Italian-born and now London-based producer Big Hands, co-founder of the Baroque Sunburst label, presents his debut album on Ali Safi’s consistently forward-thinking Canadian imprint, Marionette.
Home to acclaimed producers including Pretty Sneaky, Razen, MinaeMinae, Laurine Frost, Kilchhofer, Burnt Friedman, and Max Loderbauer, Marionette continuously pushes the boundaries for textural and electroacoustic music. Featuring artwork by Andreas Bauer, Big Hands’ debut full-length is a bold voyage through a spectrum of styles, timbres, field recordings, and emotions, making it a striking addition to Marionette’s ever-growing catalog.
Lifted from the press release – “Thauma was conceived in dreams over two consecutive nights as he traversed the storm-ridden Mediterranean Sea in late June 2024 and was later brought to life with the intent of preserving the sounds and structures as they were originally dreamt.” – Composed of ten tracks that seamlessly morph into one another, the album contains recordings of tuned percussion instruments (such as bells and the balafon) captured whilst travelling across the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Egypt, and Turkey) as well as collaborations with his tight-knit orbit of talented musicians.
To offer a glimpse into Thauma, we are thrilled to premiere “Presagio“, a hypnotic fusion of hand percussion, bell chimes, and polyrhythmic modulations that evokes a profound sense of spiritual enlightenment.
‘Thauma’ is scheduled for release on 11th April via Marionette. Pre-order a vinyl copy from Inverted Audio Record Store and digital from Bandcamp.
Photo by Chiara Fossati
TRACKLIST
1. The Armed Joy (For Alfredo)
2. Fuoco Lento (with Bint Mbareh & Ottomani Parker)
3. Cicadidae يَتَوقَّع
4. Presagio – Hē thálassa hē kath’hēmâs
5. Le Toille (XVII)
6. Sticks and Stones (with Buster Woodruff-Bryant)
7. A Juniper Tree Whose Roots Are Made of Fire – شجرة عرعار بشروشها نار و شرار (with Bint Mbareh)
8. Tu Estómago (XVI)
9. In My Recurring Dream (Sekizinci Iblissin)
10. Rinascita (with Yusuf Ahmed & Buster Woodruff-Bryant)