Amethyst is a collaboration between singer Maddalena Ghezzi and double bass player Thodoris Ziarkas. This project is based around improvisation. The pieces are all inspired by the natural world and small realisations they had while walking in various natural environments. For this project Maddalena used a digital delay pedal to create different atmospheres and exploit the resonance in the space. The repetition in the lyrics and breaking of the phrases is inspired by Matana Roberts.
Amethyst was recorded at The Intimate Space at St. Mary’s Tower, Hornsey, London.
Untangled thoughts (single) was released on the Amethyst full EP release via DēngYuè Records. Amethyst is the first release in a series called Minerals.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Barney J Spigel.
Minerals is a series of collaborations with musicians Maddalena loves. The aim of the series is to take snapshots of her artistic interactions at the moment of recording and to build, through the years, a compilation of meaningful exchanges. This will record an enriching process of growth that contains gems of different shapes, textures and colours.
Maddalena enjoys collaborating with a diverse range of artists and likes to play with her voice in unexpected and curious ways. This series will mirror her versatility and display
different aspects of her voice. Minerals are varied and so are the collaborations that
are sprouting. The musicians involved are asked to pick a place that is meaningful to them for the recording. This is to capture a diverse range of room sounds.
The series will be released at random intervals, aiming to produce three collaborations a year, whenever the ground is right for another collaboration to sprout. The concept for the overarching project comes from childhood memories of learning about minerals and gems though a weekly magazine. Step by step, each week her dad and herself would collect a new piece of a mineral and learn about it together. This was a precious time for her. It took a long time, it was a patient process, but they finished it.
Maddalena Ghezzi is a voice player and composer born in Milan and living in London. She is passionate and curious about using her voice in creative ways to discover new sounds. She is the band leader for FUWAH, Stanza Da Tre and Wells Reflections. She collaborates with musicians and artists in different disciplines, recent works include Parasang 8 (Pouya Ehsaei // Manana Records), If I were you (Maria Vatenina) and Constellations (Kate Keara
Pelen).
She studied jazz singing with Brigitte Beraha and deepened her research in singing by attending workshops and masterclasses on Libero Canto, improv and composition (Sara Serpa), Mongolian throat singing (Michael Orminston and Candida Valentino), Yiddish and Russian songs (Polina Shepherd), Maquam music (Louai Alhenawi) and others.
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Photo by Kurtiss Lloyd
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