One of only a few living composers who can truly claim to have altered the direction of musical history’
Guardian

I only discovered this classical Guru last week and since then have been completely obsessed with his hynoptic and beautifully constructed compositions. If you’re into the works of Phillip Glass then this guy is going to completely blow you off your feet.

The minimalist and progressive sounds of this modern day genius has taken me completely by surprise: exactly what music is all about.

Steve Reich is an American composer who is known for his minimalist compositions and innovative use of patterns and tape loops within his work. His compositions are slow building, harmonic and use canons (imitation melodies) creating a rich and therapeutic sound that has heavily contributed towards the direction of contemporary music. Influencing composers such as Brian Eno, numerous electronic musicians such as The Orb and Coldcut, as well as visual artists such as Bruce Nauman, it’s clear that Steve’s work has left a huge impact upon popular culture.

Reich himself cites Bach, Debussy, and Stravinsky as his classical influences. Jazz also plays a large role in Reich’s musical armoury, being a huge fan of Coltrane. Jazz influence was also deeper routed in his studies of West African music and his music pilgrimages to the Continent. Visual artists such as Sol Lewitt and Richard Serra are also cited as important influences.

Winning the Pulitzer prize in 2009 for his composition ‘Double Sextet’, Steve is now firmly on the map as one of the greatest American composers of all time.

What I’d give to be one of those glockenspiel players!