It’s so hard for me to talk about myself.
Shouldn’t we let words fail and music speak?
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 10,000 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 from my masters – 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, then you may find something more in what I say through music.
Olivier Lebra 20230303
INSTRUMENTS
Klavins Una Corda acoustic piano / No. 021
Dexibell VIVO S9 master keyboard
Expressive E touché
Haken Audio ContinuuMini / No. 001079
Sequential OB-6 Desktop analog synth
KORG ARP 2600 M semi-modular analog synth
Yamaha reface CP mini virtual electric piano
Roland MC-101 sequencer
KORG NTS-1 synth + effects
Strymon NightSky reverberator
Strymon Volante echo machine
Source Audio Lunar Phaser
RECORDING
Current studio
Extinct Audio BM9 ribbon mic / No. 162
LEWITT LCT 040 small diaphragm condenser mics
MOTU M4828es audio interface
PreSonus ioStation 24c fader + audio interface
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 (my 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