Maria Chiara Argirò’s hypnotic new single “Blossom” was inspired by the beauty and perfection of nature and questions what it means to grow in this world – as a human or plant. Lyrically the song evolved into a fairytale scene. Maria tells, “A girl wakes up in the night, looks out of the window and sees someone she loves leaving, probably for good. She wants to call out and say ‘don't go’, but the words don't come out. Instead a little flower drops out of her mouth. The flower represents growing and moving on from something, or a deeper understanding of the situation. The flower comes out instead of the words that are holding you back.”
The upcoming LP, Forest City, is due out on May 6, 2022.
“I think she’s gonna blow your mind” BBC’s Maryanne Hobbs
"a clubby departure for Argirò, trading in clever chord changes for a hypnotic beat & swelling synth pads." FADER
“In a month all your cool friends will talk about Maria Chiara Argirò” Rolling Stone (IT)
“...a seemingly effortless blend of electronic elements with dance beats and a chocolate fudge swirl of jazz trumpet, this builder commands center stage. Play it loud for a weekend catharsis” KCRW
"drifts between club culture's left-field aspects and jazz improvisation" CLASH
"New song 'Bonsai' is - appropriately, given the title - a microcosm of her work, with the billowing house elements carrying a unique physicality. Heady, other-worldly stuff, 'Bonsai' grows organically, the lush horn elements augmented by the percussive rattle." - CLASH
"a clubby departure for Argirò, trading in clever chord changes for a hypnotic beat and swelling synth pads." - The FADER
On Forest City, Maria finds a glistening thread between these movements: where jazz meets Kelly Lee Owens, Jon Hopkins and Radiohead. It’s a concept record, about the “duality of nature and city”, where organic sounds and textures seem to flow above the urban sprawl.
Maria had finished writing the album before the first lockdown but the enforced isolation helped to give the music a sense of urgency, a longing to be immersed in the natural world and the buzz of the city at the same time. The songs always start as something she can play acoustically, that would work without the bells and whistles, and then she layers the atmosphere around them.
Though the album has dark undertones, it’s not all doom and gloom: in her earthy metropolis, a certain optimism glows through. “It’s about being conscious of the world we live in and how careful we need to be,” Maria explains. “At the end of the day, there is hope”.
Her new, warm and house-inflected single “Bonsai” came spontaneously. Maria reveals, “The main theme and melodies came out of an improvisation I had on my Yamaha CS reface over the first rhythmic synth idea. I remember trying many different sounds playing on my laptop, on Ableton and some VST, focussing on having a playful time rather than being too worried and conscious of the outcome. I wanted to create a playful dance floor track, but I also needed a drastic and big drop to happen at a certain point, like a wake-up call: the trumpet sounded like the best choice to get this “shouting” moment and drop. Like falling.”
Forest City was recorded and self-produced between her bedroom and her studiowith 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 “Blossom” and “Clouds” especially resemble Emiliana Torrini or a singer in a smoky, late-night club, alone under the spotlight on the stage.
Opening track “Home” sets up the shadowy textural claustrophobia of the city, its melancholic piano evoking raindrops on crowded pavement; then the album evolves into a mesmeric journey spanning downbeat trip-hop, all skittering drums and warped trumpet(“Forest City”), dream-like, folkier songwriting (“Greenarp”, which was named after the arpeggios she created on her beloved Organelle synth), shoegazey alt-pop, punctured by poignant brass solos (“Blossom”) and beguiling jazztronica that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Jamie XX set (“Clouds”).
After announcing the EP earlier this month, BAMBII (born Kirsten Azan) returns to release TRUCK RIDDIM. THE EP features the original instrumental version of the title-track as well as two remixes, the first with the Jamaican born, Miami based BEAM, who recently featured twice on Justin Bieber's latest album Justice and collaborated with Major Lazer and M.I.A, and the second with Kingston's LatyKim imbuing the riddim with a feminine touch.
Following an extended stay in Jamaica during the Covid-19 lockdown, TRUCK RIDDIM marks BAMBII's first release since 2019's "NITEVISION" feat. Pamputtae. Whether online or on dancefloors, BAMBII's political and musical vernacular give credence to dance music's ever expanding reach, the relationships it helps forge between individuals, cultures and spaces.
"This musical force fuses her Jamaican roots with a worldly sound influenced by Toronto's multiculturalism and her constant travels" VOGUE
Following an extended stay in Jamaica during the Covid-19 lockdown, BAMBII returns with her first new single since 2019's debut (NITEVISION) & delivers another infectious dancehall banger.
This time around, BAMBII teams up with Jamaican born, Miami based BEAM who recently collaborated with the likes of Justin Bieber, Major Lazer and M.I.A. Mixed by Francis Latreille.
You might hear hints of great British one-offs like Tricky, Roots Manuva, even a more laid-back Dizzee Rascal as grime, trip hop & jazz intermingle in Rarelyalways sound which is further evident on the new single and forthcoming EP produced by Hanni El Khatib.
"Who feels it knows it I’d say, many people have been unwell during the infamous year of 2020 to present, and whether you agree or not, I strongly believe not all health conditions are visible. The lead single ‘LAMENTING’ echoes the importance of community support; humans are not immune to bad days or vulnerability."
