Lucas Holmgren - USA - 16 year old one man band

WOAH!  You're 16, play a lot of instruments, make a lot of recordings, and live in Washington!  ME TOO!!  Plus I'm Catholic.  Woah.  Sorry I had to get that out.

I really liked the classical composition, very good use of the nylon string guitar and flute (was that you too?).  It's a very nicely written classical piece, something that I can not do very well myself, but would like to do.  I play classical guitar, but I can never just go write a classical piece.  Oh well.  Very nice.

The first two songs were a little bit too..happy..for me, but that's because I come from progressive metal and the more melancholic music.  Still very nice songs, just not to my tastes.

I liked the song Organ Donor a lot, it's very cool that you own an organ that you can use.  And you can play it well.  It too is a nicely written song, and a very good sounding recording.

You have a lot of talent, and your music is very nice.  What part of washington do you live in? 

(btw, how could you only be slightly joking about the Backstreet Boys as an influence??)



Edited by A_Simple_Mistake - May 25 2007 at 01:17

Hi there!  Here's my two cents:

Overall:  Wow, you really know your keyboards, and on top of that you're a good songwriter!  Because of the nature of the compositions, I didn't even notice the lack of vocals on the last two tracks until just now... kudos to you for that, that's usually the first thing I miss.

'Evaporate' - Very pretty, I can already see you're good at constructing pleasant songs.  You also have quite a nice voice and can play piano well.  Do you physically record the percussion, too, or are the drums electronically generated?  This song is so well played and crafted, it sounds to me like it comes right off of an album that has already been mastered professionally.  Wow...

'Revelation' - Also a very pleasant-sounding song.  Again your voice is nice and smooth, and right on pitch, and your guitar/ bass playing is spot-on.  This is another very well-crafted song (if not proggy ...Don't worry, it's mixed on my site and on other people's sites too).  I especially enjoyed the gutiar solo at around 2:30.


'Movement in G minor' - Spiffy!  Did you... actually play these orchestral instruments yourself?  You're amazing me here... These instruments all sound real, even if some are electronically generated.  This song, like the other two, is pretty but at the same time it is also much more complex musically.  This one is definitely progressing throughout, and that piano playing is simply wonderful.  The soft guitar part at the end adds something that is missing in a lot of music I've been hearing lately... I wish I knew what to call that quality. 

'Organ Donor' - ... Spiffy.  I love that you described it as 'a sort of thing played on the organ.'  I don't know if I can describe it any more accurately than that...   An organ song without the grating quality of many Wakemen and Emerson organ bits... Don't get me wrong, I like both of those guys, but I'm glad this took the more mellow track!  I particularly liked the drum-heavy bit at around 4:00.  Nice job!

EDIT:  I can't believe it... I used the word 'spiffy' twice in this post.  What is wrong with me??!?


Edited by StarsongAgeless - May 25 2007 at 01:22

I'm jealous of your playing, endless epic, very jealous.


Edited by progismylife - May 25 2007 at 01:28

A_Simple_Mistake wrote: I'll admit to liking the Backstreet Boys as a kid, but now..I'm sorry I just can't like them anymore at all. I live a little east of Seattle, on a little island known for rich snobs (not me though).  It's kinda nice being in this area cause Seattle's right near by, so me and a band I'm in can go have gigs and whatnot right in Seattle.

Oh sweet deal man. Ya I go up there occasionally. As far as gigs...there are a few places to play, probably not as many as in seattle.

Cannot help but having to quote this from your MySpace page - without further commenting on it.

Music is played to the tune or something within the general vicinity. No account of great measure is paid to the fact that a solid line of musical direction of which to travel on is not in existence. Therefore, in light of the fact that abstractionism and avant-garde could become the norm...one must know when to curb creative expression in honor of the listener, but that is a difficult task considering we have no other course. You call that art? Unrelentingly experimentation is unveiled and immediately absconded...and rightfully so, the true beauty of origin is in the careful ear of a meticulous listener. However, leave it be and it all becomes the same, which is a wound of the most deadliest of fashions. To intrude upon this ground with a cause unknown even down to the last person, would be farce. But to tread quietly on the same floor as taken by millions before...is the highest of failures. Prayer can be the only mediator, for this is no small task. I live, therefore God is.

Then for the music - is this really a 16-year old voice? I just picked a few tracks, will listen the rest later.

Oh Holy Night - builds  a great relaxed atmoshpere with the piano, and a tiny bit of guitar. Minimalistic almost, and very well done.

Movement in G Minor - completely different, and again well played. Build up is nice, almost Bachian or Mozartian (are those words?? )  It starts as something classic, but gradually goes more modern, without ever becoming pop, rock or blues - and then the end takes us to Spain (or Latin America).....

Cold Tide - Reminds me of Irish/Scottish folk at first, but it's less raw and has more instruments. The vocals remind me of some older Pink Floyd choruses (early 70s). Did you put on multiple vocal tracks on this one?

Hope to be hearing more of Lucas Holmgren in the coming years!

endlessepic wrote: Thank you for listening :) Well I am 17 now so the post is misleading. 17 year old voice. Cold Tide uses a few voices doing an odd sort of harmony which draws heavily on Pink Floyd type choruses. Thank you for comparing my music to Bach and Mozart :) That is seriously one of the greatest compliments anyone could ever receive, although it is probably just because of the classical instrumentation. Thank you :) -Lucas

Not just the instrumentation - I recognised some influences in the harmonies and the melodies at some point. I play blues and jazz on the piano myself, so it's not a case of linking every piano I hear to Mozart and Bach.


Edited by Angelo - December 16 2007 at 16:49

Howse

Thank you all :) I appreciate you guys actually listening to my little ditties and mini-epics. I just released a Christmas cd and soon will begin work on my prog album. Hope you enjoy it :)