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Netherlands Arranging Genius Kerani Mixes Her Keyboards With Live Musicians KERANI Stardust “The overall message of my Stardust album is to make people aware about the wonders of our planet, the mysteries of the universe, and the miracle of earth’s ideal position in the Milky Way, which enables life, ” explains renowned composer, keyboardist and producer Kerani. “This album applauds and celebrates every advancement and achievement in the discovery of new space technologies and data about the universe. It is a tribute to all those who journey up to space and risk their lives in the name of science and for humankind.” Stardust was recorded with a symphonic orchestra and a mixed vocal ensemble. Kerani plays the piano and a wide range of synthesizers and is also joined by a number of accomplished European musicians. In total, 60 musicians have participated in this elaborate project, all of whom have been credited in the stunning 20-page album booklet. With Stardust she proves again her position as one of the top keyboardists, composers, arrangers and producers in the neo-classical and new age music genres. Her recording, Arctic Sunrise, went to #2 on the international Zone Music Reporter Chart for this type of music, was a Top 10 album on the annual ZMR rankings and won the ZMR Neo-Classical Album of the Year Award. Her last album, Equilibrium, went to #3 on the ZMR Chart and was named by radio programmers one of the Top 5 Best Neo-Classical Albums of the year. Kerani’s albums -- Stardust, Equilibrium, Arctic Sunrise, The Journey and Wings of Comfort -- are available as CDs and digital downloads at many online sales sites including CDbaby, Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, CDuniverse, Spirituelemuziek.nl (Belgium and The Netherlands), Silenzio.de (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Redeye.com.au (Australia). More information about Kerani is available at her English-language website, kerani.nl. Here, in her own words, Kerani tells what inspired each composition on Stardust: 1. “Stardust” - “According to scientific research, everything in the universe is made of stardust - cosmic dust that is composed of particles. These grains are the building blocks of meteors, moons and planets including Earth and all its living species. When I wrote this piece, I imagined the very beginning of the universe that happened eons ago when innumerable particles collided to become stars and to create worlds, and the immeasurable size and force with which it happened and still is happening.” 2. “Cosmic Sunrise” - “This is the moment when the sun appears above the horizon of a planet. Space agency records show that every astronaut is in awe when witnessing a cosmic sunrise. They all speak of a beautiful spectre of colours that keep changing hue. I’m reading Chris Hadfields’ (Canadian who worked on the International Space Station) autobiography, called “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.” The book opens with the following: ‘The windows of a spaceship casually frame miracles. Every 92 minutes, another sunrise: a layer cake that starts with orange, then a thick wedge of blue, then the richest, darkest icing decorated with stars.’ My song is a description of this feeling of wonder.” 3. “Rosetta” - “I have a lot of admiration for the missions that are being carried out by all the space agencies worldwide, but I’m particularly in awe of the recent Rosetta project of the European Space Agency (ESA), which showed a superior level of engineering. Most people think that Rosetta is the name of the meteor, when, in fact, it is the name of the satellite that took Philae, the lander, to the comet. My song describes the journey. If you listen attentively to this piece of music, you can recognize the different stages of this journey. It starts with the passing of a space vehicle. Then the bass plays a rhythmic line that points to Rosetta’s steadfast pace and successful two-year voyage. You can hear Philea land and transmit data in the middle of the song. It ends with the departure of the comet.” 4. “Perpetuum Mobile” - “The title refers to motion that continues indefinitely. The search for perpetual motion began in the 13th century. Many scientists tried to build machines that would move forever. Think of Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings! No one has ever succeeded. It is said that perpetual motion only exists in the universe, as it is constantly moving. Throughout the song, you can hear a recurring melodic pattern embodying perpetual motion. Everything else revolves around this pattern. If you close your eyes, you should see a wheelwork in motion with gears and levers, just like the inside of a watch.” 5. “Beyond” - “This piece not only describes the vastness of the universe, but also its very mystery. Is there something beyond what our eyes can see? It expresses our hunger for knowledge and our wish to discover the answers to our existence.” 6. “The Next Step” - “This up-tempo song describes the excitement of everyone involved in space missions -- the joy that is experienced at a new discovery, and the enthusiasm and eagerness to take each mission a step further, because there will always be a next step! It also refers to Neil Armstrong’s famous words upon taking the first step on the moon.” 7. “Infinity” - “Just like ‘Beyond’, this song speaks about the vastness of the universe. To enhance the feeling of endlessness, I felt the need to give the choir a more prominent role (in the counter-melody) and let the bridge be carried by an ethereal female voice. Davinia Van der Zee did this beautifully.” 8. “Gravity” - “Continuing in the same key as ‘Infinity’ - which was done on purpose - ‘Gravity’ is a slow-moving, heavy piece that describes the mass and denseness of celestial bodies. Throughout the song, there is a deep undertone that surfaces every now and then. The drama and power grow as the drums, percussion and choir majestically set in.” 9. “Worlds Unknown” - “Based on the poem written by the Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who worked on the ISS in 2009, this very emotional piece for piano and orchestra expresses the profound love for our planet and the yearning to discover new worlds. This song is entirely about the beauty of our existence.” 10. “Stars (remix)” - “This is a symphonic remix of a song that I released as a single in 2016. It speaks of the magic of our universe. The message of this song is twofold: to respect the planet we live on because it is our only home and to respect each other because we are children of the stars! Kerani was born in Belgium to a Hungarian father and German mother, and Kerani currently lives in the south of The Netherlands. She speaks English, Dutch, French, Italian, Hungarian and German. “As a child I listened to the great classical composers like Mozart, Liszt, Schumann and many others.” Her family got a piano when she was four. “Slowly I taught myself to play and I discovered the magic of composing music. The rise of electronic music in the late Seventies and Eighties was a revelation to me -- Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Electric Light Orchestra and Mike Oldfield. These new sounds boosted my inspiration.” She began recording instrumental music in 1986. She performed as the lead vocalist and keyboardist in the band Liaison. She wrote and published a book of children’s stories called Cherub (“it tells the story of a little angel who helps children”), and also re-orchestrated 15 children’s songs for an instructional DVD for disabled children. Kerani regularly composes soundtracks for historical or scientific documentaries and writes piano arrangements for other artists. In 2015, she performed in concert with Terry Oldfield (who makes a guest appearance on Stardust). “With Stardust I try to highlight our fragility as human beings living collectively on this globe and how important it is to treat our planet with respect, ” Kerani says. “Earth is part of something much bigger than what we as humans can possibly fathom.” |
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