Fire, Hell and Holy Water, the third and much-anticipated studio album from electronic crossover production team Giolì & Assia, is currently available on Ultra Records and is offered in spatial and 360 RA.
Gioli and Assia are instrumentalists, singer/songwriters, DJs, and label owners from Palermo, Italy. They produce wholly original, genre-defying sounds. They have won over legions of fans all over the world with their boundary-pushing video series #DiesisLive and recent tracks “Fire, Hell And Holy Water,” “Silence,” “I’ll Be Fine,” “Playing Chess,” and “Eurydice.”
The group’s 16-track labor of love, Fire, Hell and Holy Water, is their largest body of work to date. The album, which takes its name from a well-known local Sicilian proverb, details their turbulent and dramatic highs and lows as a couple as well as their health issues and untimely family losses during the pandemic. London Grammar, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, the Euphoria score from Labyrinth, U2, and Ludovico Einaudi are just a handful of the many important musical influences that the duo mentions in reference to their seminal album.
The whole of Fire, Hell and Holy Water exudes a spirit of intensity and true pleasure. Giolì plays an instrument alongside Assia’s vocals on every song, whether it is the piano, cello, drums, guitar, or handpan, giving the album a distinctly live sound. The album flows as a continuous mix due to their flawless blends, effortlessly coalescing elements of techno, indie, electro and pop into a sound that is uniquely Giolì & Assia.
Giolì & Assia third studio album ‘Fire, Hell And Holy Water’ in depth
The album’s opening track, “Fire, Hell & Holy Water,” is a metaphor for the themes that run throughout the album as it considers the trip that Giol & Assia have been on together while facing a variety of difficulties. One of the album’s most upbeat hits, “Playing Chess” features Assia’s voice and Gioli’s entrancing piano chords in addition to her upbeat percussion. The instrumentation’s push-pull effect matches the record’s contrastingly aggressive and introspective tone.
The sad love affair between the ancient Greek figures Orpheus and Eurydice is depicted in the song “Eurydice” through lovely melodies and inventive language. The album’s overall theme—the journey from hell to the realm of the living in the name of love—is brought to life by the song, which serves as its foundation. Giol’s mesmerizing piano chords are highlighted in “I’ll Be Fine,” which also combines Assia’s silky and luxuriant vocals with sympathetic soundscapes. The album’s focus track ‘Bittersweet Love’ is a proclamation of all the things they have made together, both as a couple and as artists, a beautiful ballad that rings true of their unending love for one another.
The new album is Gioli & Assia standing up against misogyny, something they’ve faced with throughout their career. They previously dealt with the idea that dance music was a boys-only club.
“As female writers and producers, we have accomplished everything entirely by ourselves.” For this reason, the pair believe it is “important that the album makes a statement, and that people know it’s our own.” What they have made, the pair agree, “is the best thing we’ve done so far – and we love it,” Giolì adds, saying that they want people to “have fun, dance, cry and scream” when listening to it.
Their innovative video series “#DiesisLive” has been airing for the past three years, bringing their beautiful and otherworldly soundscapes to life. Giolì & Assia’s artistic growth and expression have been largely fueled by their music videos, which have helped them carve out a distinct aesthetic niche and receive millions of views from all over the world. Started in April 2019, the high-octane productions invite viewers to watch intimate Giolì & Assia live performances filmed in remote and jaw dropping locations. Aeolian Islands volcano, Andromeda Theater, Isola Delle Femmine in the duo’s hometown of Palermo, stunning Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon in Iceland, and most recently the Krysviksberg Cliffs in Iceland, are a few of them.
North America tour
Giolì & Assia will continue touring around the world into the Summer & Fall returning to North America in September with their biggest headline shows to date at LA’s The Novo and Brooklyn Steel. The pair will also perform at upcoming festivals like Portola in San Francisco and Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas.
Around the album launch and tour dates, Giolì & Assia recently launched a contest to win a golden custom G&A handpan, vinyl test pressing, merch capsule, 2 tickets to a headline show, meet & greet and more. Enter to win by clicking this link.
