Toni Castells is an independent artist and composer. Originally from Barcelona, he resides in London, where he composes, records and performs his own music. In 2007 he naturalised as a British citizen.
Toni Castells is a composer who possesses a remarkable ability to create music that transcends traditional boundaries and genres. Castells' compositions are marked by their complexity, depth, and ability to evoke profound emotions in the listener. Castells' music often invites listeners on a journey of introspection and reflection, exploring deep emotions and contemplating the human condition. His musical style can be described as a tapestry of influences, seamlessly weaving together classical, electronic, ambient, and world music elements. His compositions often feature intricate melodic lines that traverse a range of emotions, from introspective and melancholic to uplifting and transcendent. By drawing from diverse musical traditions, Castells creates a sonic landscape that defies categorisation and invites listeners on a journey of discovery.
Toni Castells' music has garnered critical acclaim and has been performed in renowned venues and festivals worldwide. His ability to blend diverse musical influences, his meticulous attention to detail, and his dedication to creating immersive experiences make him a distinctive and influential figure in contemporary music. Castells also currently lectures Music Technology at the
London College of Music
London College of Music (LCM) is a music school in London, England. It is one of eight separate schools that make up the University of West London.
History
LCM was founded in 1887 and existed as an independent music conservatoire based at Gr ...
and
Imperial College London
Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
.
Early Music Career (1980-1993)
Castells entered music school aged 4. Aged 6 Castells was certified as ‘gifted’ and featured in Maria Teresa Gomez Masdevall’s academic book ''High Capacities in Boys and Girls: detection, identification and integration in school and family''. Aged 6 Castells started learning classical guitar as his main instrument while teaching himself to play the piano when practice rooms were empty. He studied clarinet later on his life. Aged 14 Castells went on to study at the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona, receiving third prize ‘ex-aequo´ at the ''St. Joan de Vilatorrada Composition Prize'' with ''Imatges'', an experimental piece for flute and piano. Also aged 14, Castells started his first pop band with friends of his childhood music school playing the keyboards. The band was initially called ''Korrefok'' and later changed its name to ''Herzia''. The band got signed in 1998 by Spanish independent label AZ Records. Heriza’s debut album ''Coses que Passen'' (AZ Records 1999) was named best Catalan rock album of 1999 by specialised music magazine Popular 1.
La Salle and Music Lan Studios (1994-1999)
In 1994 Castells was accepted a
La Salle Universityto undertake a BSc in Telecommunications Engineering (Sound and Image Specialisation). After graduating with Distinction, he stayed for a 2-year MEng in Electronic Engineering (Sound and Image Specialisation). In his final year, he was taught Digital Audio by La Salle alumni and studio owner Joan Trayter, founder of Grammy-Award winnin
''Music Lan'' ''Studios''recording studios in
Avinyonet de Puigventós
Avinyonet de Puigventós is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationali ...
, in Northern Spain. Trayter asks Castells to join Musiclan as an assistant engineer. In Music Lan Studios, Castells learned how to record, mix and produce music from both Trayter and Music Lan co-founder Jordi Solé. During the 2 years Castells stayed at musiclan he worked with many celebrated Catalan and Spanish artists, bands and producers such as
Lluís Llach
Lluís Llach i Grande (; born 7 May 1948) is a Catalan singer-songwriter, novelist and politician from Spain. He is one of the main representatives of the ''nova cançó'' genre and an outspoken advocate of the right to self-determination of ...
,
Peret
Pedro Pubill Calaf ( ; 24 March 1935 – 27 August 2014), better known as Peret, was a Spanish Romani singer, guitar player and composer of Catalan rumba from Mataró (Barcelona).
Known for his 1971 single, "Borriquito" (Ariola Records), Per ...
,
Jarabe de Palo
Jarabe de Palo ("Wooden Stick Syrup" or, by virtue of the Spanish expression "dar un jarabe de palo", i.e. a "hell of a beating") were a Spanish rock band founded in 1996, once led by singer, songwriter and guitarist Pau Donés, who, on 9 June ...
,
Enrique Bunbury
Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izarduy (born 11 August 1967), best known as Enrique Bunbury, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He has been described as "by far the most international star of Spanish rock." He was propelled to fame as lead singer ...
,
Loquillo,
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro (Andrés Calamaro Massel, August 22, 1961) is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential rock artists in Spanish. He is also one of the most complete artist ...
