Press
OLEC MÜN: SUBTEMPO GUEST MIX 046
The idea came after coming to terms with how music is listened to nowadays. The streaming algorithms and the playlists have changed dramatically the way we listen to music and I don’t see many people talking about it. Music has turned to be a commodity in the background all day. There is music to wake up and music to go to sleep, study, meditate, work out, have sex, have dinner, go shopping. Just as advertising has managed to be everywhere, the same has happened with music. Scholars who are studying this phenomenon say it has turned ubiquitous, meaning it is everywhere, all the time, and when this happens it is the same as not being there. So the music is out there but no one is really listening to it. So the idea behind “While” is for music to be in the background but of an action so intimate and reflexive that you can only be listening to the music and therefore the music will help you go through that action, serving a purpose and not only be there in a decorative and superficial way.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OLEC MÜN
Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
OLEC MÜN: I come from Argentina, from a family that taught me how to play with music and create and connect through music. So today is just a continuation of my first toddler years.
Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
OLEC MÜN: Both. I had many teachers throughout my life. I’ve studied jazz and Argentinian folklore music. I studied harmony and composition. I also studied Indian and African music. But all of them in a very personal way. I would go to the lessons, and out of something they taught me, I would then go back to my house and practice on my own terms thinking always about creating my own style, my own language. I still do this!
https://illustratemagazine.com/exclusive-interview-with-olec-mun/
OLEC MÜN – ‘WHILE’
Hailing from Spain, musician OLEC MÜN has released the must-hear album ‘While’. It is a stunning cinematic release that you do not want to miss this July.
‘Growing Up’ opens the album and gently swims into the sonic spectrum. As the piece evolves, its delicate melodies and exquisite arrangement draw the listener in and captivate our attention effortlessly.
In addition, ‘Coming Back From War’ is a moving track. The emotive melodies are addictive and touch the listener’s heart. Also, the intelligent arrangement is stunning.
Moreover, ‘Letting Go’ is a memorable piece that is fuelled by a compelling performance and soulful melodies. Finally, ‘Taking Flight’ closes the release and will have the listener reaching for the repeat button. ‘While’ is simply an exquisite album.
EMBRACING THE LIGHT AND THE DARK
As far as I’m concerned, listening to these eight piano compositions is beneficial, banishing negative thoughts and clearing the mind of the toxicity of modern day life. This, surely, is a good reason to owe Olec Mün and his music a debt of gratitude.
I highly recommend listening to his music!
CINEMATIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FROM OLEC MÜN
Olec Mün is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and poet based in Girona, Spain, who’s unveiled his latest masterpiece, the album titled While. A skilled musician who’s studied music and composition with teachers from Argentina and has delved into various musical cultures worldwide, Olec Mün’s work is a mesmerising blend of piano compositions, electronic, minimal and experimental music.
While takes listeners on an enchanting musical journey across eight piano-focused instrumental compositions. Each track is a reflection of Olec’s deep understanding of music and spirituality, drawing from his experiences in India and North-Western Africa. The album opens with “Growing Up,” where soft piano tones flow gracefully, creating a dreamy and blissful arrangement that captivates from the very beginning.
Throughout the album, Olec showcases his mastery of the piano, crafting soporific and poetic melodies that invite listeners to immerse themselves in the music fully. Whether used as background music for moments of contemplation or actively listened to, the album wraps its audience in a warm embrace of emotive and evocative piano compositions.
https://plasticmag.co.uk/2023/07/cinematic-instrumental-music-from-olec-mun/
OLEC MÜN: MUSIC WHILE YOU LIVE
Our listening habits have changed in recent years. Generations grew up huddling around turntables, making mixtapes for each other, or swapping CDs at the school gate. Now more than ever, listening to music has become a passive experience for many, a background activity while we do something else.
But we’re still living. What if there was music we listened to while we did just that? Olec Mün has created an album inspired by and for this purpose, calling it simply ‘While’.
https://www.mothsandgiraffes.com/theactualcontent/1sr6zl5um8f8ra4fsnnob9sqw5beqt
INTERVIEW WITH OLEC MÜN REGARDING HIS ALBUM “WHILE”
From Girona, Spain Marcelo Schnock, better known by his stage name Olec Mün, is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and poet who takes influence from various musical traditions and spiritual practices. On July 7th of this year, he released his third piano album, “While,” which is painstakingly designed to depict a rich and intimate emotional environment. These piano compositions, comprised of 8 stunning instrumental songs, are highly expressive and masterfully created, capturing the spirit of each emotion that inspired them. Olec Mün effortlessly mixes several musical traditions, infusing the album with a distinct sense of spirituality and depth, drawing on his study with teachers in Argentina and his journeys to India and North-Western Africa. One of the most striking features of “While” for me is Olec Mün’s ability to build soundscapes that represent the conflicting nature of emotions.
https://www.songweb.net/interview-with-olec-mun-regarding-his-album-while/
SLIP INTO MELANCHOLY WITH OLEC MÜN AND HIS ALBUM ENTITLED “WHILE”.
