Sebastian Plano’s latest album, ‘Save Me Not’, arrives via Decca Records on July 2, and it exists on a deeply personal level. It sees Sebastian go deeper than ever before, becoming one with the music. In his own words, he says that…’writing music has, over time, turned into a need; it would be impossible for me to cope with life without being able to express myself through sounds’. Save Me Not is his music, an intimate album wherein he is able to cultivate and nourish his own, true style; music which has always called out to him. Music he was destined to absorb and to usher out into the wider world.
The Argentinian cellist, composer, and producer recorded Save Me Not over the course of several long nights, all of which were spent in his Berlin studio. And his own fingerprints have been smeared over the resulting music. Using cool, understated electronic backdrops and placing an emphasis on the three different elements of voice, cello, and piano, Save Me Not is a record of refined quality and subdued light, glinting faintly with apricity.
‘As we grow up, we spend our lives having to blend in, so, as our personalities develop, it’s inevitable we start cultivating our own reality. But for me this grew until it made me realise I didn’t belong in the world of interpretations, playing Beethoven’s – or anyone else’s – music. Many of us nurture our own space where we can be the essence of ourselves, and creative people arguably take this further, constructing a reality where their imagination can flow, free of awareness.’
A deep contrast nests within Sebastian’s music. Only three instruments are used, but the music never feels restricted. On the contrary, Save Me Not is full of ever-expanding vistas. Plano flips things upside-down, as the supposedly narrow focus on piano, cello, and voice helps him to bring about a more expansive world. By concentrating on these three particular sounds, deeper levels of development can occur, making the piece wider.
Save Me Not is patient and elegiac music. Sebastian has honed his compositional skills, and every note is played to its fullest, giving it a healthy lifespan and imbuing the music with a deep love, which has to be the most important element in music; if there were no love in it, why do it? The notes haunt the mists of its air, and the compositions take their time to develop. Arcing strings and sweeping, strong harmonies create stunning, poetic arrangements. The thump of a hand against the cello’s body, a foot stamping on the floor, and even the creak of the studio chair are all vital parts to the music, adding to its personality and its soul. Everything sits together nicely, suspended in a delicate space. Save Me Not is music for and of the soul.