Similar to a musical poem: Petit Singe expands on her personal history through an intricate, melodious + emotive mix for AQNB

, 23 March 2018

Petit Singe (aka Hazina Francia) is an India-born, Italy-based producer whose music seems to resonate more intensely with every release. Since her debut on Haunter Records, Francia has come looming into our view with her unique capacity for merging disparate influences. Records such as her Akash Ganga EP, which was remixed by the likes of Aïsha Devi, Zuli and Jesse Osborne-Lanthier, have showcased Petit Singe’s intricate, lyrical and emotive approach to composition.

Petit Singe. Photo by Alessio Costantino

Her track ‘Rapsodia’, the opening track of last year’s Reclaiming the Void compilation by London-based platform UNITI, presented an unrestrained set of melodic ideas that the artist described as being “similar to a musical poem.” Another recent track, ‘Komm Wieder Mit’, was one of 25 tracks released by label Houndstooth that took T.S. Eliot’s poem ‘The Hollow Men’ as inspiration. Sitting alongside contributions by artists including Pan Daijing and Lanark Artefax, Petit Singe’s track translates feelings of rage, saturation and emptiness into sound.

Through the use of sonic juxtapositions and nonlinear structures, Francia’s poetic sonic narratives combine elements of her personal history with alternate sounds galvanised by her online experiences. In this way, she uses music as a way of exploring ideas around personal and cultural identity. One of the tracks from her debut release was named after the date her foster parents brought her to Italy from Bengala, and while the artist explains over email that she feels ‘totally Italian,’ she’s fond of taking inspiration from her Indian heritage, “even if it’s just a word.” Growing up with pop, hip-hop, techno and hardcore, Francia says she also loves using non-occidental sounds in her tracks: “I really love this kind of blend,” she writes.

Petit Singe. Photo by Piotr Niepsuj

As the creative director of Milanorovina – a Milan-based collective organising events that have featured Flora Yin-Wong, Swan Meat and Bonaventure – Francia is largely inspired by the communality of music. “There are a lot of collectives I really appreciate,” she says, “UNITI, CLUB CHAI, HE4RTBROKEN and Intruder Alert all inspire me a lot.”

As part of a growing international network of artists and collectives, Progress Bar affirms its support for “radical club cultures that believe resistance is necessary in order to change the world. Or, as a play on the famous quote by the feminist and anarchist activist Emma Goldman: If I can dance, I want to be part of your revolution.” Ahead of her performance at Progress Bar — alongside artists including HVAD, Manara, mobilegirl and STILL, with a talk by music and politics writer Kieran Yates, Petit Singe presents an exclusive mix for AQNB. It’s a combination of new discoveries and her favourite tracks of the moment – featuring, among others, Giant Swan, Elysia Crampton, LOFT and Jesse Osborne-Lanthier.

TRACK LISTING:

SHYQA – Hiding (DEBIT Remix)
Rupert Clervaux & Beatrice Dillon – XV
Dre Skull – Kling Klang Riddim
UNITI (MXNIFESTO3) Zoee ft Ganx – Landscapes
SHYQA – BETRAYING (IDA DILLAN REMIX)
Giant Swan – IGOM
LOFT – Shouldn wouldn couldn leavv
PETIT SINGE – 27.09.87 (Jesse OsborneLanthier Remix)
Thoom – Spit, Swallow (feat. Scim)
Elysia Crampton – Ax Amores
Mt Meru – Debit
Elysia Crampton – Oscollo (drums only version)**

Petit Singe is performing Amsterdam’s Progress Bar at Paradiso Noord – Tolhuistuin on March 31, 2018