Amiel

Throughout his development as a songwriter and producer, Amiel's ears digested many sounds from around the world, all of which left an indelible imprint on his music. On any given song, you can hear traces of: Sunshine Pop, Bossa-Nova, Electronic Soundscapes, French Ye Ye, Indian Raga, Psychedelic Folk, Progressive Rock, and Classical Minimalism and Impressionism. At its core, his music strives for beauty and complexity while coming across as simple and effortless.

A native of New Jersey/New York (by way of Germany), Amiel started off playing and recording in his friend's father's converted dental office. Dozens of 4-track tapes later, Amiel decided to record a proper album in 1998. Released in 2000, Amiel’s self-titled debut album contains 12 songs that first showcase his innate songwriting talents. 2005 saw the release of Amiel’s follow-up album, ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN. A production that took over three years to create, this 20-song collection is the first body of work to really draw upon all of Amiel’s vast array of influences. Despite the wide variety, it all holds together in a certain unique and unified way. The upcoming 2008 release of Amiel’s third album, FIGURES SEEKING GROUND, does even more to draw in the listener with its rich textures and unexpected instrumentation. Almost every song features a different female guest vocalist, all of whom interpret Amiel’s songs wonderfully.

Aside from Amiel's three albums, his music can be heard elsewhere:

* "Circles" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) was recently featured in a television commercial promoting the News 12 Cable Network. It was aired on channels such as Comedy Central, CNN and A&E.

* A short snippet from the song "Mannequin" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) is featured in six webisodes promoting Microsoft's XBOX 360. It can be heard during the brief opening credits: www.xbox360.com.au.

* Two songs from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN ("Where Time Moves Slower" and "How Do I Come Across?”) are featured in an independent film entitled SEND IN THE CLOWN. For more information about the film, please visit: www.clownmovie.com.

* "Between Locators" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) was used in a corporate video promoting the Perez Trading Company.

You can catch Amiel playing live in NYC venues such as Moe Pitkins, Pete’s Candy Store, and the Knitting Factory.