They often speak of the “sophomore slump” or the “difficult third album syndrome.” For Feliu, I knew I had to raise my expectations. As the third studio album from Pigmento Music—following The Grid Line and White Night Walks—this chapter delves deeper into the heart of the Mediterranean.
While the rigid boundaries of The Grid Line were first surpassed by the wanderlust of White Night Walks, it is with Feliu that we venture even further, carried by the Mediterranean waves. It is an album defined by a hint of homesickness balanced with a clear-eyed awareness of the journey.
This record is an odyssey traversing the Mediterranean realm, where the ocean’s embrace meets the sea’s helm. Through explored lands where life’s essence unfolds, it is a quest for the soul’s language in stories yet untold. It is a symphony of tongues—a linguistic blend of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan, accented by the ancient cadence of Greek. Together, they form a harmonious choir unveiling the depths of human desire.
Looking back, my debut, The Grid Line, took years to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It distilled my youth into a collection of songwriting that captured my transition from childhood to adulthood within the small area where I grew up.
The second album, White Night Walks, felt like an earthquake. Produced after a long series of misadventures, it resulted in a newfound glory and confidence. Those songs were about walking away from trouble—moving from the “blue” into the “white.” In between, I released several EPs, including the largely instrumental Antonyms for Confined Places, written and recorded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In contrast, Feliu was planned, written, and recorded in a state of complete tranquility. Paradoxically, that is what made it a “difficult” third album. I had to consciously push past my comfort zones to ensure the music continued to evolve. While some of these songs were written years ago—keeping with my tradition of “shelving” ideas—I knew as I recorded them that these would be the last of those long-held secrets to finally be taken off the shelf.
Filippo Barizza – acoustic guitar, vocals, synths
Andrea Giacon – bass
Antonio Noventa – piano (on Le Sentinelle)
Maria Robaey – violin (on Nossa Andorinha)
Marta Stella – violin (on Nossa Andorinha, Mi Primer Viaje, Il Volto della Corda)
Michela Gamba – vocals (on Mi Primer Viaje, Le Sentinelle)
The Nyc – electric guitar (on Petra Tou Romiou)
Léon Omar Ivan Sanchez Guerrero – narrative vocals (on El Lince de la Noche)
Fien – vocals (on Petra Tou Romiou)
Hans (Grizzly Bird) – vocals, ukulele (on Torres Miradores)
Francesco Franz Fabiano – mixing, mastering, backing vocals (on Aveirao)