at the start, moving into slightly more urgent/disjointed arrangements when it hits the darker parts of the music. It’s followed by a piece called ‘Wallflowers’, which is the more chilled of the two tracks. Although it’s quite relaxing to listen to, it again has a melancholy vibe to it, which grows more prevalent as the music goes on. It has a slightly mystical feel in places, and a quiet sombre ending. It’s said to be about the horrors of war, and I think the feel of the song evokes that well. Both pieces of music have an old fashioned feel to them, and they remind me of the music that was played in silent cinemas. It’s music from another time, that in the video, is played out over scenes of modern day London. The video was filmed as part of the Street Pianos project, and sees Denis filming, and playing his song live across the capitals streets. To see a classical piece, performed on a upright piano, spontaneously in parks, and on streets, is probably what generated the most interest for me in this project. It’s an interesting way to present a video.
‘Prelude To The Nocturne’ is released as a download, CD, and Limited Edition Vinyl on February 15th. For more information visit www.myspace.com/redcablesunday