Matti Bye

Matti Bye became infatuated with the piano at an early age. His foray into music started with the violin, the clarinet and the contrabass. However, none of these instruments matched his melancholic and romantic musical temperament. It wasn’t until he began to study the piano with an old Russian teacher that he found his true means of expression. Amazed by the sonic richness of the piano, it became his musical weapon of choice. His sense of structure and harmonics was derived from playing and listening to Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin and Ludwig van Beethoven. Experimental styles like musique concrète helped expand his view of music and made him understand that the piano creates an environment of its own. Today, he is an avid researcher of musical genres like exotica, library music and forgotten soundtracks. The purpose is not to replicate a sound but to find jumping-off points for new compositions and expressions, recently manifested on the debut album by Mambo Noir Trio. Eagerly exploring new creative contexts and avenues of expressions, he frequently works with other artists and musicians. Hydras Dream with Anna von Hausswolff and Maailma with Finnish songwriter Lau Nau are two critically acclaimed examples of his many collaborations. Official website: www.mattibye.com