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Maria Chiara Argirò x Clouds

Multi-instrumentalist & jazz trained pianist Maria Chiara Agirò (pronounced ma-REE-ah key-AH-rah r-gee-ROW) has weaved her way throughout UK and Italy’s jazz, classical & electronic worlds for over a decade. She emerges with her first full venture into electronic production with a new studio album due later this spring.

Maria has been quietly weaving her way around the UK jazz, classical and electronic worlds since she moved to London from Rome 11 years ago. A pianist from the age of nine and a key player in the capital’s multi-national jazz scene, she’s lent her skills to indie band These New Puritans, lush jazz troupe Kinkajous and, more recently, collaborations with Jamie Leeming – their 2020 album Flow was nominated for one of the albums of the year in the Jazz Revelations Awards and was the Guardian’s jazz album of the month – and beat-driven duo Moonfish. 

Maria recorded and self-produced “Clouds” between her bedroom and studio with the precious help of her longtime collaborators and electronic producers, In a Sleeping Mood and mixing engineer Alex Killpartrick. And, crucially, she is singing for the first time, too – her airy, otherworldly vocals on “Clouds” resemble Emiliana Torrini or a singer in a smoky, late-night club, alone under the spotlight on the stage.

Maria explains that “Clouds” is “a pure observation of the world I pictured where the clouds, sky and dreamy movement of the synths and vocal samples meet with the earth/roots of the electronic beat/drums and where all the elements evolve and come back, like in a circular movement. In order to create this effect and this mood, I needed to mix the acoustic drums with the electronic beats, having the trumpet improvising over the odd time signature and creating a circled sound effect on the chords and harmony of the prophet.”

See more on the song in Clash's track of the day post.