Audiopile Review: Big Hands, the pseudonym of Italian-born/London-based producer Andrea Bonalumi, might not be an instantly recognizable name, but if you’ve dug into the more esoteric corners of our dance 12” section, then you’ve probably come across something of his. Labels like Blank Mind, Trule and his very own Baroque Sunburst have been safe spaces for his unorthodox productions and boundary-pushing remixes, a melting pot of smoked jazz, frazzled illbient and leftfield percussion strained through weightless techno and bass-driven breaks. After almost a decade, he’s only now just getting to his debut proper, which continues this streak of unpredictable moves. Gathering up a handful of players from the London jazz underground—most notably prolific percussionist Yusuf Ahmed of Unknown To Unknown, Qwalia and a mainstay of the impeccable Albert’s Favourite label—Bonalumi makes a lateral move into fourth world, or at least what amounts to his rendition of it. Twinning organic and earthy tones with subtle electronic tweaks, he fuses placid ambiance with his penchant for obtuse beat work, drawing inspiration from a recurring dream centred around the Mediterranean. Thauma pulsates with hand drums, chiming bells and haunting chants, the latter courtesy of Palestinian sound artist and vocalist Bint Mbareh, whose sorrowful laments amidst the bubbling percussion and crosswinds of horns becomes a focal point of his dreamworld. Coming courtesy of Marionette, Thauma joins the exploratory catalog and sits neatly next to recent albums from Max Loderbauer, Pretty Sneaky, MinaeMinae, or Roxane Métayer. But this also comes recommended for fans of Aroooj Aftab or the increasingly critical Balmat catalog.

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Big Hands is the alias of Andrea Ottomani, an Italian-born, London-based artist, whose productions have maintained an impeccable level of homogeneity over the last decade. His debut album, titled Thauma, was conceived in dreams over two consecutive nights as he traversed the storm-ridden Mediterranean Sea in late June 2024 and was later brought to life with the intent of preserving the sounds and structures as they were originally dreamt. Composed of ten tracks that seamlessly morph into one another, the album contains recordings of tuned percussion instruments (such as bells and the balafon) captured whilst travelling across the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Egypt, and Turkey) as well as collaborations with his tight-knit orbit of talented musicians.

Palestinian artist, بنت مبارح (Bint Mbareh), echoes and wails in dialogue with Abraham Parker’s & Izzy Karpel’s brass interjections on Fuoco Lento, then proceeds to send chills down the spine as she starts singing in Arabic on A Juniper Tree Whose Roots Are Made of Fire. Tenor saxophonist, Buster Woodruff-Bryant, lays down snake charmer waltzes on Sticks And Stones, followed by a spiritual sax solo on Rinascita which features the natural timbres of Yusuf Ahmed’s bamboo kit. Mantras, along with recordings of Andrea’s community, are dispersed throughout the album, amplifying the nostalgia and melancholy associated with the music. There’s an underlying archaic thread woven into the percussion that meshes perfectly with the organic acoustic instruments, ultimately becoming indistinguishable from the electronic drums or modular synthesis. Field recordings of the sea, cicadas, call for prayer, and the overall recurring noise from the surroundings evoke a vivid sense of space and are the foundation for realizing this visionary sound.