Francesca Guccione

Sicilian violinist, singer, and composer, Francesca Guccione, lands on Julien Marchal‘s very own Whales Records with her debut album, Muqataea, and I am honoured to premiere the title track from this release! “Muqataea, which means ‘county’ in Arabic, is my personal journey to rediscover my hometown, Modica,” says Guccione, “observed through the eyes of the imagination; a dimension of colours, vocal textures and musical plots between strings and electronic sounds.” From the very opening lines of slowly building recurring string progressions, complemented by deeper atmospheric treatments and triumphant piano notes, it is impossible not to compare this music to that of the dearly missed (and now three years departed) Jóhann Jóhannsson. Under the artistic direction of the cellist and composer Giovanni Sollima, the minimalist melody soars through the mesmerising traversal of solemn chords, nostalgic soundscapes, and a clearly stated cinematic arc. This is a massive score (in numerous definitions of that word) for Marchal’s rising Bordeaux-based label as he pushes his love for modern classical compositions beyond the solo piano works. I am incredibly excited to play a small part in Guccione’s introduction, as I am sure that we will hear from her a lot. Meanwhile, here’s the track, and I hope you stick around for the entire album, out next week!