The debut single by Electric Earth Orchestra, “Feathers”, folds prickly percussion, plucked electronic fragments, and drifting melodic intervals into a quietly absurdist miniature. It was released in July 2025, two years on from the ensemble’s live debut at Milton Court Concert Hall in London.

Founded by London-based Italian composer Danilo Ricci, the Electric Earth Orchestra brings together traditional orchestral instrumentation with real-time data sonification from living plants. Each plant is linked to a self-built sensor and synthesis system, producing voltages that generate pitch, rhythm, and modulation data — transforming subtle shifts in moisture and bioelectric activity into audio signals. Much of the music’s texture stems from this live vegetal input, including through a bespoke instrument called Virtual Fauna, developed specifically to translate plant data into playable sounds.

“Feathers” uses this hybrid set-up to strikingly mischievous effect. The rhythms nod towards Brazilian batucada but twist irregularly, propelled by a friction of live percussion and data-triggered electronics. The harmonic components feel airy and non-linear, shaped more by biological fluctuation than compositional convention. Fragments rise and disappear without resolution, creating a music that feels simultaneously tactile and adrift.

Ricci describes the ensemble as a “contemporary celebration of the planet”, using sound to render audible what he calls “the unheard, constant activity” of plant life. With its odd charm and microscopic focus, “Feathers” functions both as introduction and provocation — a pointer to the ensemble’s upcoming performances and recorded experiments.

Find out more about the project HERE