Introduced to music at the age of eight, Sheffield native, Michael E struggled with the classical music he was taught to play on the piano. Although he enjoyed the harmonious sounds of certain chords and the joy of playing thunder and lightning sounds with the very low and high notes then listening to the sounds fade away, the classical music did not really resonate with him. It was in the early 70’s with the Motown/Santana era that music began to speak to him in a more profound way. He joined various cover bands and toured the European/American Navy and Air force bases in Germany, Italy, Spain and Sicily playing keyboards and percussion. A short stint with U.S. vocal group Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon (Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache) however killed the fun of touring. \r \r Michael E continued his love of music at home in Sheffield as a solo pianist picking up various restaurant/hotel jobs while also trying to support his family. He started to compose his own music for solo piano at a time when the age of software recording had not yet arrived. When it did, he realised he could complete a full arrangement of his own music playing all the parts. \r It was a complete revelation and Michael E has never looked back. A big influence came in the early 90's in the shape of the Cafe Del Mar series as instrumental music for its own sake began to make inroads into the world’s musical consciousness, where music did not have to be a "song" but could stand alone as an instrumental piece. But the difference was it was music not wholly played on traditional instruments but introduced electronica into the mix, with all sorts of wonderful sounds and delays that conjured up musical landscapes and exotic worlds of sound. Michael E was well and truly hooked and it was almost like a new beginning for music\r Those early sessions of thunder and lightning finally made sense. He was searching for soundscapes that painted pictures and the selections he was hearing on digital music compilations had this quality in abundance. It wasn't until 2006 that he was finally in a position to dedicate his life to the pursuit of his musical dream. When the chance came along he grasped it wholeheartedly. \r \r His first release in the chilled/lounge genre was in 2006 and ever since has simply made up for lost time.\r Michael E has now released 13 albums and appeared on over 300 compilations.\r Michael E has recently released a 5 track EP called “Come Close” a collaboration with Chicago based vocalist ‘Sarai Usry’.\r Michael E also hosts a two hour weekly radio show on Sunday mornings on soulradiouk.com from 10am to 12pm GMT.