The meditative soundscapes of Carlos Cipa conjure an atmosphere of yearning, melancholy, and fragility. Born in 1990 in Munich, Cipa grew up playing piano, organ, and drums in several bands before studying composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in his hometown. A return to the piano yielded Cipa’s 2012 debut, The Monarch and the Viceroy, released when he was 22. From the opening measures of “Perfect Circles,” the album lays out a minimalist style couched in a pop-classical idiom that defines Cipa. His harmonic framework is sparse; pensive broken chords recur in cycles and engender slowly forming fragments of melody that eventually harden into themes. Cipa’s interest in tonal blending and cross-genre collaboration was heightened in 2019's Retronyms. Adding celesta, harmonium, synthesizers, strings, woodwinds, and electronics to a brooding chamber-music palette, the album puts in a different context the subtle repetitions and dynamic shifts of Cipa’s previous work, blending improvisation with composition. The composer/pianist brings to mind Erik Satie, Yann Tiersen (of Amélie, 2001), and Ludovico Einaudi. Based in Munich and Berlin, he has captivated audiences throughout Europe with innumerable concerts since 2010.