TroffaĦamra launches Weġgħat Żgħar
TroffaĦamra, a Maltese singer living in Barcelona, is presenting her new album, titled "Weġgħat Żgħar". The album features music that sounds familiar but with unexpected elements. Recorded and produced by David Vella in August 2023 at Temple Studios, it features collaborations with top Maltese musicians. The songs, mostly in Maltese, are written from the perspective of a woman - a mother - living far from her country, wanting to express those small painful steps that all this brings with it. The ambivalence of motherhood, the passage of time, distance, loneliness, and change are some of the subjects explored in "Weġgħat Żgħar".
The launch will take place at the Blue Arena, il-każin tal-blu in Ħaż-Żabbar, where TroffaĦamra will perform the songs from the album, accompanied by talented musicians (list below). David Schembri, a singer and friend, will open the evening.
TroffaĦamra - vocals and guitar
Żiżża - percussion and drums
Michael Galea - drums and percussion
Oliver Degabriele - electric bass
Mario Borg - tenor saxophone
Javier Manzanares - accordion
Fiorella Camilleri - flute
Mark Attard - keyboard
Franco Tartaglia - electric guitar
Mariele Żammit - vocals
Justin Galea - vocals
“The Wards Outside” released 22 Feb 2024 : You ready to play a game?
Message from Sceptocrypt's Malcolm Callus on the band's page read as follows:
"Are you ready to play a game with Sceptocrypt?
Shamelessly, and with no pardon why a tune has to be short, to even be called a song, or to please a format that the market or trends ask for, we present you a 12min+ soundscape entitled “The Wards Outside”!
Looking at the father of the European avant-garde, Monsieur Antonin Artaud, unjustly incarcerated for his forward-thinking Theatre of Cruelty, here shouting his lungs out to a deaf society on a palette of extreme metal rifferama, with hidden influences from other genres!
So back to the game!
Can you decipher what the backward singing towards the end of our tune is telling you?
Or where “Or, cet esprit venu des Indiens d’Amérique ressort un peu partout aujourd’hui” (translating to “Well, this spirit originating with the American Indians is reappearing all over the world today”) hits?
The latter, an excerpt off Artaud’s final 1948 work “Pour en Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu“ is part of a broader text that presents Man, as an erotic animal when unrestrained, universally attributed to god, thus referred as Spirit, originating with the American Indians and reappearing anywhere nowadays.
Originally commissioned by French Radio but censored by the French government 1 day before its release, with Artaud passing away 1 month later, and its 1st (illegal) broadcast surfacing in 1964 in USA and French official radio following in 1968, shows that in old age, and later in death, Artaud kept being refused by the mass.
Such, sadly is how the avant-garde is sometimes unwelcomed. Yet such is the relentless force with which the avant-garde hits back! Sceptocrypt standing by shape-shifting rather than compromising, and with many off this Artaud’s final work referred to within the lyrics of “The Wards Outside”, we invite you to enjoy the game of finding all the references!
Through this body of work, we reimagine Artaud as you, yes you reading this, having been locked down unnecessarily and now released, asking society, if the cages you live in are real, or a product of the fabricated media that continues being sold to you? Do you see where this game is going?
As Artaud mentions : “I prefer the people who eat off the bare earth the delirium from which they were born”!
Sceptocrypt hence takes the opportunity to dedicate “The Wards Outside” to all the damaged people crossing each others’ path, a dynamic that could be as much a grace as a pitfall!
The theatre is open to all – no VIPs, everyone at equal risk!
So choose your seats wisely : the angel to your right may kill you, as the demon to the left may save you!
Hooray! Click the image to experience (through audio & verse) the game that morphs Sceptocrypt, Artaud & yourself as one! But remember – you need not fear shame to play this game!
Simply put, “The Wards Outside” might fuck you up, or you might experience a fuckin joy ride! 🙂
…. enter our Theatre!
This song serves a dual purpose.
a) to give an idea to all listeners etc what our “extreme music research” sound we are exploring hints at
b) to find a drummer and a vocalist (as Malcolm is singing only in the studio until we find a vocalist) ASAP as to bring this madness (we got near to 2 albums worth) to a live scenario! If interested, read more here.
Hellcommander: another accomplishment materialising
Furthermore to the achievements of Hellcommander (see article published here last week - link) melodija.eu can also reveal that Mark is also currently working with US one-woman band Carnalis Matoria on lyrics and vocals. this collaboration commenced last year when New Yorker Liliana Amatoria approached Mark with her new project. Her debut EP featuring this collaboration titled 'Forgive me Father, I AM SIN!, was released on November 19, 2023.
This alliance can be listened here.
Soul Introduces Thomas Farrugia as Their Newest Drummer!
Soul made a big announcement on February 5th, introducing Thomas Farrugia as their new drummer. At just 20 years old, Thomas has been honing his drumming skills since the age of 5, showcasing a remarkable talent from a young age. His inaugural performance with the band will take place on February 27th, as they are featured on 'Backstage,' a TVM program dedicated to spotlighting local Maltese musicians and their work. While Soul is set to appear on the show three times, only one date has been confirmed so far: February 27th at 6:30 PM. During this episode, fans can look forward to the band performing one of their unreleased singles, 'Misery.'
Thanks for the feature. Sceptocrypt