Tonic Steve Baker

• 1 False Relation, Pt. 1 01:59
• 2 False Relation, Pt. 2 04:20
• 3 Riley 08:34
• 4 Undo History, Pt. 1 01:36
• 5 Undo History, Pt. 2 04:31
• 6 Enquire Within 04:17
• 7 The Garden 06:52
• 8 Fields Beneath 06:38
• 9 Rightly Said 07:16
• 10 Belinda 06:44
• Total Runtime 52:47

Info for Tonic

Steve Baker is a successful media composer for over thirty years, Steve has composed widely for television and radio, specialising in library music. His clients include KPM Music, EMI Production Music, Cavendish (under the pseudonym Steve Adams), West One Music Group, Score/BMG and Universal (also as Steve Adams). A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, orchestrator and producer, Steve’s genre-crossing compositions have been used extensively across all international media for decades.

Steve elaborates on the idea behind his project: “From its conception I envisaged this record as being quite cinematic with a lot of people involved. I needed a break from the artistic and time constraints of scoring for media and felt the need to sit at the piano and do some really serious composing. I needed a kind of Tonic.”

“Musically it was important for me to bring an improvisatory quality to the record, and I am humbled and fortunate to have worked with some amazing jazz musicians along the way. The orchestrations evolved throughout the making of this record in response to their incredible artistry, imagination and individualism.”

Concerning the title itself, Steve continues: “In music, Tonic is the first degree of a scale often forming the keynote of a piece. My keynote ––a soliloquy on the birth of a child––unwittingly evolved into this highly personal suite of music which explores family, childhood and my place in the world.”

"I'm not exactly sure where this music comes from…I think it’s more of a thought I hold lightly rather than a specific concept. It could be about growing up, or watching my own children growing up, or how it feels to be living at home. These stories seem to unfold musically from there. One piece was even inspired by a Bridget Riley poster that used to hang on the wall by my Mum’s piano." (Steve Baker)

Steve Baker, piano, keyboards, guitars, melodica, voices
Ralph Salmins, drums
Mark Lockheart, saxophones and bass clarinet
Laura Jurd, trumpet and flugelhorn
Raphael Clarkson, trombone
John Parricelli, electric guitar
Tom Herbert, double bass
Robin Mullarkey, electric bass
Dedi Madden, acoustic and electric guitars
Caroline Dale, cello
Richard Harvey, recorder
Walter Mets, percussion
Katherine Baker, flute
Ghatam V Suresh, ghatam
Angeline Morand, voices
Carmen Daye, voices
Lauren Christie, voices
The Hungarian Studio Orchestra
Peter Illenyi, conductor

Steve Baker
A successful Media Composer for over thirty years, Steve has composed widely for television and radio specialising in Library Music. His clients include KPM Music, EMI Production Music, Cavendish (as Steve Adams), West One Music Group, Score/BMG and Universal (as Steve Adams).

A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, orchestrator and producer, Steve’s genre-crossing compositions have been used extensively across all international media for decades.

As a teenager Steve started out at EMI Music Publishing as a keyboard player and programmer for the successful songwriter Lauren Christie. Whilst working on advertising campaigns, television series and West End theatre shows, Steve honed his skills as a programmer and tracking engineer. This early experience both with live musicians, and in the studio was to prove invaluable as he became established as a composer and music producer in his own right. Steve has since worked extensively with other composers through his company GALAPAGOS MUSIC.

In 2013 Steve tentatively began work on his first solo record entitled TONIC. These multi-layered compositions feature a 17-piece band and string section due for release later on this year (2022).

Over the years Steve has worked closely with the saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart. 2019 saw the release of Lockheart’s epic orchestral record DAYS LIKE THESE – recorded at British Grove Studios, which Steve was proud to co-produce and mix.

This album contains no booklet.