— Henri Matisse
And then the ‘note bleue’ resonates and there we are, in the azure of the transparent night.
— George Sand
Also… “When words fail, music speaks.”
Yet here I am trying to find a few words.
I play the piano, I play synthesizers, which I don’t program that much, I prefer direct live takes. Each performance has its unique spontaneous sound, energy, and emotion.
An acoustic piano allows so much expressiveness. Pianists interact with its thousands of moving parts. Each key they touch directly vibrates sound waves through the air and their body, without computer latency. Sometimes an unexpected yet natural squeak happens, like the sound of crackling wood from a fireplace. Close mics capture it all for listeners, as well as the pianists’ breathing, their fingers jumping to keys or their feet activating the pedals. While with synths, their electronic sensors, their invisible electrical connections, their programming, musicians can paint immersive and evocative ambiences, perhaps less connected to the intimacy of nature and the human touch.
I record music by my grandmasters – Vangelis, Chopin, Mozart,… I hope my performances feel like the originals (which is an interesting thought regarding Chopin and Mozart) while sounding personal, always honoring the beauty of the score and my instruments, touching hearts with my fingers touching the keys. I try to find my sound and get you lost into it.
Thank you for reading this. Maybe these words resonate with you, may you find something more in what I say through music.
Olivier Lebra
INSTRUMENTS
Klavins Una Corda acoustic piano No. 021
Dexibell VIVO S9 master keyboard
Expressive E touché 3D controller
Haken Audio ContinuuMini fingerboard No. 001079 w/ EaganMatrix modular digital synth
Bela Gliss touch sensor
Waldorf Blofeld VA + wavetable synth
ARP 2600 M semi-modular analog synth
PhonicBloom Gecho synth w/ light sensors No. 1192
Yamaha reface CP mini electric piano
Roland MC-101 groove box
+ EFFECTS
KORG NTS-1 digital synth + effects
Strymon NightSky reverberator
Strymon Volante magnetic echo and looper
Source Audio Lunar Phaser
Elektron Analog Heat +FX distortion + effects
Erica Synths Black BBD analogue delay
RECORDING
Extinct Audio BM9 ribbon mic No. 162
2x LEWITT LCT 040 small diaphragm condenser mics
MOTU M4828es audio interface
PreSonus ioStation 24c fader + audio interface
ROUTING
Lehle Dual Expression pedal
Yamaha FC7 volume foot controller
Moog EP-3 expression pedal
Dunlop DVP4 mini volume pedal
Blokas Midihub MIDI event processor
Boss FS-1-WL footswitch
PRODUCTION
Apple MacBook Pro computer
Apple Logic Pro music production software
SCORES
Barber – Beethoven – Chopin – C.P.E. Bach – Craig Armstrong – David Arnold – Ennio Morricone – Erik Satie – Handel – Harry Gregson-Williams – John Ottman – John Powell – John Williams – J.S. Bach – Kanye West – Leonard Cohen – Ludovico Einaudi – Max Richter – Michael Nyman – Michael Price – Michel Polnareff – Mike Oldfield (I did the website) – John Ottman – Mozart – Nils Frahm – Nino Rota – Paul de Senneville – Philip Glass – Paul Mauriat – Pink Floyd – Rachmaninoff – Ravel – Ryuichi Sakamoto – Serge Gainsbourg – Vangelis – Vladimir Cosma – Yann Tiersen
crafted with ♡ in vienna
