TSVI releases surprise album 'Stella Remota'

TSVI, real name Gugliemo Barzacchini, has self-released a surprise second album titled 'Stella Remota'.

The Italian artist, who also releases under the alias Anunaku, revealed on Instagram that last April he lost all his project files from the last three years due to a failure with his Dropbox backup system, including what would've been his second album.

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The project, unfinished at the time of the data loss, was written during the pandemic and featured almost 25 demos to pick from. In conversation with Mixmag, TSVI said that living with Loraine James, who features on two tracks on the project, had an "indirect influence on this record, just living together was really inspiring for me."

Barzacchini subsequently became disillusioned with 'Stella Remota', the loss of project files combining with doubts that his sophomore effort wasn't as strong as his debut, 'Inner Worlds', and that it wouldn't be received well.

Left discarded in his hard drive, 'Stella Remota' was largely untouched for the next seven months until TSVI's mother was taken into biopsy for suspected stomach cancer. The album became a source of light, "guiding [him] out of the darkness."

"I remember listening to it on repeat after all those months; it helped me get through one of the most difficult times of my life," recalls Barzacchini.

Thankfully his mother has since recovered, but the emotional period made the Italian producer realise "that this project can't sit on [his] hard drive forever."

"In these trying times, I believe it's worth sharing this music with the world, hoping it can bring some positivity and comfort to those who listen."

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And thus 'Stella Remota', the project that would've been TSVI's second solo album, is released to the world. The album, spanning 19 tracks, is available only on Bandcamp, with the Rinse FM DJ announcing that all purchases made on the November 3 Bandcamp Friday will go towards Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

Since its release, TSVI has had a few people point out that the tracks sound "too good" to be demo versions. The Nervous Horizon co-owner explains to Mixmag that this a result of his creative process, where he mixes tracks while he's arranging.

"Whenever I finish a track, I always export a few self master versions just to see how loud I can really push it."

You can listen to and order TSVI's second album, 'Stella Remota', here

Tibor Heskett is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter