‘Hauntings’ is Barbieri’s first studio album since 2021’s ‘Under A Spell’, deepening the pensive, dark instrumental aesthetic of its predecessor. A diverse collection of immersive sound worlds, both dark & uplifting in equal measure, ‘Hauntings’ is influenced by a nostalgia for the past & future, & for things that didn’t happen yet still manage to haunt the mind & soul. What is real & what is simulation?
The album finds Barbieri at the height of his powers, his deft keyboard & sonic architecture conjuring a shadowy, creeping Lovecraftian atmosphere. The music wanders through the streets of a gloomy lamp-lit Victorian London & drifts into grain-speckled snapshots of Belle Époque Paris. These journeys into the past are contrasted with nihilistic but euphoric forays into the future, “Traveler” & “A New Simulation” bristling with the itchy modern anxiety that often runs through his best work.
Contrasting the sound designs & electronics of Barbieri, the album features performances from renowned musicians Morgan Agren (drums & percussion), Percy Jones (bass guitar) & Luca Calabrese (trumpet).
- Snakes & Ladders (05:33)
- Anemoia (05:09)
- Victorian Wraith (03:02)
- 1890 (03:58)
- Artificial Obsession (05:07)
- Paris Sketch (05:47)
- Perfect Toys (03:48)
- Traveler (05:41)
- Reveille (01:54)
- Last Post (02:23)
- A New Simulation (04:38)