E.S. Posthumus | |
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Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Genres | Epic music, orchestral, ambient, modern classical, symphonic rock |
Years active | 2000–2010 |
Labels | Wigshop Records |
Website | www.esposthumus.com |
Past members | Franz Vonlichten Helmut Vonlichten |
E.S. Posthumus was an independent music group that produced a form of 21st-century classical music/epic music that intertwined popular style drum rhythms with orchestral and electronic sounds. Their music is inspired by the Pythagorean philosophy which states that "music is the harmonization of opposites; the conciliation of warring elements". The E.S. is an acronym for "Experimental Sounds" while Posthumus (Latin: postumus, meaning "after" or "end") is a word that is meant to represent "all things past", suggesting the music was inspired by things that have ended, some time after they ended.
The group was formed in 2000 by brothers Helmut and Franz Vonlichten. Helmut and Franz studied piano with their mother. After graduating from high school, Franz worked in recording studios while Helmut attended and graduated from UCLA, with a degree in archaeology. Their music has been licensed by many movie and television production studios, being included in numerous movie trailers and television shows. E.S. Posthumus released three albums overall in their career.
On July 22, 2010, it was officially announced that Franz had died about two months before. After giving notice of his brother's death, Helmut stated that while there still may be one or two unreleased songs (one of them being their single "Christmas Eve" released in November 2010), the group would no longer be active. In November 2011, it was officially announced that Helmut Vonlichten had formed a new band called Les Friction, and released a preview of his new work with a track called "Torture".
Unearthed, the first album composed by E.S. Posthumus. It was originally made available for purchase online through CD Baby in January 2001; It became the third-biggest selling album in CDBaby's history. The success of the album prompted the wide re-release to retail in May 2005 through Wigshop and 33rd Street Records/Bayside Distribution. A key piece to the distinctive sound of the music comes from working with the Northwest Sinfonia. Other musicians performing on this CD include Pedro Eustache, Michael Landau, Matt Laug, Lance Morrison, Davy Spillane and Efrain Toro. Many tracks from Unearthed have been featured in various movie trailers and television shows. They have been used in the trailers for movies due to their escalating structure, which makes them well-suited for the dramatic montages building towards the credits in the aforementioned trailers.