Liminal is the culmination of four years of research, travel, study, and experiences by author Antonio Firinu. Groundless, Safir Nou’s debut album, was an introspective work that aimed to express the idea of being suspended between the sky and the earth, observing and reflecting on the landscape.
Liminal, on the other hand, is a work that emerges from the earth, taking root in the surrounding world and taking on its forms.
The compositions are more collaborative and the result of a new compositional approach designed for the band.
The concept of Liminal can be applied to various fields of knowledge, including psychology, anthropology, architecture, and philosophy. In architecture, it refers to an interstitial space between two doors, an intermediate dimension that lies between two well-defined states but is independent of them. The notion of liminality comes from Arnold van Gennep’s 1909 study of rites of passage, which identifies two thresholds and a liminal space where the protagonist experiences a double suspension.
Safir Nou takes up this concept to describe a dimension of passage, being suspended between a previous identity and a future identity, the search for another condition, an unresolved feeling, an unspoken word, the journey, and migration. The album consists of two different chapters, Waves and Sands, each composed of six tracks that reflect, face, and describe the liminal dimension in different ways. It is an exploration of the space of the interlude, the suspension, and the liminal journey, expressed through the language of music.
CREDITS
Antonio Firinu: guitars, accordion, synth, compositions;
Ivana Busu: synth, electronics, accordion;
Sergio Tifu: violin;
Andrea Lai: electric bass and double-bass;
Antonio Pinna: drums.
Recording, mixing by William Cuccu – Sonusville, Siliqua (CA).
Mastering by Marti Jane Robertson
Cover artwork by Alberto Spada a.k.a ILCARBONAUTA