LILI HAYDN & PAUL CANTELON launch Itai Disraeli

In this episode of LaunchLeft, Rain Phoenix hosts a profound and intimate conversation that explores the transformative potential of art and the enduring bonds between artists with long time friends and musicians Paul Cantelon and Lili Haydn. 

Paul and Lili open up about the deeply personal origins of their heartfelt album "Lullabies for the Brokenhearted", created in the wake of Paul's wife Angela McCluskey's passing. They share deeply personal stories about their musical journeys and the inspirations behind the album and discuss the importance of vulnerability in their creative process and how the project has been healing for them both.

Then, they launch Itai Disraeli who discusses his groundbreaking solo bass project “He is Free Now” and the spiritual nature of his music. Tune in for a preview of tracks from both "Lullabies for the Brokenhearted" and an excerpt of Itai's ”Continuation Day”, offering listeners a glimpse into these profound musical journeys.

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• (00:00) Intro: Meet Paul Cantelon and Lili Haydn
• (05:54) The genesis of "Lullabies for the Brokenhearted," dedicated to Paul's late wife Angela McCluskey and Lili's mother Lotus
• (10:39) Paul and Lili's experiences with loss and the transformative power of music and community
• (22:31) Paul shares his childhood encounter with music in Zurich
• (27:40) Lili's musical upbringing and her mother, Lotus's influence
• (35:32) Itai Disraeli is launched
• (38:05) Itai discusses his musical philosophy and upcoming record “He is Free Now”
• (44:12) The Entwined from "Lullabies for the Brokenhearted" 
• (49:26) Continuation Day from “He is Free Now”

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Music of all genres serves as a powerful tool for healing and processing grief. The creation of "Lullabies for the Brokenhearted" was not just about grieving, but about expanding consciousness and creating connection between this realm and the next. The spiritual dimension of music connects us to life, death, and the beyond. 
• True artistry comes from getting out of your own way and letting the music’s spirit flow through you. The most powerful music emerges when you're completely vulnerable and honest, capturing raw moments of catharsis rather than trying to perform or impress.
• Sound carries immense spiritual power. While words shouted on barricades may be silenced, the depth and resonance of music cannot be shot down or destroyed. By connecting through our art, we become points of light guiding each other home through the darkness.

RESOURCE LINKS: 

LaunchLeft Podcast Smart Link

LILI HAYDN LINKS

https://www.instagram.com/lilihaydn/

https://www.lilihaydn.com/

PAUL CANTELON LINKS

https://www.instagram.com/paulcantelon/

Lullabies For the Brokenhearted – a new album by Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon

You Could Start A Fight In An Empty House Podcast

ITAI DISRAELI LINKS

https://www.instagram.com/itai_disraeli/

https://www.instagram.com/maetarmusic/

BIOGRAPHIES: 

Violinist-composer Lili Haydn and pianist-composer Paul Cantelon have created Lullabies for the Brokenhearted—a poignant and transcendent album shaped by personal loss and the redemptive power of music. After the sudden passing of Cantelon’s wife, singer Angela McCluskey, grief left him unable to play. Haydn, a lifelong friend and collaborator, invited him into her home and gently rekindled his creative spirit. The result is 8 deeply felt compositions, recorded in just 10 days, with influences ranging from Chopin to Arvo Part. The lead single, “The Edgeless Safety of the Sea,” was released June 27, offering a first glimpse of the album’s cinematic, emotionally resonant sound.

Among the album’s most striking moments are “The Last Serenade,” a melody Haydn received at her mother’s deathbed and has since played for others in their final moments, and “Point No Point,” a piece central to Cantelon’s early work and later featured in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.  While rooted in sorrow, the music is full of light, hope, and reverence. Haydn, a Grammy winner and Emmy-nominated composer (Netflix #1 hit Ginny & Georgia), and Cantelon, a Juilliard-trained artist with acclaimed film scores, bring decades of experience to this collaboration—a musical offering that gently holds space for grief, memory, and healing.

Itai Disraeli is a Grammy-winning bassist, composer, producer, and spiritual teacher whose music blends groove, psychedelia, and deep emotional truth. Best known for his work with Opium Moon and Maetar, Itai now turns his focus toward a revolutionary solo bass project that is melodic, hypnotic, and entirely human.

He is the founder of the music department at the renowned Wildwood School in L.A. and has mentored Grammy winning artists including Thundercat, Gracie Abrams, and Emmy winning composer Zach Robinson. As a composer for film and TV, he has contributed additional music to the Netflix hit Ginny & Georgia, as well as numerous films and documentaries.

As a student of the revered Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, Itai believes music is a blueprint for peace. His sound is both a spiritual practice and a funky, soul-stirring ride.

Now, after decades of shaping sound in collaborative spaces, Itai steps forward with a groundbreaking solo bass project: He is Free Now is an album that is hypnotic, melodic, psychedelic, layered, groovy, and unlike anything you’ve heard before. This is bass as lead voice, as meditation, as movement. It’s not a solo record. It’s a soul record.