Originally released digitally by Cafe Oto in 2020, "A Queer Anthology of Drums" is Italo-British percussionist Valentina Magaletti's most satisfying set - a future-fluid evolution of post-punk/industrial murk, free-jazz fizz, electro-acoustic trickery and avant-minimalist mischief. Think Chris Corsano, Morton J. Olsen, Thomas Strønen, Han Bennink.
Best known as a prized collaborator who's put in work with Raime, Helm, Jandek, Floating Points, Nico Jaar and numerous others, and making up part of Moin, Vanishing Twin, Tomaga and CZN, Valentina Magaletti is also an accomplished solo artist, and this is where her skills really tend to shine. "A Queer Anthology of Drums" stands as a blueprint for her methodology, rolling through her studied musical philosophy centering percussion without sacrificing structure, cohesion and momentum. Anyone who's heard her performances before won't be completely caught off guard, but this record is the most complete collection she's assembled thus far, balancing lucid rhythmic ritualism with playful psychedelia and fragmented melodic elements.
Magaletti recorded the album at home, collaging drums, field recordings, vibraphone, toys and oscillators into a fluxing symphony of rhythm and tone. And while the original album was eight...more
released May 27, 2022 Valentina Magaletti played and assembled percussion, drums, field recordings, vibraphone, toys, and oscillators Mixed by Leon Marks in London,UK Mastered by Sarah Register in NYC Cover Photo by Andrea Cavazzuti Layout by Tom Ng
Special thanks to: Takuroku and Cafe Oto, Tom Relleen, Marta Salogni, João Pais Felipe and Pilot Press.
About Valentina Magaletti: A multi-genre Italo-British drummer, percussionist, and composer based in London; a collaborator of the CAN project in 2017; one half of both Tomaga and Holy Tongue; a member of the critically acclaimed experimental pop quartet Vanishing Twin; a "musical chameleon" who's worked with Nicolas Jaar, Malcolm Catto, Charles Hayward (This Heat), Graham Lewis (Wire, Dome), Tightpaul Sandra (Coil, Spiritualized, Julian Cope), Thurston Moore and many more.
