Venetian maestro Gigi Masin, active since the early tape era, threads MIDI phrasing with soft techno patterns and submerged tonal layers.
A sense of persistence rather than grief alone
Gigi Masin returns with Movement, his first solo LP since Calypso, shifting ambient into pulse-driven structures and sequenced motion. Out on May 29th via Sacred Bones, Movement reframes ambient as physical music, built for shared space, where loops, low frequencies, and sustained tones guide the body as much as the ear. “Deception Dance” has been the first excerpt.
This new album is significantly influenced by the recent collaboration with sound designer Rod Modell and also benefits from Anacleto Vitolo’s excellent mastering work. “UMI” and its minimalist style add a touch of coolness that doesn’t feel cold, transporting you to a chill corner of a sweaty room, the same space shared with the seven-and-a-half-minute “Deception Dance,” a minimal techno track that, with snippets of alien-sounding phrases.
“Lost,” is dedicated to the disappearance of his wife: an act of love and tenderness conveyed through a synthesized trumpet, representing a “love letter that was no longer received and was thrown into the river.” The more rhythmic tracks (such as “Golden” or ) have been interpreted as a tribute/exploration that blends and reinterprets techno-funk sounds, Balearic bossa nova (in the vein of Manuel Göttsching), and classic Balearic influences.
In 2007, the beloved Italian composer lost his entire musical archive in a house flood, forcing him to put music on the back burner for a while. These events could have disrupted his work entirely. Instead, Masin continued to create. The album reflects a sense of persistence rather than grief alone. There is emotion present, but it is expressed through subtle shifts rather than dramatic gestures.
Movement is available on Sacred Bones. [Bandcamp]
