New York based composer Glenn Murawski has been creating music since the early 2000s. Tapping into whatever emotion he is feeling at the moment, Glenn’s arrangements are a direct reflection of his emotions. His ability to capture and portray those feelings through sound is what makes his music so potent.
Starting off composing for video games, Murawski’s album, Treasure Chest, is a collection of those tracks. His musical creations have been featured in an independent video game titled Whisper of a Rose as well as an indie film titled Numb (Diamond Point Pictures). Murawski has also released 3 massive volumes of compositions which feature his older music (available on Bandcamp).
Finished with his third production of 2020, Glenn has delivered his newest EP, Clear Away. Clear Away includes five tracks of ambient, ethereal, piano-driven soundscapes which could easily serve as the soundtrack for a mystical fog rolling through the forest and gently dissipating as the clouds clear and the sun begins peeking through.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Glenn about his newest release, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with music and links below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am from Queens, NY. I create music that touches on soft and sometimes dark places of emotion. My style tends to be a fusion of orchestra instruments, piano, guitar, drums and/or beats, I try to make each song different in its own way and never use the same exact samples twice.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
It started in 2004 when I stumbled upon a site called vgmix where people made cover songs of video game music composers. I thought it was really cool, being an old-school NES/SNES gamer so I decided to get FL Studio and start making my own releases there. I was encouraged by the feedback I got from some fans, so I kept going, then the site got shut down and never came back. Having lost my audience, I moved on to create original pieces. I’ve always been an avid listener of music, and creating it quickly became my favorite pastime. Nowadays, I’ve invested a lot of cash so I can create music of higher quality, and I feel it helps me communicate my feelings and ideas more effectively.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
This release (Clear Away) is another step in my journey as a person and a musician. The idea of ‘clear away’ is ridding your mind of ineffective thoughts and emotions that thwart your current progress in life. Songs like ‘Forthcoming’, are actually about facing the truth even though it might be hurtful. The album closer, ‘Limmagine Piu Grande’ means ‘The Bigger Picture. I feel so many of us, including myself get lost on the details and the concrete, what’s right there right now, then we lose sight of the bigger meaning of life. I tried my best to convey these ideas musically, my song titles are always a hint at what I’m going for.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Biggest challenge: getting listeners and fans. People have limited time and attention spans. Back when I was younger I loved buying CD’s. I would spend hours in the record store, carefully deciding where I would spend my 20 dollars. When I got home, I excitedly listened to each album from start to finish, multiple times. People just don’t do that anymore, you could download 100 albums on a torrent in 20 minutes. Chances are you will listen to maybe 5% of that material. It’s very difficult. I’m happy with each new individual fan I get. I don’t need 1000 followers. I don’t even need 100. I’d rather have 20-30 people who truly enjoy what I have to offer. Technology has helped IMMENSELY. I couldn’t release tracks like this 20 years ago. Just the fact that I can record an album and post it instantly (via bandcamp) is a Godsend.
What was the last song you listened to?
Honestly I get in modes where I only listen to my own music for a period of time. This usually happens after an album release. However, the last song listened to from another artist was ‘Cluster’ by The Algorithm – one of my favorite electronic artists
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Out of those 3, CDs. But I prefer lossless formats to MP3. I’ve came to realize that mp3s really suck when it comes to audio fidelity.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify for their ease of use and huge catalog. Bandcamp for releasing music because it’s instantaneous, and you can download other artists’ music as well.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
My bandcamp page is the best place, as all of my tracks are released there first. https://glennmurawski.bandcamp.com/
Anything else before we sign off?
I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen to my music. Thank you!
