matt emery: empire

Matt Emery's music is described by The 405 as "ebbing from soft whispers to an ocean of sound that would calm even the roughest of seas." Their words are apt. Though learned and erudite, Empire, a record that echoes the grandeur and myriad complexities of Greek mythology, is experienced less in musicality but in mood. From the swooping strings of the album's title track to the fluttering piano of "Effervescent", to the intensity of "Orpheus", it is evident that Emery has a heavy heart. There is melancholia, jubilation, tension, beauty, dark ambience, all deftly navigated within its various movements. Emery's profile as a composer has benefited from several placements across cinema and television, accumulating an incredible 30 million views on YouTube for his GoPro online ads. His music was used for the trailer of Anton Chekhov's Seagull play (1895) at Regents Park Open Air Theatre in June and July of 2015. Other placements include trailers for the British Academy's Literature Week in 2015 and 1883 Magazine's "Life Less Ordinary" -- a behind the scenes photo shoot amongst many others. And despite Empire being his debut album, previous self-released singles have received radio play across many of the BBC's music stations, KEXP, and Amazing Radio.