,
Macaco,
Ojos de Brujo
Ojos de Brujo was a nine-piece band from Barcelona who described their style as "jipjop flamenkillo" ( hip hop with a little flamenco). The band sold over 100,000 copies of their self-produced ''Barí'' album and received several awards, among t ...
,
Elefantes,
Sopa de Cabra
Sopa de Cabra ('Goat Soup') is a musical group from Girona, Catalonia, Spain, active from 1986 to 2002 and since 2015. They are considered to be one of the leading representatives of the rock català movement, though the band prefer not to be plac ...
, Quimi Portet,
Gossos, Micky Forteza-Rey, Suso Sáiz, Jon Caffery. Castells also worked on the album
Unsterblich by German punk-rock band
Die Toten Horsen.
London and Momo (2000-2009)
In 2000, Castells moved to London, where he worked as a recording and mixing engineer for
José María Cano
José Cano Andrés (born 21 February 1959) is a Spanish visual artist, musician, composer, and record producer. From 1982 to 1998, he was a member and principal composer of the Spanish pop-rock band Mecano. Since 1998, he works primarily in the ...
of the Spanish pop group
Mecano
Mecano was a Spanish pop band formed in 1981 and active until 1992. Mecano became one of the most successful Spanish pop bands of all time. The band is still the best-selling Spanish band, with over 25 million records worldwide. They were consid ...
.
Castells worked on José María Cano's debut solo album ''JoseCano'' (Muxxic 2000), recording and editing the lead vocals and mixing the album. In 2002 Castells worked with José María Cano again, recording and mixing the new Centenary Anthem for
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn ...
called ''Hala Madrid!'', featuring
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
and composed by José María Cano himself to celebrate the Spanish football club's centenary in 2002.
In 2001 Castells secured a job as an assistant recording engineer at the
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...
, where he worked until 2006. There, he had the opportunity to work and record the RCM Symphony Orchestra under conductors such as
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...
,
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink (; 4 March 1929 – 21 October 2021) was a Dutch conductor and violinist. He was the principal conductor of several international orchestras, beginning with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1961. He moved to Lond ...
and
Roger Norrington
Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington (born 16 March 1934) is an English conductor. He is known for historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music.
In November 2021 Norrington announced his retirement.
Life
Norr ...
.
In 2004 Castells started Momo, a music project that merged popular music with classical influences, merging operatic voices with downtempo beats. Momo's debut album ''Unharmed'' was released independently on 23 October 2006 and featured soprano Amelia Whiteman and Spanish singer Elisabeth Rodergas (better known as
Beth
Beth may refer to:
Letter and number
*Bet (letter), or beth, the second letter of the Semitic abjads (writing systems)
*Hebrew word for "house", often used in the name of synagogues and schools (e.g. Beth Israel)
Name
*Beth (given name) lists p ...
), who had represented Spain at Eurovision in 2003 finishing in eighth position and who famously Terry Wogan referred to as the "''Kylie Minogue in dreadlocks".'' The album also featured Dublin-born singer
Roberta Howett, who finished in ninth place in the
first UK series of television talent show ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' in 2004. The album reached the iTunes Top 20 download charts upon its release.
Castells premiered a live adaptation of ''Unharmed'' at
Bush Hall
Bush Hall is located at 310 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. Originally a dance hall, it is now an independent music venue with a capacity of 400.
Bush Hall was built in 1904. It was used as a soup kitchen during World War ...
in London on 13 July 2007 in collaboration of the
Sacconi Quartet
The Sacconi Quartet is a UK-based classical music string quartet founded in 2001 by four graduates of the Royal College of Music, London, UK. The Quartet has achieved widespread recognition, having given recitals in leading British concert halls ...
and visual content from British photographer Conor Masterson. During 2007 and 2009 Castells performed the show in the UK and Spain in collaboration with Icelandic photographer Maria Kjartans, performing at
The Stables
The Stables (also known as the Stables Theatre) is a music venue situated in Wavendon, a small village in south-east Milton Keynes.
The Stables hosts over 400 concerts and around 250 education events a year including the National Youth Music ...
in Milton Keynes, Roxy Bar and Screen in London,
FNAC
Fnac () is a large French retail chain selling cultural and electronic products, founded by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954. Its head office is in ''Le Flavia'' in Ivry-sur-Seine near Paris. It is an abbreviation of Fédération Nationale d ...
in Barcelona and at the Mercat de Música Viva in Vic, Spain.
