PINHDAR returns with the highly anticipated second album, ’A Sparkle On The Dark Water,’ a new chapter in the personal journey of the Italian duo composed of singer Cecilia Miradoli and guitarist/producer MaxTarenzi. An intense, contemplative, and dark work, yet not resigned, navigating through trip-hop, dream-pop, dark-wave, and electronica. Preceded in recent weeks by the singles Humans, Little Light and Frozen Roses and their extraordinary videos directed by filmmaker Telavaya Reynolds and Marco Molinelli, the album is released on vinyl and CD by the English label Fruits de Mer Records, as well as in digital format. Watch the video for the track Frozen Roses which is lifted from the album.
The album is an intimate reflection on the meaning of human existence and what can still be done, both privately and to others, to ignite a spark in the dark waters into which the planet Earth is increasingly sinking. Musically, PINHDAR continue their unique artistic journey, evolving from their first significant album ‘Parallel’ (Fruits de Mer Records, 2021), produced with Howie B. They blend deep trip-hop rhythms with dark wave guitar textures, dream pop reverberations, and enveloping synthetic electronics. In ’A Sparkle On The Dark Water,’ they depart from the minimalism of their previous work, layering their sound. Cecilia’s voice is no longer alone in the forefront but is immersed in dreamlike sonic landscapes drawn by guitars and synths that, at times, take the lead, guiding her through hypnotic instrumental evolutions. In other moments, they dance around her while she whispers her intimate visions with depth.
Curiosity: While they were working on the album in England, PINHDAR met James Johnston. The London-based painter and musician, known for founding Gallon Drunk and collaborating with artists such as Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Lydia Lunch, Faust, and currently touring with PJ Harvey, honors them by gifting the image of one of his paintings for use as the cover of their new record.
The new album will be presented during the following tour dates: 4/18 – Glitch Soundclub in Rome, 4/27 – Spazioporto in Taranto, 6/28 – String Theory Music Festival in Lendinara, 7/6 – Kasamatta Emingway in Catanzaro, 8/2 – Dr Sardonicus Psych Festival in Cardigan, UK, and 8/3 – CWRW in Carmarthen, UK.
TRACK-BY-TRACK | WORDS FROM PINHDAR
1. In The Woods | Difficult interpersonal relationships that leave a sense of loneliness and emptiness. The hope is to find a common horizon where one can meet, even if only in a dream.
2. Cold River | A song about the irony of life, reshuffling the cards from one moment to another. It’s better not to remain defenceless in the face of these events to avoid being overwhelmed like a stone at the bottom of a frozen river.
3. Home | We are all travellers of this space and time, but we all return to the one place that each calls home.
4. Little Light | A metaphor for a personal relationship in which one of the two fumbles in the dark, and the only light to navigate in the darkness is what he receives from the other being, who gives him eyes and sensitivity to avoid drifting.
5. Murderers Of A Dying God | It describes the scream of planet Earth and denounces the arrogance of man who is killing it. For other living beings, there is no longer a place to go, only cages, unhappiness, and death.
6. Humans | With a more forgiving perspective, one can see how, in the end, we are just humans who, in the name of some god, have gone too far without realizing that we will fade away like flowers.
7. Solanin | Inspired by Inio Asano’s seinen manga of the same name, it describes, between reality and dystopia, the cruelty and loneliness of a big city where inhabitants are like raindrops in a storm.
8. Frozen Roses | A stagnant, frozen world, a metaphor for an immobile present where echoes of voices and colours from a distant and lost past still resonate. Young lives that do not see a future, like frozen roses whose fragrance remains trapped in the ice of an uncertain destiny.
9. Abysses | Every thought, even the darkest, and every pain we inflict on each other could be overcome if we could exchange souls even for just one day.
10. At The Gates Of Dawn | Dedicated to a departed friend. It speaks to those no longer present in an attempt to exorcise the sense of absence, transforming it into the profound meaning of life.
PINHDAR are an Italian duo composed of singer Cecilia Miradoli and guitarist/producer Max Tarenzi. Born out of experiences in the rock band Nomoredolls and the organisation of the international musical festival A Night Like This, they explore the fusion of trip-hop, dark wave, and electronica with originality, influenced by the Bristol scene. Their eponymous debut EP in 2019 received praise from the British critics, with the single Toy broadcasted on major radios like KEXP. In 2021, they released their first album, ‘Parallel,’ with the collaboration of legendary producer Howie B, published by Fruits de Mer Records. The European tour included prestigious venues such as Stereolux in Nantes and Dr Sardonicus Psych Fest in the UK. In 2023, they completed the new album ‘A Sparkle On The Dark Water’ with producer Bruno Ellingham, a former Massive Attack and Portishead collaborator.
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