Deegie’s Musical Dedication to the Heart of Ascoli <IL’Ciclo di Piazzarola : Sempre>

Where tradition and the electronic arts meet at the heart of La Quintana

Deegie (Albert Kheem), a pioneering figure in the first generation of Korean hip-hop and a celebrated producer and sound artist, has unveiled a special dedication for La Quintana, the famed historical pageant of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy.

Known for a career spanning 27 years and for his reputation as “The Trickster Architect” — an artist dismantling boundaries between genres, cultures, and eras — Deegie has here woven medieval tradition, contemporary electronic music, and AI-driven sonic experimentation into a seamless, singular work.

Piazzarola – An aural archive of a community’s colours and rhythms

The subject of this dedication, the Sestiere di Piazzarola, is one of the six districts that make up La Quintana. Situated on the northern slopes below the Annunziata Hill, it bears the emblem of a black eagle upon a shield of white and red. Each year, Piazzarola selects its own riders, knights, and Dame to take part in the grand procession and joust.

Deegie drew upon the colours and heraldry of Piazzarola, the tactile warmth of its travertine streets, and the pride with which its residents prepare for the festival as key motifs in the work.

The lyrics, in Italian, speak poetically of time and community through the metaphor of a cycle: “Il tempo è un anello” (“Time is a ring”), “Ogni addio, un ritorno” (“Every farewell is a return”). The refrain — “Piazzarola, sempre, sempre, sempre” (“Piazzarola, always, always, always”) — stands as a declaration of the continuity of this proud community across generations.

Ponte di Piazzarola

Sound and creation process

The music layers a low-end pulse inspired by the hoof-beats of galloping horses, medieval brass and string samples, and AI-transformed recordings of cheering crowds and the crack of banners in the wind. Field recordings made on site lend the piece an immediacy and tactility that blur the line between performance and place.

In this project, the first spark was struck upon the Piazzarola Bridge, its conceptual shape refined in the streets, piazzas, and ramparts of Ascoli, and its arrangement and recording undertaken within a local studio. The city’s light and temperature, the voices of its people, the arc traced by each flag in the air — all have been transposed into a musical language. The result is not merely a piece made in a place of travel, but a work that could only have been born there.

The piece was first heard during the week of the daytime Quintana and subsequently shared by Piazzarola-related channels and festival communities on social media. Blending tradition with modernity, it drew curiosity and warm appreciation from residents and visitors alike, circulating naturally as a digital artifact of the festival.

The official audio release is scheduled for the end of this month via Spotify and other major global streaming platforms

The next chapter

This dedication marks the prelude to Deegie’s forthcoming 27th-anniversary studio album and the launch of an ambitious international, multi-sensory project. The project will see him traveling from city to city, creating music inspired by each location’s heritage, architecture, landscapes, and people, and collaborating with local artists to perform the works in situ. More than a tour, it is conceived as a cultural exchange in which a city’s heritage is translated into sound and performance.

Speaking of the Piazzarola composition, Deegie notes:

“This piece for Piazzarola and La Quintana is the opening chapter of my ongoing journey to compose music inspired by cities around the world. I wish to inscribe each place’s unique time and story in its own sound and colour.”

To see and hear the journey behind <IL’Ciclo di Piazzarola : Sempre>,

visit Deegie’s official Instagram and experience the moments captured in sound and motion.

Instagram: @albertkheem

Reels : <IL'Ciclo di Piazzarola : SEMPRE>

Music : <IL'Ciclo di Piazzarola : SEMPRE>