Marcello Magliocchi: Mirage and Encounters

By Nick Ostrum

Marcello Magliocchi is a percussionist from Bari, Italy. Although his name might not be familiar, he has played with an impressive array of musicians covered in this blog: Mal Waldron, William Parker, Peter Kowald, Joelle Leandre, Evan Parker, Mia Dyberg, and others. Given that, it is surprising he is not more widely known. Here, we feature two recent releases – Mirage and Encounters – on which Magliocchi plays a leading role from the last few months on the Greek label Plus Timbre.

Stefania Ladisa, Ninni Morgia, Marcello Magliocchi – Mirage (Plus Timbre, 2024) 

Lately, Magliocchi has engaged in unconventional configurations. A drummer, he has been drawn to strings and electronics. On Mirage, Magliocchi is joined by Stania Ladisa on electric violin and electronics and Ninni Morgia on electric guitar. From the beginning one hears noises: rattle, muffled shards of guitar, twinges of processed violin that quickly aggregate into a churning ball of sonic shrapnel that withers away as quickly as it appears. As the album proceeds, the musicians play with space, layering scrapes, ambient friction and electrical buzz and blips over quiet backdrops. Apart from the guitar when played more conventionally (especially in the final selection, the 13-minute Mirage) and some moments with Magliocchi clearly on his set, it is nigh on impossible to figure out which instruments are making which sounds. The acoustic percussion bleeds into the electronic whirl, and vice versa. It gets loud at points (Where the line ends, Entanglements I and II), but even at those moments, it rarely feels crowded for long. For their part, neither Ladisa nor Morgia play idiomatic lines or follow the usual routes. This is disassembled, even disembodied music, meticulously constructed, experimental ambient to the core and, in that, it is thoroughly attractive.

Matthias Boss, Stefania Ladisa, Marcello Magliocchi – Encounters (Plus Timbre, 2024) 

On Encounters, Mathias Boss and Ladis both accompany Magliocchi on violin. The acoustic arrangement invites the chamber comparison and creates a somewhat different soundscape than Ladisa and Morgia did electrified on Mirage. Of course, when one speaks of electricity, one thinks of energy, which, despite the lack of the former, is not missing here.

Although Boss and Ladisa deserve some adulation for this, the specifics of that energy emanate at least as much from Magliocchi. He never settles on a groove. In fact, it seems he has an aversion to playing the traditional role. Instead, he wanders, wide-eyed and curious as to what racket he can extract from his trove of percussive implements. When he finds a clank or rattle he likes, he leans into it, but does not settle for long. Instead, he quickly shifts to the next sound, deliberately lacing these various segments into an a gnarly stream of arhythmic clatter.

Boss and Ladisa are fitting counterparts. Already in Mirage, Ladisa makes clear she can hold her own. Boss clearly can, too. The two joust. They strike at and parry each other and Magliocchi, who responds in kind. They leap from quick bouts of tremolo to broader powerful swipes to delicate quiet passages. Through it all, they abandon the classic focus on scale, melody and tone, relying instead on textures and techniques to construct these seven “Encounters.” In that, they complement Magliocchi harshly and beautifully.

Both Mirage and Encounters are available as downloads from Bandcamp. Remarkably, they are pay-what-you-will. I would recommend you give what you can, but, at the very least, listen!