Robert Farrugia Releases ‘Ballottra’ Ahead of upcoming soundtrack album ‘Natura Maltija’
Maltese ambient artist Robert Farrugia announces new soundtrack album Natura Maltija, providing a playful, ambient-inspired score of hardware synthesis and orchestral instrumentation to beautiful multi-part Maltese nature documentary
About 'Ballottra'
‘Ballottra’ [Eng: Weasel], the first single from the ‘Natura Maltija’ [Eng: Maltese Nature] series soundtrack, is a playful, vibrant composition for Farrugia’s characteristic hardware synthesis, embodying the agile, miniature, rarely-seen Maltese weasel. Employing orchestral instrumentation alongside synthesisers, the piece - as with the remainder of the record - is as lively, unique, and delicate as Malta’s fertile but isolated natural ecosystem. Throughout, nimble piano motifs flutter atop strings, synth drones, and arpeggiation in deft and elegant symbiosis. In contrast to more poignant and melancholic moments elsewhere on the record, highlighting the challenges facing Malta’s ecosystems, “Ballottra” evokes wonder and playfulness, celebrating its beauty.
About 'Natura Maltija' [Official Soundtrack]
Farrugia’s ‘Natura Maltija’ score marries traditional and organic orchestration with contemporary ambient-aligned sound design to support the narrative of the documentary series - itself a rare and deeply engaging longform experience, unique to the tiny Mediterranean archipelago Just as the series, Farrugia’s soundtrack captures the breadth and beauty of Malta's diverse wildlife. Each track corresponds a specific lifeform, both fauna and flora, while recurring motifs and instrumentation bind the album and series into an overarching narrative. Recorded, as usual, in his home studio, Farrugia worked closely with the series producers to offer both celebratory and wistful storytelling.
Bugeddum
Bufula
Fkieren
Lhudi
Qabru
Merill
Gamiem
Ballottra
Qarnita
Tema
Series producer and director Saviour Bonnici's inspiration to create Natura Maltija [Eng: Maltese Nature] stems from a young age, largely influenced by his father, who shared his knowledge and passion for the natural world. Bonnici came to understand that Maltese nature, rich in biodiversity - there are over 11,000 species, 130 of which endemic - was under threat. Sensing a want of environmental education in the Maltese school system, he took action. Natura Maltija, a beautifully shot and directed, entirely Maltese-language documentary series showcasing the island’s unique flora and fauna, was broadcast on One, a key terrestrial channel on Maltese television
Bonnici met Robert Farrugia through mutual friend in Malta’s small but fraternal music scene, proposing that Farrugia’s ambient prodcution matched the tone envisioned for the series. The soundtrack became essential in conveying each species’ story: wonderment for the rare weasel (‘“Ballottra’”) and sadness for the endangered Maltese freshwater crab (“Qabru”).
The first series, now completed, and already domestically broadcast, Natura Maltija is to expand its reach., with plans to make the series internationally available across online media platforms, with newly added English language subtitles. The second series of Natura Maltija will be integrated into the local education system via the Maltese Ministry of Education, helping to promote nature education among students and foster a long lasting awareness of Malta's biodiversity.
About Robert Farrugia
Robert Farrugia is a dynamic and continually evolving ambient artist whose palette has, over years of releasing solo music, grown to touch on drone, neoclassical, downtempo, and IDM. Drawn to acoustic instrumentation with significant personal value, such as his family’s Weinbach piano, these instruments become more than just tools for his compositional practice, they act as unique characters, each adding its own voice and depth.
Milestones in his career include the releases of Tines in 2016 and Slow Morning in 2017, both on Spain’s Archives Records. He has also collaborated with Dylan Henner for one-off track "Xochitlatcan", and reworked Past Inside the Present boss zakè's "New Dawn" for the latter’s remix collection.
‘Ballottra’ Visualiser
Check out the visualiser for the track on our Youtube Channel. Footage provided by series producer and director Saviour Bonnici.
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