Cinematic and darkly seductive, Hotel de Ville is the musical vehicle of composer and vocalist Rhett Brewer. Taking inspiration from 60s French pop, operatic intrigue and film noir, Hotel de Ville blends Brewer's other-worldly voice with classical instrumentation and down-tempo percussion. Bittersweet melodies hover above orchestral urgency. Overwhelming elation and desperate heartbreak become bed-fellows, in this refreshing and softly intense work. Enjoy your stay!
With the release of the collaborative compilation album These Wings Without Feathers featuring Brewer (Ronan Quays) and Lisa Gerrard in 1996, Brewer's music was introduced to an international audience. The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom, Brewer's soon to be re-released debut album, became an underground success story. Following extensive radio play on the BBC, the album led to Brewer scoring numerous films in Europe. For the creation of Hotel de Ville, Brewer retreated to his London studio for over a year, singularly developing the music.
I love performing, actually, and so we are currently putting together the plan for shows this Autumn. A few years ago, I performed with an orchestral group of 20, which was really exciting. Some of this music will be available on Map of the Human Heart in October. These days for practical reasons, the group has been pared down to a still ambitious seven.
Currently, we are planning a tour in the UK and Europe. Translating Hotel de Ville into a live experience is exciting. Were planning a somewhat theatrical aspect, including a stage design where we perform behind a sheer cinema screen, with a cinematic film montage played over Hotel de Villeas if were part of the film. There are lots of discussions happening as we speak, and hopefully I will be able to tour the US finally!
I love lots of different music, but there are some people who have had more of an impact than others. Some reference points include:
Dead Can Dance
Portishead
Massive Attack
Preisner
Arvo Part
Craig Armstrong
Gotan Project
Sigur Ros
Bjork
Nina Simone
I often use the voice like an instrument, and I love the interaction of unusual instruments. I recorded Hotel de Ville at home, using a small mixing desk, Neumann mics and a lot of resourcefulness for mixing so many instruments with a basic system. I used Logic Audio, and various valve processors to create the warmth.
