„Sphinx Nouvelle“ is your fourth solo album and a return to Leaving Records. What inspired you to work with this label again?
I really appreciate working with them for their enthusiasm and transparency and the community they cherish. I am also a fan of their founders‘ music projects. Matthew David’s music is transcendental and deeply earthly at the same time.
Are there any books or movies that served as a source of influence for Sphinx Nouvelle?
Quintessence, a book by Mary Daly, was influential in weaving together the narrative of the album as she speaks about necrophilia, technologies of death, and how power can become a tool to steal our imagination and faith. The album is an attempt to navigate these scenarios while taking a leap of faith through exploring concepts of beauty and transformation. Another influence was the movie The Abyss by James Cameron; the aliens and the architecture they encounter in the water depths are gorgeous and sparkly, and the Alan Silvestri soundtrack keeps you curious and excited all along the journey.
What does the figure of the Sphinx mean to you, and how is it reflected in your music?
I wanted to play with the ambiguity of this figure because, if on one hand it represents enigma, earthly feminine sensuality, and guarding secrets/protecting one’s space, on the other it is historically associated with power and gatekeeping; it stands at the gates of empires. Some of these feelings were present during the making of the album, like navigating how to survive and thrive off my work, being able to access certain spaces of support or not, the uncertainty that comes with that and how to ride it, or being exposed online to certain lifestyles that drive us to desire more and more…
I loved the sphinx because it was a container, a portal, to welcome all these questions and contradictions.
You produced the album in places as diverse as Thailand, Italy, and Mallorca. How did these places influence the atmosphere of the album?
On the way to Thailand, it was the first time I saw modern Middle Eastern grand architecture, and I started fantasizing about them being star-gates, especially with this one building… the Katara Towers… So, you can hear in the very first track the Sphinx roaring, which takes you to the Lemurian Shore Party via the stargate. The Lemurian is a speculative civilization that supposedly existed before Atlantis, and its people were described to be telepathic; in this track, they are dancing and celebrating on the beach. It felt like a good fit for the opening scene of the record. All the other tracks are made between Thailand and Italy, and the last track, ‚Afterlife‘, is in Mallorca. What weaves them together is a proximity to water during the whole recording process.
How is the southern Italian mood expressed in your music? What do you associate with southern Italy, and which places should definitely be visited there?
I think cherishing and celebrating roots can only nurture us because we are harnessing our power directly from the earth, water, and clay that give birth. The town where my parents are from in Calabria comes with a whole load of difficult history related to organized crime, and to be able to find my voice and share it has been and still is a vulnerable process. In these places, you are recommended to not speak about it for your own safety, and I think it creates a vicious cycle of silencing. Most of the young people there must migrate because opportunities there are cut from the root. But for me, Calabria and the south in general are also synonyms of life, joy, spirituality, ancient wisdom and heritage, resistance, care, popular culture, and stunning nature. I’d recommend Le Castella in Crotone and Bagni Regina Giovanna in Sorrento if you want to feel like a real-life mermaid.
What role does nature play in your creative process?
It’s quite central alongside its impact on the human imagination. The Renaissance pagan gardens are an example of the impact of nature on fantasy; I explored them a lot in both Eurybia and Bird Bath. Rome, for instance, the most Catholic city in the world, is also filled with the most beautiful celebrations and ancient symbols that are a representation of nature’s forces. So more than a quest in time travel, this process of connecting to past eras somehow is always led by the desire to collaborate with nature and technology to nurture the imagination and the spirit, which are threatened by the algorithm and the products it’s trying to sell us 24/7. Just like the artists in that time were making subtle messages under the church commission, we too today can resist the empire and listen to nature’s secrets.
How does Sphinx Nouvelle differ from your last album, Bird Bath?
They are very different. In Bird Bath, I was looking at Beato Angelico’s paintings and figuring out how light translated to music. It’s a calmer and sweeter exploration of when you need protection and seek it in something invisible. Sphinx Nouvelle is about taking power back and embracing shadow as part of the journey.
What are your personal favorite moments on the album, and why?
I think my favorite moment is Square Meter Mania. The title is somehow about obsessive thinking that doesn’t get you out of the square, when you can’t get something or someone out of your head and thinking you’re going crazy or that that’s how things are going to be from now on and you’re turning into someone you don’t want to be, so I imagine it like a dance trapped in a cube… but at the same time the synth is soft; it seeks freedom through repetition and tries to gently reassure there’s a way out, and once out it’s going to be a fresh new you.
What was the last concert you attended?
Ruth Kemna in Venice
Where can you be seen live soon? Are there any concerts planned in Austria?
In Bruxelles on November 15th and Berlin on November 21st, I would love to come to Austria soon!
Francesca Heart – www.francescamariano.com, www.instagram.com/serpentinedance/
