Rising electronic luminary Maria Chiara Argirò has announced her highly-anticipated album Closer – a testament to Maria’s journey of self-exploration, and a manifestation of her profound connection with music. Rooted in an indescribable feeling that compelled her to create, the album transcends boundaries and traverses the spectrum of electronic music with unparalleled depth and clarity.
On the album, Maria says: “It is about a feeling, a dreamlike feeling in motion, a feeling that we cannot describe, a dream I’m sort of walking through. Emotions/dreams/feelings that sometimes you can just imagine, a dreamlike world where we walk through to get to the core of ourselves a bit more, even if things are completely undefined and blurry. While working on the music there was this strong feeling - at times blurry and at times more defined - of getting, with every single note, closer and closer to the person I want to be. Free. Curious and consequently Aware, Connected and Closer to the people I love. There is so much noise in this world, I think being direct, gentle, light, open and connected is the key.”
The titular single “Closer” is out today, a hypnotic embrace crafted with expert production, undulating synth and exuding an understated lo-fi charm. Maria tells, “This song explores the dream of navigating life, finding where you truly belong and discovering freedom within this feeling. It’s a journey centered on connecting with oneself and getting closer in a dreamlike world.”
The accompanying dance-based music video depicts a very personal story. The visual storytelling and cinematography are both honest and raw, with a constant forward momentum provided by dancer Klaudia Wittmann as she moves gracefully through different settings. Director Raoul Paulet tells, “A woman relives her journey on this planet in the pursuit of belonging. Only through the acceptance of the world around her, she can find our true self. Or, is it the other way round?”
Argirò has been a central figure in the UK jazz, classical and electronic worlds since she moved to London from Rome over a decade ago. A skilled pianist since childhood, she’s collaborated with everyone from These New Puritans to Jono McCleery to Jamie Leeming alongside output with Moonfish. Her previous solo album, the stunning electronic jazz-fusion record Forest City, received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, The Fader, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork who described Maria's sound: "Hazy, downtrodden vocal harmonies blend with aquatic synth arpeggios that mirror the tide, like Azure Ray singing over Thom Yorke compositions." Her music has featured in the Netflix series, Elite, and she can count the likes of Four Tet and Gilles Peterson as fans, with the latter describing her music as “absolutely crazy good”.
The result of this journey, both sonic and personal, can be keenly felt on Closer. While it is definitely not a concept album, the record does mirror the path of inner self-exploration that Argirò has been on. Albeit moving in unpredictable ways, as it traverses the spectrum of electronic music spanning ambient to dance music, while also retaining light touches of jazz with a leaning towards experimental pop via Argirò’s more central and up-front vocals.
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."
