LACINIA by Stefano Pilia

pre-order link @
https://dieschachtelrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lacinia

"Lacinia”is a new and important cycle of compositions by Stefano Pilia, which continues and expands the poetics and compositional ideas that the Genoese composer and guitarist introduced with the previous "Spiralis Aurea", the double album released by Die Schachtel in 2022.

"Lacinia" (meaning "lace" in Latin) continues Pilia’s exploration of the metaphysical, spiritual, and divine dimensions through number, geometry, and the creation of tonal forms and architectures with properties similar and isomorphic to those archetypal, immutable forms that represent the intersection between the abstract realm of mathematics and the real structures of the physical world.

The result is music that deeply resonates with the works of composers such as Arvo Pärt, LaMonte Young, Pauline Oliveros, Eliane Radigue, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Sarah Davachi amongst the more contemporary composers. The compositions of Lacinia unfold as a series of sonic meditations that encourage active listening and evoke echoes of ancient liturgical and devotional music (Gesualdo da Venosa, Monteverdi, John Dowland) through a refined intersection of acoustic and electroacoustic processes, drone, and chamber music. The literal and the abstract are used to seek a higher order and meaning within a chaotic and uncertain world.

Regarding both the individual tracks and the overall work, the idea behind Lacinia is to define a circular path (a sort of "rhizomatic lace") where the beginning and end touch, suggesting the concept of time not only as linear but also cyclical and ritualistic—an eternal return, a process of transformation where matter changes, its state changes, but without altering the invisible internal principle of mutation. The energy of transformation is channeled through steps, degrees, and energetic quanta in a progression of archetypal whole numbers and transcendent creation.

Like its predecessor "Spiralis Aurea", "Lacinia" features compositions for variable ensembles, often performed and recorded in different ways for the album version (string quartet, synths and strings, horns and organ, string orchestra, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion), and then presented live in different versions and formations (from duo to guitar trio, guitar and cello quartet, electroacoustic versions).

Tracklist

1.	CADUX / plectere I	4:58

2.	LACINIA OFF AXIS	4:08

3.	MARIS STELLA / plectere II	5:54

4.	ERE	4:56

5.	ARBOREA / plectere III	5:52

6.	EVE	6:12

7.	SIDEREUS / plectere IV	5:21

8.	LACINIA IN AXIS	4:03

9.	VERIS / plectere V	3:57

10.	NOVA pt I	3:40

11.	EVE for string orchestra	6:21

12.	NOVA pt II	3:40

13.	MATRIX / plectere VI	4:14

14.	MARIS STELLA / plectere VII	4:40

15.	LACINIA OFF AXIS for string orchestra	4:06

16.	CYCLE / plectere VIII	6:01

Credits

released February 25, 2025

CADUX / plectere I 4:58 (for flute trio)
Manuel Zurria, flutes

LACINIA OFF AXIS 4:07 (for string quartet)
Ensemble Concordanze
Pietro David Caramia, violin
Elena Maury, violin
Alessandro Savio, viola
Mattia Cipolli, cello

MARIS STELLA / plectere II 6:10 (for horns trio, organ & percussion)
Elisa Bognetti, horns
Stefano Pilia organ & percussion

ERE 4:59 (for strings, organ & sample)
Mattia Cipolli, cello
Stefano Pilia organ & tape -voice samples Christa Ludwig-

ARBOREA / plectere III 5:46 (for string trio)
Ensemble Concordanze Pietro David Caramia, violin Alessandro Savio, viola Mattia Cipolli, cello

EVE 6:10 (for four oscillators, guitar and voice)
Alice Norma Lombardi, voice & lyrics adaptation
Stefano Pilia electronics & guitar
lyrics by Katherine Mansfield

SIDEREUS plectere IV 5:25 (for sax, organ & percussion)
Laura Agnusdei, sax
Stefano Pilia, organ & percussion

LACINIA IN AXIS 4:06 (for string quartet)
Ensemble Concordanze
Pietro David Caramia, violin
Elena Maury, violin
Alessandro Savio, viola
Mattia Cipolli, cello

VERIS plectere V 3:59 (for violin duo & percussion)
Alessandro Trabace, violin
Stefano Pilia percussion

NOVA pt I 3:42 (for six lines & percussion)
Stefano Pilia, continuum & percussion

EVE 6:23 (for strings orchestra)
Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra
Paolo Mancini Concertmaster

NOVA pt II 3:38 (for six lines & percussion)
Stefano Pilia, continuum & percussion

MATRIX / plectere VI 4:15 (for strings orchestra)
Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra
Paolo Mancini Concertmaster

MARIS STELLA / plectere VII 4:39 (for strings orchestra)
Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra
Paolo Mancini Concertmaster

LACINIA OFF AXIS 4:07 (for strings orchestra)
Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra
Paolo Mancini Concertmaster

CYCLE / plectere VIII 6:00 (for organ & percussion)
Stefano Pilia, organ & percussion

All music composed, recorded and mixed by Stefano Pilia
string orchestra arrangements by Mattia Cipolli
CADUX recorded and mixed by Manuel Zurria
LACINIA OFF AXIS, IN AXIS & ARBOREA recorded by Bruno Germano at Vacuum Studio
Comunale di Bologna string orchestra recorded at DOM Laminarie Mastered at Outside Inside by Matteo Bordin

Thanks To Matilde Piazzi, Alessandra Novaga, Adrian Utley, Giuseppe Franchellucci, Jonathan Clancy and Maple Death records, Bruna Gambarelli, Marcella Loconte, Mauro Bartoli, Roberto Beani, Marco Stangherlin, Riccardo Biondetti e Federico Zanatta @ Swamp booking, Salvo Cautadella @ Panico concerti, Anna Leonardi, Alessandro Brutti, Tiziana Viviani, Giacomo Pilia, Silvia Morselli, Stefano Piazzi.
Produced by Bruno Stucchi and Fabio Carboni, Die Schachtel.

with the support of SUNER a project by Arci Emilia Romagna supported by Emilia Romagna Region

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