The fun, light-hearted album, composed by Berlin-based German composer Thomas Greenberg, demonstrates a range of characterful moods, from upbeat and tongue-in-cheek to charming and sophisticated. As the album name suggests, the tracks are nostalgic and focus on recreating the musical sounds popular between 1900 and 1960.
We caught up with composer Thomas Greenberg about his journey into creating music, his creative process, and working with West One Music on this unique retro-sounding album.
Can you describe your composing process and how you worked with West One Music on the remote session?
It was good fun listening to lots of early Jazz, Swing, Cabaret, and Dixieland music to get inspiration. After a while, melodies popped up in my head quite naturally. Arranging the tunes and finding the right instrumentations and arrangements was a challenging but fun part of the process.
I planned to join the recording sessions in London but had to cancel at the last minute. Luckily, we had the remote session option. The setup was straightforward, and the audio feed was great. I’d say I was just as able to participate in the sessions as if I had been in the studio. Still, it was a shame that I could not spend time with the West One Music team in person and hear the music in the room.
How have you found the experience of working with West One Music to make this concept a reality?
It was straightforward, as always. I have known Nathan and the whole team for many years now. Their input was very valuable and helped a great deal in shaping the music and giving the album a direction and identity. Also, in this instance, West One Music was of great help in organising top-notch session musicians who made the music come alive.
What is your favourite movie or TV show soundtrack?
There are so many. If I had to pick only one, Berhard Herrman’s score of Taxi Driver is stunning, written extensively for TV, Film and Radio as a composer, producer and songwriter. I have an eclectic taste in music, having done underground techno, mainstream pop, experimental electronic and classical music, among others.
Please share a bit about yourself and how you started in music.
I come from a musical family; my grandmother was a classical concert pianist, and my mother was a piano teacher. Having had classical training from an early age, I studied jazz piano and composition in Berlin and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After working as a jazz musician for many years, my interest shifted towards music production, composition and songwriting. I have written extensively for TV, Film and Radio as a composer, producer and songwriter. I have an eclectic taste in music, having done underground techno, mainstream pop, experimental electronic and classical music, among others.
Where did the concept for ‘Quirky Retro & Vintage’ come from? Were you inspired by anything in particular?
The idea was to make an album that doesn’t sound dated in 10 years and feels more timeless. Having studied jazz, creating an album that heavily features the early jazz styles of the 1920s and 30s felt quite natural. The first two Vintage Quirky albums by Paul Reeves inspired this one. Also, it was great to make an album exclusively with live instruments.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Thomas studied Composition and Jazz Piano at the Music Academy Hanns-Eisler in Berlin and the Royal Academy of Music, London (MA and Postgraduate diploma with honours).
He won the BBC Jazz Awards for ‘Best Album of the Year’ and the ‘BBC Innovation Award’.
After working and touring as a Jazz Musician for many years, Thomas specialised in songwriting and composing for TV and film. As a songwriter, he wrote Top 10 charting songs in many countries, including Japan, Germany, Korea and the UK.
As a media composer, his music can be heard on TV series and shows such as, ‘The Office (US)’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘Lucifer’ ‘Station 19’, ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’ and ‘The Late Show with Steven Colbert’.
As an artist, his music has been streamed over 20 million times on Spotify and Apple Music.
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