«While» is that dose of softness that everyone needs for musical balance in their playlist. With very elaborate melodies and a most melancholic influence, this instrumental EP has everything it takes to win over music lovers, but not only. This is an instrumental album that brings out all the virtuosity of this artist.
https://www.iggymagazine.com/glissez-dans-la-melancolie-avec-olec-mun-et-son-album-intitule-while/
VÖGEL REVIEW ON GEZEITENSTROM
Beautiful review of Vögel in German magazine:
https://gezeitenstrom.weebly.com/reviews/olec-muen-voegel-2021
INTERVIEW WITH "NO DEAD GUYS"
I had a lovely and inspiring conversation with Rhonda Rizzo from «No Dead Guys».
We talked about music as medicine, composition and my upcoming album «Vögel»
Check it out!
https://gezeitenstrom.weebly.com/reviews/olec-muen-voegel-2021
REVIEW OF IMA, BY TOME TO THE WEATHER MACHINE
During the neo-classical pianist Olec Mün’s move from Argentina to Spain, In an uncertain present Mün records reconnecting with his past. “Ima” his latest single connects with his Jewish past and his mother who transmitted that invisible legacy to Mün – connecting chains of generational learning and coping. “Ima” is Mün’s attempt to honor and celebrate the “motherly energy present in all of us, the capacity of nourishing and sustaining life.”
In doing so Mün has created a devotional piece of solo piano neo-classical music. A melodic piece that sounds like it was recorded on a perfectly still sunlit afternoon. There is a perfect layering of melody and counter-melodies at play here, expressionistic dips into minor key nostalgia that keep the track emotionally engaging and multi-layered. In a reflection of what our mother’s gave to us, Mün is able to reflect not only on the honorific title but the humans that our mothers are – full of uncertainty, anxiety, histories and traumas that are transmitted to us just as much as the creative, generative and protective energies that flow into us.
“Ima”, despite its short run time, is an endlessly deep composition that we could lose a few hours in analyzing the way our mothers shaped us. It’s cheaper than a therapist.
https://gezeitenstrom.weebly.com/reviews/olec-muen-voegel-2021
REVIEW OF IMA, SINGLE RELEASE BY THE BOBS COLLECTIVE MAGAZINE
Next on the list, a runaway pick for my favourite instrumental of the year so far. Olec Mün sources sounds of the divine on a visceral composition. Over an earthy backdrop of ambient noise, the piano sings a story of care and consideration. Ima, the Hebrew word for ‘mother’, titles this carefully composed journey.
“This composition honours my mother and all mothers,” says Olec. “It honours a motherly energy present in all of us — the capacity to nurture and sustain life.”
I’m left mesmerized by the sound design as I listen on headphones. It feels like such a simple arrangement but there’s so much depth to it. The rustling which accompanies each note, the way it pairs with the continual background noise — it lends to an atmosphere almost like a cocoon. There’s a feeling of comfort and safety which overcomes you as you let the static sink in.
Authenticity is the true anchor to this piece. No moment feels staged or put-on. Olec bares his soul on the canvas and tells a story which leaves us all better off once we’ve heard it. It doesn’t require words or context — the emotion is all the guidance needed to paint a picture which resonates on a truly personal level. Stream Ima on Spotify now!
https://thebopscollective.com/jared-harper-olec-mun-four-day-beard/
INTERVIEW WITH ITALIAN MAGAZINE: RADIOACTIV
«Music is a reflection of what is going on with my life, it is my way of being able to “see” what goes on inside, it allows me to observe it from a new perspective.
I was doing something in my life that had a lot of symbolic power and I did not want to miss it, because I had an opportunity to restore something really profound. I am talking about moving from Argentina to Europe. I could have seen it just as an episode of changing home, which is something that goes on all the time around the world, but every decision we take has many layers of information. I was also the first one in three generations within my family tree that was going back to the continent that persecuted my four grandparents and killed most of their relatives. When I realised I had an opportunity in front of me of healing that invisible thread, of shedding some light into that relationship, music started pouring from me and the whole process of composition was a reconciliation of myself with this continent. Now that I see back, I realise that it is something I had to do in order to settle here.»
Read the complete interview here:
A WONDERFUL INTERVIEW WITH INTERLOCUTOR MAGAZINE
«When music has an intention behind it, a driving healing force, it becomes true medicine. This quality of music is pretty much overlooked in our modern times but in initiatic cultures music was used as a bridge to connect with the invisible world. When I realized that in my case music was serving as a catalyst and as a trustworthy field of energy where I could confront this past, I decided to go all the way.
The thing with pain is that we usually reject it because it is unpleasant, of course. But as long as we reject it, and try to distract ourselves from it, it will keep coming back. I believe pain is there for a reason, it is us trying to communicate with ourselves, and the moment we decide to observe it, listen to it and integrate it, it dissolves.
So every day in front of the piano, I did that (and I still do it every time I play these pieces). I could have confronted this story in other ways, but I chose music (or music chose me) because it depicts unquestionably how the search for beauty is not only an aesthetic search, but a healing process of integration of one’s own truth and existence.»
