Fire on the Lifeboat places Zeynep's music for piano under the spotlight.

Claiming her influences arise from every piece of music she has ever heard, Preston's Zeynep has clearly been listening with attentive ears. The pieces displayed on her myspace account show a clear understanding of the processes of composition and she seems to revel in the simplicities of melody that piano predecessors such as Michael Nyman have laid down throughout the classical genre.

There are certainly shades of Yann Tiersen and James Horner with all of her tracks; Zeynep professes to being a massive film fan and tracks such as 'Magic' and 'Ready To Fall' have enough atmosphere and ease within their phrases to perfectly soundtrack a whole host of movies. Yet, there is none of the anonymity that can be found in many composers who simply deal with scores. Each song takes up its own initiative and can be listened to within its own right, on its own terms.

Zeynep's most popular, and arguably most accomplished track is 'Empty Ballroom' whose swells and passages of gentle repetition take us through a spectrum of changes and movements, as the intricate melodies and flourishes are sustained and driven by the rhythm of the lower registers. Zeynep is a young musician with a great deal of talent and enthusiasm and her willingness to embrace other mediums beyond music, such as film-directing and performance, will also surely ensure a successful future.

Contributed by Fire on the Lifeboat.

Fire on the Lifeboat urges you to get autonomous.

Fire up the collective, jump-start the co-operative, raise your communal intent! On visiting Hull last week to perform I was delighted to meet the Hull Art Lab who were hosting a Bookville residency. An egalitarian, open DIY space for artistic output, the art-lab is a remedy in these times of sterile galleries and air-conditioned museums. Every city should have one, every city needs one.

The residency was a publishathon in which materials were made available for self-publishing zines, comics, books, periodicals and multiples. An mindset of 'stop thinking, start doing' was put in place and the room was a hive of activity. Bookville may very well be touring. If you have a space, why not host them? Or create an online form, a shared blog in which the same ethics apply and all are able to submit, publish and support each others' work?

Find your town's collective. If there isn't one, set it up.

Contributed by Fire on the Lifeboat