Mischa Blanos is quite an unusual pianist and composer because he crosses over two very specific strands of music. Mischa’s background and early musical knowledge came from Russian classical piano schools. When not playing rigid and often foreboding compositions he also enjoys electronica too.
‘Indoors’ mostly leans on the former but also dabbles in the latter too. It is the piano pieces that I gravitated to on first listen across the 35 minutes of instrumental music. ‘Chatting in 18th Century’ has an excellent nod to Bach whilst feeling self-assured and pointed. ‘Forebondings’ is the perfect title for the near seven-minute piano piece. It mixes the gentle romantic side of music with some more dramatic and cinematic flourishes. It feels both warm and piercing. In a similar vein ‘Pillow Talk’ reminds me of lost and lamented feelings. The piano is like clockwork but underneath a fuzzy synth underscores the harshness with lightness.
Mischa Blanos takes three songs specifically into a more electronic space. With each listen I’ve found over time that I may have begun to appreciate them more than the piano tracks. ‘Two Sugar Cubes’ is a jazzy electric piano piece scored with some miniature percussion. It is light and airy and reminds me strangely of the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack! ‘Hammock on the Roof’ takes us clubbing. The beat is fast but the piano is faster. There is a nod to Hauschka here with manic basslines being hammered out on the piano. As the piano whips into a frenzy, it almost blows out in an organ section that delves into muddy ambient sections before rounding back piano club music. ‘Am Wired’ follows a similar train of thought but plays more with synths and electronics than organs. It’s less organic and more dizzying. The track begins to transition from an electronica piece into an experimental prepared piano montage before fading away.
There’s plenty to like about the breadth and depth of ‘Indoors’ by Mischa Blanos. Whilst I’ve seen Blanos comment that the music is a remark on technology, lack of clarity in communication and wondering about ‘what if’ scenarios it also works as an analogue to digital and back again song cycle too. Definitely one to watch in the world of piano-based composers – Mischa’s mix could bring up some big surprises in the future.
Recommended track: Hammock on the Roof
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Mischa Blanos - Indoors
