Levi Patel - Press Kit
Biography
New Zealand’s Levi Patel is finding his standing as one of the country's most promising composers and producers, crafting musical pieces that delicately reflect an emotional intensity that is both gentle and captivating.
Levi has a fascination with sound and the production process, which has encouraged him to pave his own compositional path. His passion for arrangement echoes throughout the diversity of his work. From intimate, solo piano to expansive and climactic soundscapes formed of layered voices and strings, Levi’s music has an encapsulating quality that speaks across his releases.
His journey properly took flight in 2014 with his EP Forms. This was closely followed by second EP Of Sleep and Time, home to much-loved composition As she passes, which has received over 15 million streams worldwide. He released his debut full-length album Affinity in 2017, and followed with the 13-track album A Shifting Lightness in 2020 to further positive reception.
In recent years, Patel has composed for international films including short film It’s Snowing Outside, written and directed by Lucasfilm producer Rayne Roberts. They completed the work at Skywalker Ranch with Academy Award winner André Fenley (Fight Club, Jurassic Park) and his team. Levi has also featured on fellow NZ composer Rhian Sheehan’s album A Quiet Divide, and produced and co-written gentle pop songs for artists such as Alayna.
Levi is now drawing on his engineering background to develop a unique robotic instrument, first premiered in New York City, while continuing to craft new solo music, collaborations, and soundtracks from his coastal studio.
Highlights
- Over 40 pieces of music released including two full-length albums
- 30,000 streams per week, with top played track over 15 million streams
- Composed for It’s Snowing Outside, directed by Lucasfilm Producer Rayne Roberts. Completed at Skywalker Ranch with André Fenley (Minority Report, Fight Club)
- 14,000 Soundcloud followers, 4700 Spotify, 1600 Facebook, 1400 Instagram, 800 Twitter
- 4.5 star review on stuff.co.nz and Sunday Star Times (NZ) Albums of the Year list 2017
- Co-writer and featured artist on Rhian Sheehan's album A Quiet Divide (2019)
- Composed music and engineered sound for feature documentaries and short films
- Built prototype robotic musical instrument premiered at The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City (2020)
- Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours in Software Engineering) and Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand
Reviews
A Shifting Lightness (2020)
“It’s fair to call A Shifting Lightness a spiritual pilgrimage.” - A Closer Listen
“The lightness of being is potently encapsulated in A Shifting Lightness.” - Muzic.net.nz [5 stars]
"It is recordings like this that make you wonder why so few classical music lovers have gotten over the 18th century." - The Moderns
“Overwhelmingly touching.” - Arctic Drones
Affinity (2017)
"A bright new star has flashed its way across the skies in the Southern Hemisphere... the compositions on Affinity will hold their appeal for generations to come." - Stuff.co.nz [4.5 stars]
"Levi Patel is quietly claiming his rightful place in the spotlight." - NZ Musician
“[Affinity] deserves a place near every fireside and in every front parlour.” - Elsewhere
Videos
Through Winter Eyes (Music Video)
Film Composition Showreel
Words Like First Light (Music Video)
Albums and EPs
Collaborations
Credits
Discography
- A Shifting Lightness Reworked (2020)
- It's Snowing Outside (Original Score) (2020)
- A Shifting Lightness (2020 album)
- Affinity (2017 album)
- Of Sleep and Time (2015 EP)
- Forms (2014 EP)
- Dissociation (Extended) (2014) : A Strangely Isolated Place
- And she translated into the sky (2013)
Film
- Writing to Reach You documentary (2021, KR) - sound designer and mix engineer
- Firsts short film (2021, NZ) - music composer
- It's Snowing Outside short film (2019, US) - music composer
- In My Absence short film (2019, NZ) - music composer with Gala Morris
- Breaking and Entering short film (2018, NZ) - music composer
- Crossroads feature documentary (2018, KR) - music composer and sound designer
- This Island is Ours feature documentary (2016, KR) - music composer and sound designer
- Last Letters short documentary (2016, KR) - music composer and sound designer
Collaboration Highlights
- Jeremy Redmore and Levi Patel - Migrations (2023 EP)
- Alayna - Cherry Tree (2022) - producer and co-writer : Nettwerk Music Group
- Moshimoss & Levi Patel - Beneath the Sky (2022 EP)
- Wake Me (Levi Patel Rework) - Message to Bears (2022) : Lost Birds
- Levi Patel & Suren Unka - Dust (2021)
- Gala George - I Am The Morning (2021 EP) - co-writer (track 5), producer, performer, engineer
- Afterglow (Levi Patel Remix) - Alex Steward (2021)
- Sunrise (Levi Patel Recomposition) - Tom Adams (2020) : Moderna Records
- Small Hours (Levi Patel Reinterpretation) - Liam J Hennessy (2020) : Bigo and Twigetti
- Rhian Sheehan - Toward the Sun (feat. Levi Patel) (2018) - co-writer, performer, engineer : Loop Recordings
- This Pale Fire - Alchemy (2017 album) - producer, engineer, performer : Tone Tonic
- 5/8 EP with Suren Unka (2016) : Marigold Music
Commercial Clients
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts (Int), Hankook Tire (Korea), Match.com (US), Les Mills (Int), Auckland City Mission (NZ), Mother Earth (NZ), Cavalier Bremworth (NZ), Underwood International College (Korea), University of Otago (NZ).
