By | Artist name | S. Peace Nistades |
| Location | Los Angeles, CA |
| Debut solo release | January 12 2019 |
| Links | Website | Instagram | Twitter |
| The Music Addict’s Verdict | Cinematic art-pop |
How did you start?
It’s always hard to tell the moment of formation for any creative work, things generally build up over years and fragments can suddenly become conjoined to create a spark though they could have gestated for many years, even decades. Having said that, I would say this latest release, In a Forest Dark, certainly is the first and most definitive moment in the formation of my work as a solo artist (separate from my work as a film composer).
What’s your songwriting process like?
I usually start off with a story of some kind or an idea I want to explore, though in solo work, that is easier and more neatly said than done. In the case of this album, I’ve been trying to find a new way to create a sound palette that could be more rooted in the present than my previous work which had been much more grounded in tonality of the past. That was not conscious when I accidentally played with and created what became the first track in the album but it was certainly there in the background among many other things.
What are your influences?
Literature, Film, Music, Art, Architecture, History. Honestly, just about anything. My main influences over the years in life have been writers, Samuel Beckett, Charles Dickens, Martin Amis, to name a few. But anything and anyone from filmmakers like Michael Haneke to the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor to painters like Francis Bacon and Caravaggio all play a very important part in the tapestry that inspires me.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe my music as painting a collage of internal fragments which mirror memory and dreams and the interaction between the outward and inward, the conscious and unconscious. The idea of using sound and music to explore these opposites and the struggles they impose intrigues me.
What’s the one thing that makes you stand out from the rest?
That’s for others to say but I’ve had many people say to me that my music, even in this latest album, is cinematic or very evocative of images. Perhaps that comes from my love of storytelling, art and film though I would never say I have the qualities to actually be a filmmaker myself so maybe it all feeds into my music.
What’s your latest release?
In a Forest Dark (Album)
Have you ever played in Montreal?
I’ve never played Montreal before but I would love to one day. The history in Montreal particularly with some of my favorite filmmakers, many of whom are French Canadian (Xavier Dolan, Jean-Marc Vallée, Denis Villeneuve) inspires me constantly.
What are your plans for the next few months?
I have no concrete plans as of yet but I am planning a remix album of In a Forest Dark with some of my close friends and colleagues, so perhaps that could turn into a performance coming up.
From his official bio:
S. Peace Nistades (b. 1989) is a composer for film, fashion and stage. Born in Thailand, he has scored numerous films in over six countries worldwide. Among artists he has collaborated are Lisbeth Scott (The Passion of the Christ, Munich), Karen Han (The Hurt Locker, Kung Fu Panda, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End), Gingger Shankar (Charlie Wilson’s War), Jason Charles Miller (Godhead, Diablo III), Mitchell Marlow (Filter), Felicia Day (The Guild, Dragon Age: Redemption) and concert pianist Christopher Janwong McKiggan.
His work has screened in over 30 film festivals worldwide including the Cannes Film Festival (France) and can be heard on numerous albums including the classical release Paganimania for Albany Records with reviews stating “the sheer fragile beauty of some passages are miraculous” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine) and “perfect” (EFilmCritic.com for Dark Woods).
Nistades has collaborated with fashion designer Emily Daccarett on five of her collections creating original music for each campaign as well as the music for the entire runway show for her Fall-Winter 2015 Noir collection which premiered at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week that year.
He has worked as technical assistant to John Debney and served as score technical coordinator on The Greatest Showman as well as score technical assistant on the first season of Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville and upcoming films like Brian Banks, The Beach Bum starring Matthew McConaughey and Snoop Dogg, and next year’s Isn’t It Romantic. He also served as technical score engineer alongside Mikel Hurwitz for Danny Elfman’s Justice League score.
The S. in his name comes from his birth name, Sornsanti which means ‘arrow of peace’. He is based in Los Angeles, CA.
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
- I bought one of those music Advent Calendars so you wouldn’t have to. - December 5, 2021
- The Music Addict’s Band Name Challenge - October 11, 2021
- Book review: Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography – Ronnie James Dio - September 24, 2021