Read the complete interview here:
https://interlocutorinterviews.com/new-blog/2020/9/21/interview-olec-mun-reconciliation
RHODIUM PUBLISHING MADE A PROFOUND AND COMMITTED ANALYSIS OF RECONCILIATION
«The physicality of this presentation is a simple and powerful act; the music becomes palpable, restoring the bonds of love between his family, his people, and the places from which they were excluded. The work is an attempt to let go—a statement profound in its simplicity, yet revelatory of the healing power of music. In addition, the work has global meaning for any listener—anyone who hears the work takes on a greater role than mere witness to a healing story; the ancient tale of alienation and repair is familiar to all. «
Read the complete review here:
https://www.rhodiumpublishing.com/reviews/olec-mun-reconciliation?rq=olec
RECONCILIATION REVIEW FROM MONTREAL BASED MAGAZINE: "MES ENCEINTES FONT DÉFAUT"
Thanks to Mes enceintes font défaut for this wonderful review!
«Les bouleversantes mélodies créées par Olec Mün sont empreintes d’une douceur et d’une sensibilité inégalée et constituent l’un des voyages musicaux les plus émotifs qui nous ait été permis de découvrir cette année.»
You can read the whole article by going to the link below.
https://www.mesenceintesfontdefaut.com/2020/11/25/recommandation-olec-mun-reconciliation/
RHODIUM PUBLISHING REVIEW
«The music is nostalgic in a way that makes us suspect that Mün is something of an old soul. Perhaps it is the fact that the composer has encapsulated a sound that is quite reminiscent of the era he writes about, with hints of similar harmonic choices and style. It is fascinating that the music seems to so naturally reflect his heritage whether that is through chord voicings that are period-appropriate or whether he has absorbed more into his genetic makeup than we imagine possible. Talent can be hereditary, but how much of our creativity comes down to the intrinsic parts of our make up? How much of our DNA is talking? «
Read the full review at:
INTERVIEW FOR SON OF MARKETING. WE TALK ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS BEHIND "RECONCILIATION"
Interview for Son of Marketing. I talk about the creative process behind «Reconciliation».
“Looking back at the whole process of creation, I realise that music, once again, has served as a vehicle of healing, a platform where I was able to explore within. Last year, I moved from Argentina to Europe. I wanted to reconnect with this part of the world that my grandparents had to leave as refugees 80 years ago. (…) My grandparents escaped from Nazism, but most of their families were killed in concentration camps. It was as if I recalled that pain, guilt, segregation every time I played this music. I often asked myself: “Why am I doing this?” There were moments when I felt the pain was too much (…) But I always came back to it.
There wasn’t the idea of a record at first. It was just this exercise that I found so moving and powerful. It was after a couple of months that I realised I was composing a record, and that the pieces were so coherent between them. Almost without consciously searching for it, I suddenly realised there was a solid structure, a unifying and powerful idea, a message and a sincere intention.
Sometimes when we make music, we are not sure if it is worth making an album with it. In my case, I always ask this question: “Is it helping me reveal something of myself?” If the answer is “yes”, then it is worth sharing. There was no doubt about this album. I am now a more complete person and I owe that to Music.”
@olec.mun is sharing insights about his new album and his creative process in this beautiful interview by Nicola Orlandino – @sonofmarketing ⠀
Enjoy the premiere of his upcoming single “Exile” and read the full talk on:
Ph. @paloma.santellan
https://sonofmarketing.com/20…/…/09/talks-premiere-olec-mun/
A REVIEW OF NEW SINGLE: "JETTY"
My friends from @contemplativeclassical invited me to arrange a playlist for their beautiful page.
Check it in this link!
https://soundcloud.com/…/olec-mun-contemplative-classical-g…
This was the first time I created a playlist, and it was a beautiful experience, very similar to that of composing. Suddenly I had all the music of the world to choose from and come to only one hour of music. I selected composers that inspire me and bring me joy and introspection. Legendary musicians such as Terry Riley and Dino Saluzzi, and close teachers and friends such as Cesar Lerner and @Laura Masotto. Music from Argentina, where I was born and raised, music with African and Indian background, places where I learned a different way of inhabiting music, and music from new friends of Spain, such as Marta Cascales Alimbau , which is my home today. My intention is to share my musical universe with everyone out there who wishes to listen. Behind each piece, there is a composer with a vast treasure to explore.
Thanks Contemplative Classical and Lady Blunt Records !
SINGLE RELEASE: DORA
On May 8th we released the first single from the «Reconciliation» album that will be released in September.
It is a pleasure to be working with such wonderful people from Lady Blunt Record Label. Since moment zero, they understood completely the message I want to convey with the album and they are working hard and joyfully to elevate the message into a new level.
This first single is dedicated to my grandmother Dora, whom I never met but whom I carry deeply in my heart.
You can listen to «Dora» in all streaming platforms.
«Dora» was premiered at Stationery Travel´s blog. Check the link here:
GAVINA IN ICELAND
I am grateful for my home by the sea in Spain, and the singing seagulls who fill with poetry my everyday rituals.
Check the video here: