Creating music stems from different incentives, from dance and storytelling to ancient ways of communicating (so called ‘musilanguage’) that pre-date language as we know it today. What deeper connections can we find between sound and meaning? Katatonic Silentio has spent nearly two decades exploring these dimensions, blending sociology, anthropology, and musicology to approach sound as a holistic practice. We spoke to the artist about the power of music to connect, move, transform, and occasionally, heal.
Italian producer and DJ Katatonic Silentio describes herself as an introvert, a trait that reflects her deeply empathetic nature. Hyper-aware of what happens in front of her, Mariachiara – her real name – carefully pulls the emotional strings of her audience, combining electronic music with sound healing instruments. Within her work, it’s all about going back to the core; the emotional core, but also the core and roots of sound. Her work tries to tap into what she calls ‘the origins of sound’, a personal quest to explore the birth of the sonic body.
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Hey Mariachiara, what is this ‘origins of sound’ idea?
'This aspect is mainly present in my ambient live sets. I try to spontaneously recreate primordial sounds, such as the sound of water or female voices, to mimic the chants and heart of a mother, as well as the fetus in the belly of the mother. The water sounds are associated with the warmth of the fetus and the sensation of a hug or love. These are the sounds of origins to me.'
Sounds of the start of life?
'Yes, sounds of the creation of life, in a metaphysical, more divine way.'
Has this always been of interest to you?
'It's been an interest of mine since the start of my musical career, but I never put this into music with consciousness. I’ve always asked questions about metaphysicality, about things we cannot answer yet.
I’m currently reading more about religion and what they say about the genesis of life. Interestingly, if you take the old sacred writings of most religions, they all mention sound at the start. Extremely simplifying, they say that the origin of the world and life is related to the creation of sound. In the Biblical tradition, the first phrase of the Gospel of John, which coincides with the first phrase of the Genesis, says that "In the beginning was the Word", from which he created heaven and earth. He spoke words, and creation happened.
If we compare this to other religions, we find that in Hindu cosmology, the sacred syllable "Om", is considered the primordial sound from which the universe was created. The entire universe originated from this vibration, which continues to reverberate through all existence. If we take Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, we find “...this sound in the words, ‘Be! and all became’”.
Sound is also an element within practices of seeking the Devine and the self through awareness and consciousness of immateriality. Continuing with the sacred dimension of post-creation sound, again in Sufism we find practices based on sound, such as Samā (from the Arabic root “to listen”). We can find similar elements in Ancient Egyptian Mythology, as well as in Aztec and Inuit Mythology.
In nearly all mythological traditions of origin, sound plays a central role in both the creation of the world and in spiritual practices aimed at realising the Divine and the self through material awareness and consciousness. This is very fascinating to me.'
Are you religious yourself?
'I come from a traditional Italian Catholic background, but I'm currently exploring other religions. I can't say I'm Buddhist or Catholic. I'm just trying to understand the many points of view. I believe in something bigger, but I'm still trying to understand who or what it is.'
These are really interesting themes – how do you translate this to your music, or sound in general?
'It's an unconscious thing. I absorb these interests, and then unconsciously they come out in my creative process.'
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'In that moment, I imagine that people would like to be hugged by the music'
Although the work of Katatonic seems intuitive and navigated subconsciously, some more present navigators have also crossed paths with the Italian artist in her career. For the past three years, Katatonic Silentio has been a recurring artist at the Belgian festival La Nature, which takes place in the forests of the Ardenne. In 2023, her improvised ambient live set was recorded in the cocoon of the Hyponose Room and is now being released on the festival label as Fleur Sauvage 001. It captures her primordial quest with nurturing female voices, liquid playfulness, and experimental creature-like sounds – a ritualistic outing of a curious mind.
Captivating release, Mariachiara! On the EP, you combine electronic music with instruments like the guitar. Can you take us along on your approach to blending acoustic with electronic music?
'I play the prepared guitar, which is an old experimental technique according to which you put objects between the strings of the guitar. This results in a very compromised but at the same time pure sound, much different from the classic guitar sound. The technique is also common with the piano, called prepared piano, but it's a bit difficult to take a piano to a festival. By playing the guitar, I reconnect with the primordial sound we were talking about before. I return to my research of the purest, ancient sound.'
We also hear the voice of a woman. Does this capture again the origins of life, the fetus in the womb, the warmth of the mother?
'Yes, but it is also inspired by the context in which I played. At La Nature, when I do live sets, I always play in the Hypnose Room, which is the decompression room where people can lie down, relax and take a break from the dance parts of the festival. In that moment, I imagine that people would like to be hugged by the music, and to slow down.'
Is this also what you look for when you listen to music yourself?
'I'm very open. I love the dimension of the dream state, you know? I always look for the emotional part of music, which can make you feel things, both positive and negative. I also appreciate music that makes you travel out of reality, to a hyper-real dimension.'
This is also contradictory, right? Because when you touch upon your emotions, that is very real; you touch upon the core of life. At the same time, in these moments, you seek to drift off, not being busy with life too much.
'For me, emotions, in their intangibility and as a subtle body, are like the ethereal link that takes us to other realities, different from the one we are experiencing now. Emotions are something belonging to this reality, something very personal but also very shared, linked to the perception of the here and now. At the same time, they are capable of taking us elsewhere. It is enough to think of someone or something, located in the past or future, that arouses a particular emotion in us, and there we can perceive it, even if it does not belong to the present moment. If I think of a moment of joy that happened in the past or will happen in the future, I can immediately experience that feeling through mechanisms of imagination and simulation.
Emotions make us travel in some way, as does sound, which is the basis of this feeling and takes us on a journey into the most diverse and abstract dimensions.
This also raises the question of the source of consciousness. Where does consciousness take place? It's very hard to put all these things into words, to explain, to give names to the things. Sound is probably the best way to experience these emotions or mental and intimate states.'
Do people sometimes come to you after a performance like this to explain what they experienced?
'Quite often. I'm very happy when someone opens themselves up to me, sharing with me what kind of feelings they had. This is not always necessarily a good experience. I'm very happy to know what people feel. It helps me to understand what I do. When working with the crowd, you are responsible for many people. This is a very important task, and I take it very seriously. People go to listen to music, to a concert, to a festival, because they want to feel good. They want to take a break from the routine of life, to connect with people, and to go back home with a good feeling of well-being, love and community. It's important to me to keep this in mind and to nurture it.'
As you note, it doesn’t always have to be a positive experience. Sometimes music can touch a painful spot or a certain memory from the past. Especially at a festival, these emotions can always create a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
'For sure – I have strongly connected with people who cried or told me very intimate things. It made me think: Okay, wow, this is very important for you and for me as well. So, yes, it's a serious thing for me to help people through music. I make music at the disposal of others and want to make people feel good in a humble way.'
Do people sometimes come to you after a performance like this to explain what they experienced?
'Quite often. I'm very happy when someone opens themselves up to me, sharing with me what kind of feelings they had. This is not always necessarily a good experience. I'm very happy to know what people feel. It helps me to understand what I do. When working with the crowd, you are responsible for many people. This is a very important task, and I take it very seriously. People go to listen to music, to a concert, to a festival, because they want to feel good. They want to take a break from the routine of life, to connect with people, and to go back home with a good feeling of well-being, love and community. It's important to me to keep this in mind and to nurture it.'
As you note, it doesn’t always have to be a positive experience. Sometimes music can touch a painful spot or a certain memory from the past. Especially at a festival, these emotions can always create a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
'For sure – I have strongly connected with people who cried or told me very intimate things. It made me think: Okay, wow, this is very important for you and for me as well. So, yes, it's a serious thing for me to help people through music. I make music at the disposal of others and want to make people feel good in a humble way.'
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You seem really empathetic. Where does this care for people come from?
'It’s a natural thing to take care of others. I developed this even further by becoming a holistic sound operator. This is a professional who helps people regain harmony, energy and inner balance through the use of a variety of sound-vibrational techniques and by stimulating a natural process of transformation, facilitating energy rebalancing, inner well-being and the growth of self-awareness.
Within these techniques, you work with the bodies of people and their emotions, so it’s important to be very careful. You’re not a therapist or a doctor, but you’re doing something with the emotional background and well-being of the people. Every frequency, related to specific instruments such as Tuning Forks, Tibetan Bowls, and the voice, creates a response within the physical, spiritual or emotional body of a person. As an artist and aspiring holistic sound practitioner, this connects me with the most healing part of sound.'
It seems like you will return to this practice during the upcoming edition of La Nature Festival, where you will perform a healing session and a live show.
'Yes, I will do a sound bath on Sunday morning. It will be a very gentle waking-up ritual with Tibetan bowls and other instruments to accompany people towards the day and the sun. During sunset on the same day, I will do a small concert with my friend and trumpeter Jacopo Buda. He plays trumpet with many layers and pedals combined with whistles and traditional instruments.'
How do these performances tie in with your holistic sound practice, and what is the desired effect?
'I don't want to give too much away, but the intention is to cleanse, generate a sense of well-being and make people reconnect with what everyone needs to rediscover.
It is difficult to explain, but when you rely on the sound, when you are connected, when you are open to the listening practice and open to exchange, when you welcome what comes, and your intention is pure, everything flows naturally. This is also what happens with Jacopo. When we meet to rehearse and to play, we don’t have to speak much. We just connect ourselves with and through the sound.'
Electronic music is a more modern-day genre with a totally different background and origin. How do you combine the two?
'I’m usually very careful when combining different elements. However, the approach to the live show is very intimate and warm, and I try to reconnect and recreate the environment of warmth we spoke about before.
It is important to be careful when you work with these elements. It’s not a matter of recording them and putting them in a performance without knowledge and consciousness. It's a matter of respect because you carry all the symbols and significance of a specific culture. It’s also a matter of balance.'
How do you find this balance?
'I’m continually looking for it, it is a continuous research of balance between sounds, practices, people and the environment. Everything is in constant change and dialogue.'
Thank you, Mariachiara! See you soon at La Nature.
La Nature Festival will take place from June 19th to 22nd. Katatonic Silentio will perform twice on Sunday with a morning sound healing session and a sunset live set in collaboration with trumpetist Jacopo Buda.
