While fans of popular music always keep a laser focus on Seattle for the latest explosive trends in rock and roll, the most innovative and provocative sounds in instrumental music these days are coming from 40 miles down the road. Nestled beside a lake overlooking Mount Rainier, the beautiful small town of Yelm, Washington (pop. under 4,000) provided the perfect natural environment for Austrian born classically trained pianist and electronic music expert Divina Klein and underground hip-hop producer Douglas Mackar- whose combined musical energy is reflected in their collective name La Forza (Italian for "The Power" or "The Force")- to create Dance Music for Your Mind (Vol. I), a lushly textured landscape of party music for the motivated and focus music for the dreamers.
Though they were born on opposite sides of the Earth, raised with different mother tongues, and were nurtured by different musical styles, Divina and Douglas have come together in Yelm, WA to form a union of souls that share a common passion to create. Divina, a classically trained pianist from Vienna, Austria (Univ. of Music in Vienna), a city rich with musical tradition. Douglas, who has produced for underground hip-hop artists and released 7 independent albums, from Cleveland, Ohio, the birthplace of Rock-n-Roll. Both were deeply moved and inspired by music at an early age. Both dreamed of one day creating music that could inspire others the way music has inspired them throughout their lives- an inspiration at soul level- to connect to eternity.
To La Forza, music is an expression of the sublime- it is always about reaching towards a grander plane, it is always about love. This is what La Forza is aspiring to create- Music that offers a glimpse of the sublime. Their music is an expression of their love- for one another, and for life. Their music is part of their personal journey towards oneness- I guess you could say that all of La Forza's songs are love songs.
Though generally classified as electronic music, La Forza see their art as an opportunity to transcend limitations. They invite their listeners to enter a place within themselves where anything is possible- where dreams come true, and where the spirit is always dancing. La Forza makes joyful music. As Divina puts it, "We are creators, so following our nature to create produces harmony. Harmony, that is what music is."
With its fascinating mix of dreamy ambient soundscapes, beautiful solo piano compositions, exotic global percussion, rich textures and compelling melodic movements over infectious dance beats, La Forza is driven by Klein and Mackar's mutual passion to create sounds that are interesting, intelligent and provocative but that also appeal to a people with wide ranging musical tastes. Both organic and otherworldly, the 12 tracks on Dance Music for Your Mind (Vol. I) are about transcending the typical limitations of genre and inviting listeners to enter a place within themselves where anything is possible.
While most musicians this proficient in these kinds of instrumental works become "studio rats" who prefer the glow of monitors to sunlight and the process of recording over live performances, La Forza is also a force to be reckoned with in concert. Overcoming obvious logistical challenges re-creating multi-track recordings live, Klein builds layer upon layer of harmonies using a Boss RC-50 Loop Station ("dancing" by playing pedals with her feet as her hands work the keyboards) while Mackar mans the drum machines and sequencers.
In the spirit of jazz, their live performance consists of arranged songs interwoven with improvisation, the spontaneity of which insures the audience that their experience at a La Forza show is always based on true passion and the absolute presence of the band. After a series of local parties, La Forza is gearing up to perform at the Whidbey Island Emerging Artists Festival on Memorial Day weekend and will be adding more outdoor live venues to their summer schedule.
La Forza is currently in the studio recording their next album, "The Plane of Bliss," an ambient/down-tempo/chill-out album designed for focus and meditation.
La Forza is a force, a movement, a passion-
Music to uplift, move, and inspire change.
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