Dutch amateur musician Joep Beving, 41, has become a one-man recording phenomenon with his self-released recordings on Spotfiy being streamed more than 85 million times and counting. True, he became big earlier this year, but then once in a while you need some nice piano music.

Beving told British newspaper The Guardian that he never imagined that the contemplative, atmospheric piano tunes would draw such a vast audience worldwide. But after scoring with his album ‘Solipsism’ online, four record companies were soon fighting over him, a fight won by the prestigious classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.

Beving’s success is more extraordinary because he had been turned down by the only record label he approached, and had to pay to press 1,500 vinyl copies of Solipsism. “I wanted to make something tangible,” he said. By day he used to work as an advertising manager for a company that provides music for commercials. He worked on his debut album in his kitchen at night, while his girlfriend and two young daughters were asleep.

The director of new repertoire at DG, Christian Badzura, heard Beving’s music by chance when the vinyl copy of Solipsism was playing in a late-night bar in Berlin at 2 am a while back. One of Beving’s German advertising colleagues had left it with the barman. It impressed Badzura so much that he had to sign him up. As for Beving, he said he wasn’t counting on this and is truly grateful for technological developments opening up the music market and making it more democratic.

Hailing originally from Doetinchem, Gelderland and now living in Amsterdam, Beving composes music that is a search for tranquility and beauty, as highlighted by the video accompanying the music. I personally enjoy the music and can hear many influences of great composers as well as someone who is very concentrated at the piano with much ease.

Enjoy ‘The Light She Brings’:

(Link: theguardian.com)