Famous Jack (2009-2011)
In 2009 Toni created his alter ego Famous Jack, according to Castells ''"a creative vehicle through which to explore new music genres and new ways of performing music"''.
Inspired by British post-punk
New Wave artists,
American Counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
singer-songwriters and electro-psychedelic artists such as
MGMT
MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...
, Castells entered the London Gig Circuit. Castells used his own voice and performed solo, sometimes accompanied by a female percussionist. He alternated acoustic and electric guitar, playing over self-made backing tracks and played the harmonica too. He dressed androgynously and featuring gold clothing and face paint.
Throughout 2009 and 2011 he performed at music venues such as The Dublin Castle,
The Water Rats
The Water Rats is a live music venue at 328 Grays Inn Road, Kings Cross, London, England. Until 1992, it was known as The Pindar of Wakefield and was famous for its regular old time music hall entertainment.
Bob Dylan played his first UK gig ...
,
The Troubadour, 93 Feet East, Hoxton Underbelly,
Windmill Brixton, The Bull & Gate, The Cobden Club, Bar Music Hall Shoreditch, Roadtrip Old Street, The Haverstock Arms, 333 Old Street, The Legion, The Garage,
The Hope & Anchor, Monkey Chews and
The Camden Head. Castells released two studio albums as Famous Jack, ''Famous Jack'' (2009) and ''Superstar'' (2011).
The London Trilogy (2012-2018)
The London Trilogy is a body of 3 works created by Castells during 2012 and 2018 inspired by the Law of Impermanence, the First
Dharma Seal (primary characteristic or principle) in
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among various schools of Buddhism in India following the parinirvana of The Buddha and later spread throughout Asia. The Buddhist path combi ...
.
The Law of Impermanence is the teaching that everything in material or relative existence is impermanent. That is, everything has a beginning, a middle, and an ending, and that suffering occurs when we do not accept this principle. Castells mentions as inspiration Greek philosopher
Heraclitus
Heraclitus of Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἡράκλειτος , "Glory of Hera"; ) was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from the city of Ephesus, which was then part of the Persian Empire.
Little is known of Heraclitus's life. He wrote ...
' quote: "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
Castells reflects in the trilogy the 3 main phases of this life cycle: birth or expression, growth or experimentation and death or integration/transcendence.
Castells states how he uses studio albums as a preparatory phase to create his compositions, using them as sketches and studies of the final compositions. The 3 works of the London Trilogy are created for bespoke mixed ensembles of acoustic instruments, electronics, mixed voices and choir, with each of the pieces having its own unique ensemble configuration.
The London Trilogy was not composed in chronological order, first two works reflect on birth and death with the latter work reflecting on life itself.
Life from Light (2012)
'Light from Life' is a chamber video-opera that premiered at the
Union Chapel in London on November 15, 2012.
Castells deviates from the traditional operatic form and his compositions largely take the form of an oratorio, including multimedia and video art elements taking inspiration from
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...
's video-operas.
‘Life from Light’ was inspired by an eponymous chapter of the 2012
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
nature documentary series ‘How To Grow A Planet’, in which Professor
Iain Stewart describes the mechanisms and evolutionary forces that allowed life to appear on planet Earth, finally paving the way for human civilisation.
Castells states that the piece revolves around the
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
quote "the impossibility of conceiving this immense and wonderful universe, including man with his capacity for looking far backwards and far into futurity, as the result of blind chance or necessity". Thus, the question about our ultimate origin and purpose becomes the central theme of the piece, a question through which Castells explores what it means to be human, our relationship with our planet and the natural world, and on how our actions are creating irreversible damage to both.
![Life From Light at Kings Place](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Life_From_Light_at_Kings_Place.jpg)
The work also features some graphic depictions of sex, as well as lines taken directly from Wikipedia pages on the subject of sex.
Sexual reproduction is seen by Castells as central to the evolutionary forces that have forged life and human civilisation.
Some observers have seen in the piece the intention of providing a level of sex education that can appeal to youth in different cultures, with the aim of raising awareness on the increasing banalisation of sex and sexual intercourse amongst young people.
'Life from Light' was readapted in 2014 by invitation of
Tete-a-Tete Opera and, sponsored by the
Arts Council England
Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...
, was performed over two nights at London's
Kings Place
Kings Place is a building in London’s Kings Cross area, providing music and visual arts venues combined with seven floors of office space. It has housed the editorial offices of ''The Guardian'' newspaper since December 2008 and is the for ...
Hall One on August 7 and 8, 2014.
2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal? (2016)
‘2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal?’ is a composition for small chamber ensemble, electronics, two voices and choir that premiered at St. James's Piccadilly in London on July 6, 2016.
A private performance was held at
Cowdray Park on July 9, 2016.
Again the composer deviates from the traditional operatic form combining operatic voices with elements of popular music, downtempo electronica and sound art.
The piece was written for soprano, countertenor, piano trio and mixed choir and features sonifications of light curves captured by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
’s
Kepler
Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws o ...
space observatory
A space telescope or space observatory is a telescope in outer space used to observe astronomical objects. Suggested by Lyman Spitzer in 1946, the first operational telescopes were the American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO-2 launched ...
.
![Toni Castells 2045 St James Piccadilly](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Toni_Castells_2045_St_James_Piccadilly.jpg)
“2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal” was originally an article published on
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
in 2011 by
Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman (born June 26, 1969) is an American novelist and journalist who wrote ''The Magicians Trilogy'': '' The Magicians'' (2009), '' The Magician King'' (2011), and '' The Magician's Land'' (2014). He was the book critic and lead technolog ...
.
The article features computer engineer and futurologist
Ray Kurzweil
Raymond Kurzweil ( ; born February 12, 1948) is an American computer scientist, author, inventor, and futurist. He is involved in fields such as optical character recognition (OCR), text-to-speech synthesis, speech recognition technology, and e ...
, Director of Engineering at
Google Inc.
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. I ...
, describing the advent of
Technological Singularity
The technological singularity—or simply the singularity—is a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization. According to the m ...
, a new era in which man and machine will finally merge allowing us to prolong life indefinitely, effectively making man immortal.
Through this paradigm of the future Castells explores our bad relationship with death and the efforts of our technocratic society to overcome it.
Through the piece this view is juxtaposed to the one of philosopher
Alan Watts
Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English writer, speaker and self-styled "philosophical entertainer", known for interpreting and popularising Japanese, Chinese and Indian traditions of Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu ...
who in his teachings argued that in nature's game there's a purpose to dying, that it is not natural for us to wish to prolong life indefinitely and that the idea that death is a terrible thing is a tremendous disease from which our culture in particular suffers.
Castells states that the piece allowed him to overcome his own fear of death.
Hhumann X (2018)
'Hhumann X' is a composition for small chamber ensemble, electronics, two voices and choir that premiered at
LSO St. Luke's on 20 October 2018. The composition was inspired by the findings of the
Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness
The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness was an establishment set up by British Member of parliament Jo Cox, in order to investigate ways to reduce loneliness in the United Kingdom. It published its final report at the end of 2017. While only running ...
published in December 2014 that stated that in the UK over 9 million adults often or always feel lonely.
The piece is an exploration of social isolation in an era of technological hyper-connectedness and its premiere feature
More Than Just a Choir a community choir based in North London that works with people suffering from mental illness and social isolation.
Castells stated: “I like to raise awareness about the double-edged effects of modernisation upon Western society and loneliness is one of these big issues.”
The premiere received the support of the
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS Foundation Trust in England. It provides healthcare in London, Milton Keynes, Surrey and elsewhere. It was created in 2002 by a merger between Brent, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminst ...
.
For the premiere of ‘Hhumann X’ at LSO St Luke's in 2018, Castells collaborated with Spanish pianist José Menor, violinist Harriet MacKenzie and soprano Honey Rouhani.
José Menor was nominated the same year for a
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
on the Best Classical Album category for ‘Enrique Granados: Goyescas’ (IBS Classical 2018).
Artistic Collaborations
Plácido Domingo and José María Cano - Real Madrid CF Centenary Anthem (2000-2003)
In 2002 Castells worked with José María Cano recording and mixing the new Centenary Anthem for
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn ...
called ''Hala Madrid!'', featuring
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
and composed by José María Cano himself to celebrate the Spanish football club's centenary in 2002.
Noah Stewart - Sting's ''Field of Gold'' Spanish Adaptation (2012)
In 2011, leading classical label
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
commissioned Castells to translate
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
’s hit song
Fields of Gold
"Fields of Gold" is a song written and performed by English musician Sting. It first appeared on his fourth studio album, ''Ten Summoner's Tales'' (1993). The song was released as a single on 7 June 1993, reaching 16 on the UK Singles Chart an ...
into Spanish.
