68: New to Neoclassical music? Dive in with Hipster Pug

In recent years, I have fallen back in love with New Age, space music, and the droning, atmospheric, accessible Neoclassical genre. Imagine music to TV shows, movies and moods that don’t exist … or only exist in the composers’ and performers’ own heads. 

Works like Max Richter’s Sleep and Johann Johannson’s Virðulegu Forsetar have played and replayed in my head as I lie on my bed dozens of times now. Their droning but moving parts, atmospheric sound and noise, and accessible melody and harmony, slow and calming and transporting … I can’t get enough.  

That’s why a chance to interview Hipster Pug, a maker of Neoclassical, ambient and experimental music, was exciting.  

Forgive some of my excited, stumbling questions. Settle in and discover why we both love these genres and how this new musician fell in love with, not just listening, but making the work himself …  

Want a flavor before we start? I mention his “journey of dreams.” Listen right here on Bandcamp. If you like it, throw him a few bucks and buy the whole thing! 

Want to dive into Neoclassical, to see what’s what? Here are some artists and selections discussed during (or after we finished recording) this episode: 

• “Infra 5” from Max Richter’s Infra (one of our guest’s favorites), here on YouTube 
• Orphée from Johann Johannson 
• “Particles” from Ólafur Arnauld’s Island Songs, here on YouTube 
• nouveau chapitre EP and Neon Noir album from Hipster Pug himself 
• artists from the label that carries Hipster Pug, Monochrome Motif, focusing on “Post Classical,” “Cinematic” and “Electronica” music 

Want my favorite work these days? This is it: spoken word, machine noise, manipulated vocals, beautiful drones and music.