Local songwriting duo Mistura will be launching its first album, U d-Dinja Tkompli Ddur, during the October 10 edition of the ROCKNA radio show. The weekly Friday night show, hosted by Michael Bugeja and broadcast nationwide on Radio 101, is now in its fifth year and is widely regarded to be a leading showcase for the Maltese music scene. Mistura’s debut album will be the first-ever full-length release to be exclusively launched during the show.
Clocking in at around 64 minutes, U d-Dinja Tkompli Ddur features 16 original tracks with a rock inclination and sung entirely in Maltese. It is essentially a concept album, divided into four parts, every section in turn featuring four songs. Asked about the featured songs, Mistura said the songs are packed with incisive social commentary, particularly inspired by local issues and that overall, the album reflects on the concept of repetition and cycles of life.
“This album represents two years of writing, recording and exchanging ideas, riffs and lyrics”, commented Antonio Olivari, who together with Malcolm Bonnici is the core of Mistura. “And I mustn’t forget to mention all the bits and pieces of music we must have sent each other dozens of times until they eventually grew into fully-formed songs”.
Olivari said that they had no idea after writing Isma Bilfors, the song they entered for the 2012 edition of the popular L-Għanja tal-Poplu festival, they would go on to write enough material for a whole album. “It all started with that one song; however, the dynamic we built in the following months, with both of us coming up with ideas for new songs and the eventual compiling of the best ones into one thread, made the album a reality.”
Mistura is a duo with original songs exclusively in Maltese with music that has elements of blues and rock, both electric and acoustic. Mistura debuted in 2012 at the L-Għanja tal-Poplu festival where they won the WAFA award for Best New Talent. They have, since then, played at many venues, including Għanafest, Notte Bianca and PoeżijaPlus, and released a number of songs all of which will be included in this new album.
Apart from the CD itself, U d-Dinja Tkompli Ddur will contain a booklet with all the lyrics as according to Bonnici, “we believe that the words need to be emphasized as part of the whole package". The artwork for the album was designed by Jean-Claude Vancell who, in Mistura's own words "managed to capture the intense moods of the music and to create visuals which enhance the whole album experience.”
Tune in to ROCKNA online at www.radio101.com.mt