It is the realisation of an ongoing musical vision that has been distilling over time, shaped by a bewildering variety of musical influences, and real life experiences.

I have described it as “spiritual music, that celebrates being alive on earth, with all its beauties and imperfections, joys and sorrows”. The Chilled By Nature sound is my personal travelogue - an attempt to capture the bigger picture and through it, to reflect my experiences and emotions.

Through EPs, one-off tracks and collaborations, live performances at The Big Chill festival, and the debut album ‘Under One Sun’ - I have attempted to combine some diverse influences to produce cinematic music of quiet beauty, which plays out in widescreen in the mind's eye. My music illustrates a love of cinematic orchestral textures, drawn from components of musical traditions and forged ahead in new directions, perhaps best described as a new kind of electronic chamber music. Folk, classical, jazz, electronic, ambient, lounge - these are all sounds that I have spent a lifetime soaking up.

A diverse panoply of musicians have been instrumental in shaping the overall musical direction over the years: Pat Metheny, Andreas Vollenweider, Brian Eno, Michael Mantler, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Beach Boys, John Barry, Faure, Satie, Zappa, and in years gone by the new breed of eclecticism that has shaped my programming at The Big Chill festival. These artists share a wide-screen palate of sounds, a desire to create 'big' music and a delight in the journey to the end destination. Call it inspiration!

Pete Lawrence

http://www.petelawrence.net/chilled_by_nature.html