Pianist Federico Albanese Announces 'Days of Passage' EP

Italian composer, pianist and producer Federico Albanese will be releasing the Days of Passage EP on September 22nd via XXIM Records.

Blessed with a rare musical versatility, playing piano, clarinet and bass guitar from a young age and possessing a keen sense for alternative, eclectic forms of expression, Albanese has always sought to explore music in all its facets and as well as being influenced by alt pop, psychedelia and more left-field forms of composition, his genre-fusing piano soundscapes have typically also incorporated elements of guitar, bass, violin and electronica.

The latest single "The Sentinel" is out now, "a song that explores the idea of time, in the form of the acceptance of the state of waiting for something to happen that perhaps never will," Federico describes. "The Sentinel is the one that exists in this state, where everything moves around while he waits in peace. Like Telemachus, the son of Ulysses, who waits for his father to come home. There is nothing else he can do, and yet he’s able to embrace this state of mind so that patience and waiting become his only real truth."

"The Sentinel also reflects the modern idea of time, where everything needs to be fast and quick and we all seek for fast responses and solutions," he adds. "We’ve lost patience, we do not procrastinate, we do not accept anymore the condition where we can just wait and give things time to resolve. Ultimately peace and calm is what we seek the most and The Sentinel is the one who found it.”

Written and recorded in Berlin, the Days of Passage EP processes thoughts and emotions in view of a major turning point in life. “It’s essentially a journey into the imagination, almost like a dream”, Albanese explains. “The music describes all the hopes, thoughts, challenges, and fears that can overcome us when we start questioning what our future might hold.”

The decisive factor in this particular recording however was Albanese’s discovery of a beautiful old Steinway piano dating from the 1930s/40s.  The sound – especially the resonant bass -  immediately appealed to him and inspired him.   This new way of working freed Albanese from everything that had gone before and gave him immense artistic and creative freedom to explore his sound world differently in an unusually unfettered way.  

He describes the sound of this particular piano as being the perfect vehicle for his artistic aims for the EP.   “The sound was both grounded and safe and yet also airy and undefined…” he explains “…which beautifully encapsulated what I was feeling – the dichotomy of the need to be secure and at the same time the urge to explore the unknown.

Not all of the pieces are resolved, some display a particular mood or feeling and hope and uncertainty are both present throughout.  The music describes all the hopes, fears, thoughts and challenges that can overwhelm us when we start questioning what our future might hold.”

Albanese notes further: “How I composed ‘Days of Passage’ was in one single spontaneous flow.  The EP represents an entire musical journey in just one go.  On a metaphysical level, I felt that everything was already there, fully-formed and the wonderful sound and feel of this very special instrument released it within me and allowed it all to emanate from me.  It was an incredibly uplifting experience”.

About XXIM Records:

Pronounced ‘Twenty-One M’ and headquartered in Berlin, experimentation and collaboration lie at the heart of XXIM’s ethos, with the ultimate goal of providing a strong platform for the creative development of a new generation of artists whose work explores and integrates, among other realms, neo-classical, post-rock, electronic, and ambient sounds.  

Famed Manchester alt trio GoGo Penguin, Canadian pianist and composer Alexandra Stréliski, Franco-American composer, conductor, producer, and arranger Uèle Lamour, Icelandic pianist, composer and vocalist Eydís Evensen, Icelandic alternative duo Hugar, and Italian pianist and composer Olivia Belli are just a few of the talents that currently call XXIM home.

Photo Credit: Dovile Sermokas

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