My first introduction to music was as a six year old - learning the piano. In those days musical tuition was very limited and the only avenue available was to learn Classical Music. At school I was encouraged to pick up an additional instrument - so I initially played the French Horn. It was a rather cumbersome instrument for a seven year old, so it was soon swapped for a Cornet!
I continued to learn the piano until at the age of eleven my frustration with Classical Music came to a head and I stopped tuition.
I didn't touch the family piano for a year.
But then something extraordinary happened. I began to improvise, and I loved it. Around the same time I developed a love for synthesizers, but I kept coming back to the piano.
In my teenage years I discovered Erik Satie, and that led to a lifelong fascination about his works and life. Such a strange character. So many strange stories about him. Like me, he was largely untutored, although later on when he entered the conservatoire his music took on more constrained medieval influences and was apparently an undistinguished student. With modern ears, his music is truly innovative. Unconcerned with sticking with tradition, he found beauty in repetition, obtuse chord modulations, seemingly simple almost ambient melodies.
In some respects, Arcueil School is my tribute to Erik Satie - it was after all the name of a group of musicians who were deeply influenced by him in his latter years.
I hope you enjoy the music, some of which will be in collaboration with my more electronically focussed work - Marmalade Soup.
Jonathan Spybey