Piero Perelli

Piero Perelli is an internationally renowned drummer and experimental musician whose career spans collaborations with artists such as Vinicio Capossela, Glen Hansard, Eddie Vedder, Andrea Bocelli, and many others. Alongside his extensive work in studio and live contexts, Perelli has developed a solo performance practice centered on his project NOTTE, an immersive and introspective journey that blends drums, electronic manipulation, and ambient textures. At the heart of the project is a deep exploration of the relationship between sound, space, and the emotional resonance of place. Drawing on his global experiences, Perelli crafts sonic narratives that reflect the interplay between nature, memory, and transformation.

In conversation with Piero Perelli during the exhibition Oltre la pietra at Castelgrande, Bellinzona.

Tell us about the project you presented at Oltre la pietra

During my performance for Oltre la pietra, everything aligned beautifully with my project’s concept. Performing in this stunning castle, it truly felt like the stars were aligning, two castles in sight across the hills and the full moon creating a kind of arch in the sky. I tried to connect with the space and with everything I had experienced during the day. What I played was, at its core, an improvisation, based on a loose framework of ideas that are also present in the album. But really, it's about being present, about responding to the moment, which I think is something increasingly difficult today: to stay grounded in the now and create from what’s happening right then.
One more element that inspires Notte, especially in the context of the Oltre la pietra event, is the
idea of the four elements. When I perform this work, I think of it as a journey, and the element of “stone” or “earth” plays a key role. My name is Piero, which even contains the word “pietra” (stone), and drums are an inherently earthy, grounded instrument. So starting from the stone, sonically, means beginning with the natural, raw sound of the instrument. From there, I use electronics to manipulate it, just as the natural world is being transformed (and unfortunately often damaged) by human activity. The idea is to begin with the purity of natural sound and then explore its destruction, mirroring the relationship between humanity and nature today.

Can you talk more about your project Notte?

Notte is a project that came about in a very spontaneous and unexpected way. I began manipulating the natural sound of the drums with guitar pedals and other effects, exploring more unconventional sonic textures. So in a way, it's about manipulating nature, altering the organic sound of the drums (...). It didn’t start with the intention of being a solo endeavor, but I kind of found myself holding it in my hands. Listening back to the recordings and the material I’d gathered, I realized it was something I could develop into a personal project, something truly mine.
The concept of Notte emerged from the realization that every place influences us deeply, especially on a creative and artistic level. Where we live shapes our imagination and our creativity. Thanks to music, I’ve traveled a lot, and I’ve experienced firsthand how living in different places can have a profound impact on me. With this solo project, my goal was to recreate the impressions and atmospheres of the places I’ve lived in or visited, places that inspired me sonically, visually, and emotionally. That’s why I began bringing my drum kit to unique environments: churches, mountaintops, the seaside, caves... places where the instrument would resonate in special ways. I wanted to understand what would happen, how my instrument would respond. Since it's an acoustic instrument, the environment plays a huge role in shaping the sound. So the project is essentially a dialogue with the place, a conversation with the sound of the space itself, and, when present, with the people in it as well. In the album, there’s a track called San Michele, named after a church in my hometown of Lucca, where I performed with an actor. That’s where I first discovered the sound of my drums in a sacred space. When I recorded that piece, I was inspired by that specific location. Another track is called Santa Cristina, named after a Nuragic well I discovered in Sardinia. It's an ancient site, symbolizing the fertility of Mother Earth (...). It's a very powerful space. I recorded Santa Cristina the same day I returned from that journey, channeling the impressions and feelings from that experience. So essentially, this is a body of work that tries to enter into dialogue with places and the resonance they emit.