Sebastian Plano
Sebastian Plano composes passionate, emotionally stirring pieces that fuse acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Layering piano, cello, and percussion with electronic sounds and treatments, his solo recordings often give the impression of full chamber ensemble performances. He has received notable attention for co-writing the score for the 2017 video game Everything, as well as his Grammy-nominated 2019 full-length Verve. After the release of a collaborative album with Maarten Vos, Plano issued his fourth solo LP, Save Me Not, in 2021.
Plano was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1985 to parents who played in the city's symphony orchestra. Influenced by classical music as well as tango, he began playing the cello when he was seven, and started writing music at 12. He was awarded full scholarships from institutes such as the United World College of the Adriatic, the Boston Conservatory, and the San Francisco Conservatory. He was also highly interested in electronic music, with Vangelis being a formative early influence, and experimented with music software in his spare time. He found some success with his early compositions -- a four-movement orchestral piece premiered at Rosario's Opera House in 2008. Plano self-released his first album, Arrhythmical Part of Hearts, in 2011, when he was living in San Francisco. Performing anywhere he possibly could, from the park and the metro to art galleries and house parties, he drummed up interest in his work, and eventually Denovali Records expressed interest in releasing his music. Nils Frahm mastered Plano's second album, Impetus, and he also recommended the label, who simultaneously released Impetus and reissued Arrhythmical Part of Hearts in 2013.
Before Denovali released these albums, Plano had finished recording a third full-length, as well as an EP with cellist Jeffrey Ziegler. However, a thief broke into Plano's car and stole his computer and two hard drives, which contained the completed recordings, and they were never recovered. He relocated to Berlin and started re-creating his lost material, but ultimately wasn't satisfied with the results, and he decided to move on and write new music. Plano and Ben Lukas Boysen co-wrote music for the ambitious, universe-building video game Everything, which was released to much acclaim in 2017. Erased Tapes issued the score, with the full digital release containing over three hours of music.
In 2018, Plano participated in a project called Keynvor, which incorporated sounds from the Atlantic Ocean and aimed to raise awareness about sewage pollution. The EP Preservation was released that year by Mercury KX. The imprint then issued Plano's full-length Verve in 2019. The album was nominated for Best New Age Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The following year saw the release of &, a collaborative album he recorded with fellow cellist Maarten Vos in 2016. Plano's next solo release, Save Me Not, appeared in 2021.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo
-
Everything
Ben Lukas Boysen, Sebastian Plano
Ambient - Released by Erased Tapes on 28 Jul 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Verve Epilogue
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 8 Nov 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
-
MKX x SXSW (Live)
Sebastian Plano, Sophie Hutchings, Lambert, Luke Howard
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 16 Jul 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Impetus
Electronic - Released by Denovali Records on 19 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arrhythmical Part Of Hearts
Electronic - Released by Denovali Records on 12 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purples (Live)
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 16 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soul III (Ylem) (Colouring Rework)
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 21 Apr 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Never Learned (Vocal Rework)
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 24 Mar 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Verve
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Mar 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Particle V (Sebastian Plano Rework)
Classical - Released by Moderna Records on 6 Sep 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Novel
Sebastian Plano, Jeffrey Zeigler
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 20 Oct 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dense & Density
Electronic - Released by Sebastian Plano and Maarten Vos on 30 Oct 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Save Me Not
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 2 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One & One
Classical - Released by Sebastian Plano and Maarten Vos on 25 Sep 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verve Epilogue
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 8 Nov 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fortanach
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 10 Jun 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soul III (Ylem) (Colouring Rework)
Classical - Released by Mercury Classics on 21 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo