Maltese guitarist, pianist and composer Warren Galea has released his latest album Diadems, Troubadours on December 22 dedicated to the memory of his late father Leslie Galea.

This follows his debut album The Odyssey released in 2019, featuring Galea on guitar, Andy McKee on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums.

Describing his latest album as a journey through many different styles from orchestral to electronica, Galea says he has been working on the project since 2020, with this being the first time he handled all elements of the record’s production.

“I handled everything from composition, recording, production and even the artwork,” says Galea.

“It was definitely a challenge and an experience which pushed me to the limits of my creative expression.”

He described how this time he had the opportunity to explore the many different styles and influences that inform his musical identity.

These include classical, electronic, baroque, 12-tone composition, trap, hip-hop, techno, orchestral, rock, jazz, blues, avant-garde and noise.

“Some of the pieces were composed up to 10 years ago, and it was very satisfying to finally bring them together into a unified whole,” says the musician.

“I’m still very much influenced by the concept albums of the 1960s and 1970s that I grew up with.”

Asked how Diadems, Troubadours compares to his debut album in 2019 and how it might show development as a musician since then, Galea says the two albums have rather different characters. 

I was more in the mindset of a composer than an improvising instrumentalist

“On my previous album The Odyssey, which was recorded while I was living in New York, I was working in a Jazz Guitar Trio setup – guitar, bass and drums.

“I brought in my music to the band, and we recorded live takes in the studio, with very little rehearsal. As with many modern jazz records, the emphasis was on improvisation and group interaction. I had the good fortune of working with well-seasoned musicians – Andy McKee and Adam Nussbaum – who made it sound good right off the bat. 

“With Diadems, Troubadours, it was a radically different approach as I was engineering each track from start to finish. In fact, I would say that on this record I was more in the mindset of a composer than an improvising instrumentalist. And while there is some guitar, I am definitely playing a lot more piano,” he explained.

Diadems, Troubadours is dedicated to the memory of the composer’s late father, Leslie Galea.

Explaining the reasoning behind dedicating his new album to his late father, Galea says the album’s release date – December 22, 2022 – is the anniversary of his father’s passing away back in 1999.

“That was a long time ago, before I knew that I would dedicate my life to music. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that my father would have been very supportive of my career, just like my entire family has always been. This album is special in many ways, and it goes out to his memory,” he says.

“I would simply encourage listeners to approach the album with an open ear. My goal here is to create something you haven’t heard before. So, if I have succeeded, it won’t sound familiar.

“And it doesn’t sound anything like my other record. It’s not too long, but it goes to a few different places, and the soundscape will change from one track to the other, quite quickly. Just stay present and enjoy the ride.”

Visit warrengalea.com for more information on Warren Galea and his work.