Italian guitarist and songwriter Marco Mattei and 7D Media / Third Star Records have announced the release of his highly anticipated second solo album, “Age of Fragility”, an innovative fusion of worldbeat, progressive rock, and art rock on May 16th, 2025. Today, they present a lead track titled “Just Tired” – listen to it here.
Mattei shares: “This new album was an incredible journey to create, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. Textures, emotions, and sonic explorations brought to life alongside true legends like Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta, and my longtime friend Duilio Galioto. The song, ‘Insomnia’ also features Trey Gunn and Jennifer Maidman, whom we incidentally met at Dreamland Studios and was so nice to contribute with the spoken dialogue”.
A concept album at its core, Age of Fragility delves into the delicate aspects of modern life, weaving together stories of isolation, indifference, emotional dependency, fragile relationships, self-sabotage, and depression. Through its poignant lyrics, the album paints a vivid portrait of the fragility and complexities of the human experience.
Musically, richly layered soundscapes and meticulous arrangements produce a wide sonic palette, resulting in a distinctive and deeply personal style.
The album was recorded in June 2024 at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, NY, where a stellar ensemble of musicians brought Marco’s compositions to life. The group consisted of Marco Mattei on electric and acoustic guitars, guitar loops and bouzouki, Duilio Galioto on piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, mellotron, memory Moog, and B3 organ, Tony Levin on electric and upright bass, Jerry Marotta on drums and percussion. Featured special guest performances were contributed by Trey Gunn on Warr guitar and Jennifer Maidman on vocals. To further enrich the album’s musical textures, Mattei invited an array of talented musicians from around the world to play strings, mandolin, cavaquinho, and harp, and several vocalists, including Dave Bond, Fabio Trentini, Jeff Kightly, and Joe Edelmann. The result is a deeply emotional and immersive sonic journey, with songs that resonate on multiple levels, offering listeners a rewarding experience with each listen.
Fans of artists like Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Paul Simon, and King Crimson, as well as followers of Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta, will find much to appreciate in “Age of Fragility”.
Pre-order “Age of Fragility” here.
Tracklist:
1. Just Tired
2. You Don’t Deserve It
3. Human Again
4. Wrong
5. Insomnia
6. A Trick of the Mind
7. Watermark in My Heart
8. So Fragile
9. End of the Line
10. Just Tired (Extended Version)
Mattei shares: “In my debut album, ‘Out of Control’, I explored a variety of styles, drawing from my experiences playing in different bands and living around the world. With this new album, ‘Age of Fragility’, I focused more on world music and art rock influences, to create a more cohesive and consistent sound”. He continues: “Although I am primarily a guitarist, most of ‘Age of Fragility’ was composed on piano and keyboards. This approach brought a fresh perspective to the songwriting process and allowed for a deeper emphasis on harmony. A deliberate approach was taken to create a balance between simplicity and complexity, reflecting the album’s theme while keeping the music engaging. This balance blends familiar territory with moments of exploration. For each song, elements such as sound, arrangement, melody, mixing, harmony, and rhythm were carefully considered. The goal was to ground most elements in familiar territory while focusing on one or two to introduce contrast and intrigue. This approach aims to keep the music accessible and captivating without veering into overly experimental or difficult-to-follow territory”.
While “Out of Control” relied heavily on remote multi-tracking, the core of “Age of Fragility” was recorded live by a band playing together in the studio, resulting in a more organic and natural interplay between the musicians. Mattei offers: “It was an incredible experience to witness how exceptional musicians like Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta, and Duilio Galioto brought my songs to life. It was deeply enriching and is an experience I will treasure forever”.
Duilio Galioto, a key contributor to the album, reflects on the recording experience: “Every moment spent at Dreamland Studios has been a precious gift. I will forever treasure this experience with my talented friend Marco and two legends like Jerry and Tony. Each track tells a story of shared creativity and new sonic explorations”.
Jerry Marotta shares: “Marco is a great writer and great composer. We had a great time making the record. It was a hype for me last year. His album is called Age of Fragility. We actually seem to be living through an age of fragility. Music like this is really soothing and helps us get through”.
Mattei states: “I have many influences, but I can’t point to a single one for this album. The inspiration came from a variety of stories I encountered, either personally or through reading, that made me reflect on how we live in times that, for most of the Western world, are more comfortable than in the past, thanks to wealth and technology. However, there’s also a sense of uncertainty and fragility that feels unique to our era, and that’s something I deeply resonate with”.
Line-up:
Marco Mattei: Electric Guitars, Guitar Loops, Bouzouki, Acoustic Guitars, Celesta, Keyboards, Percussion, and Programming, Lead Vocals (2)
Duilio Galioto: Piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3, Mellotron, Lowrey Organ, Rhodes Mk1, Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact Deluxe, Memory Moog
Jerry Marotta: Drums, Percussion
Tony Levin: Electric Bass, Upright Bass
Dave Bond: Lead Vocals (1, 10), Backing Vocals (2)
Malena Ramonet: Lead and Backing Vocals (3)
Tino Boley: Lead Vocals (4)
Jennifer Maidman: Voice (5)
Trey Gunn: Warr Guitar (5)
Jeff Kightly: Lead and Backing Vocals (6)
Peter Voronov: Violin (6)
Joe Edelmann: Lead and Backing Vocals (7)
María Betania Hernández: Cello, Viola and Violin (7, 8)
Wrongonyou: Lead and Back Vocals (9)
Michele Boni: Cavaquinho (9)
Katrin Romanova: Harp (9)
Album credits:
• All tracks written by Marco Mattei, except for “So Fragile”, by Marco Mattei and Duilio Galioto.
• Recorded at Dreamland Studios, Woodstock (NY) in June 2024.
• Sound Engineer: Ariel Shafir