The translation was entitled ''Campos de Oro'' and was included in American tenor’s Noah Stewart self-titled debut crossover album ''Noah,'' which was released in 2012 under Decca Records. Castells also became Noah’s vocal coach for this particular track, which we recorded at
Metropolis Studios
Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Roa ...
in London.
Noah became the first black musician ever to top the
UK Classical Album Chart when his album
''Noah'' reached number one and remained there for 7 weeks.
Hayley Westenra - American TV Appearance with ''Naturaleza Muerta'' (2013)
In 2013,
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
commissioned Castells to coach crossover artist
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, ''Pure'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million c ...
for a forthcoming TV appearance on American TV with Greek tenor
Mario Frangoulis
Mario Frangoulis ( el, Μάριος Φραγκούλης, Mários Frankoúlis; born 18 December 1967) is a Greek vocalist and theatre actor, famous for his refined tenor vocals. Born in Rhodesia, Frangoulis after his three decade long career has ...
to perform a crossover version of Naturaleza Muerta, hit track by Spanish composer
José María Cano
José Cano Andrés (born 21 February 1959) is a Spanish visual artist, musician, composer, and record producer. From 1982 to 1998, he was a member and principal composer of the Spanish pop-rock band Mecano. Since 1998, he works primarily in the ...
and first released by Spanish pop band
Mecano
Mecano was a Spanish pop band formed in 1981 and active until 1992. Mecano became one of the most successful Spanish pop bands of all time. The band is still the best-selling Spanish band, with over 25 million records worldwide. They were consid ...
in 1991.
Catty Pearson - Songwriting for ''Time Tells Me'' (2017-2018)
Through 2017 and 2018 Castells started a writing collaboration with British singer-songwriter Catty Pearson, co-writing some of the songs of her 2018 independently released debut EP ‘Time Tells Me’. The EP was produced by
Chris Kimsey
Christopher Kenneth Kimsey (born 3 December 1951 in Battersea, London, England) is an English record producer, mixer and musician most famous for having co-produced The Rolling Stones' ''Undercover'' and '' Steel Wheels'' albums. He was also an ...
, best known for his work producing
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, and recorded at legendary
Olympic Sound Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, inclu ...
.
Liam Hodges - Catwalk OST for ''Mutations in the 4th Dimension'' (2019)
In October 2018 British fashion designer Liam Hodges asked Castells to create the soundtrack of Hodge's presentation at
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...
of his 2019 Fall/Winter collection entitled ‘Mutations in the 4th Dimension’ in January 2019. For this Castells worked with one of his collaborators Elliott Liu and soprano Honey Rouhani. Liu reworked and remixed 3 tracks from Hhumann X (''Dancing in Space'', ''Hhumann X'' and ''The Seeker'') and soprano Honey Rouhani sang live during the show.
Cyril de Commarque - ''Artificialis'' at the Saatchi Gallery (2019)
During 2019 Toni collaborated with artist Cyril de Commarque creating the soundscape for his multi-media installation ‘Artificialis’. As part of its special Artist-In-Residency programme, the
Saatchi Gallery
The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, starting with US artists and minimalism, moving to the D ...
presented the piece alongside another multi-media installation by
Kate Daudy
Kate Daudy (born 1970) is a British visual artist.
Themes
The concept of writing on objects originates in the beginning of Chinese civilization, when tortoise shells and scapulae were used to predict the future. These 'oracle bones' would go th ...
both created as a response to 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh', which will be displayed at Saatchi Gallery for six months from November to May 2020. Both artists invite the viewer to contemplate notions of legacy and transition. Before coming to London, 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh' attracted more than 1.3 million visitors in Paris, becoming the most-visited exhibition in French history.
Music, Art and Philanthropy
Castells has been involved a variety of events that combine music, art and philanthropy. He created Buy Music, Get Art in 2008. For the project, held at Maddox Arts in Mayfair, a work of contemporary art by Norwegian artist based in Los Angeles Edvarda Braanaas entitled ''Ceci n'est pas Une Fille'' was sold in shares through a limited edition CD.
Another Castells project was Love in the Sky. Launched on June 30, 2009 at the
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...
in London, the exhibition featured collaborative works from a collection of artists, which were auctioned off that night to benefit
Coram, a charity for underprivileged children. More than £8,000 was raised.
He is also the founder of Xmas Rocks for Charity, a fundraising concert that took place in December 2007 at the
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...
Community Church to raise money for Depression Alliance and the Mood Foundation.
Discography
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castells, Toni
Spanish composers
Spanish male composers
Living people
1976 births