Michael It’z Captures the Chaos and Beauty of New Life in His Intimate Album 'Life'

For Sardinia-born, London-based electronic artist Michael It’z, music isn’t just sound, it’s sensation. Emotionally rich, sonically daring, and deeply personal, his new album Life is a 12-track ambient journey into the most vulnerable and transformative year of his existence: the year he became a father.

Built on glacial textures, warped synths, and IDM-inspired rhythms, Life is Michael’s ode to the unpredictable, ecstatic, and terrifying experience of watching a life begin—specifically, the life of his daughter, Eleanor, born in October 2024. The record unfolds like a diary written in binary code and breath, exploring the highs, lulls, and liminal spaces between love and anxiety, chaos and clarity.

The album opens with “Michael”, a 50-second spoken-word introduction that feels like a personal invitation into his world. From there, Life leaps into “First Breath,” an ethereal single released earlier this year. Pulsing like a heartbeat, its percussive patterns mimic the rush of life entering the body for the first time. It’s here that we begin to understand Michael’s sonic philosophy: less about song structure, more about emotional architecture.

“Looming” explores anticipation, those suspended moments before a seismic change, while “I Love You” twists glitchy percussion and distorted piano into a storm of tenderness. It’s dissonant and cathartic, like trying to hold back tears and laughter at the same time.

Then comes the soul of the record: “Eleanor.” Built on reverse piano and delicate drones, the track feels like a lullaby suspended in midair. It’s fragile and free, evolving in slow motion until it blossoms into a melody that feels both intimate and infinite. It’s not just a dedication—it’s a sonic photograph of new life.

Though Life is rooted in IDM and electronica, Michael’s sound is deeply human. Take “Onyx,” a track inspired by the color of his daughter’s eyes. Or “Body Movement,” which interprets the physical firsts of a newborn through cold, mechanical rhythms—an intentional contrast between the sterile and the sacred.

But not all of the record is joy. “Liminal Spaces” is suffocating, intentionally so—representing the emotional claustrophobia that comes with identity shifts and new responsibilities. Then there’s “Protect Me,” a post-rock-influenced piece that samples vocals discussing climate change and our responsibility to the next generation. It’s a reminder that bringing life into the world also means confronting the world’s fragility.

“Anesthesia” captures surrealism and fear. “The Sky Was Black” examines the emotional weather within a relationship, moments of doubt, of difficulty, but also the grounding force of unconditional love. With vocal samples from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, Michael layers past and present in a cinematic haze.

And finally, we arrive at “Life.” The closer. The conclusion. Or maybe just the beginning again. Soft, reflective, and almost sacred in its quietness, it gently releases the listener from the emotional tension of the record. It’s the breath after the first one.

When asked what he hopes people take from Life, Michael It’z doesn’t give us a prescriptive answer. “I hope people feel something,” he says simply. “Nothing specific—everyone is different. For me, the album is about the circle of life, but the final goal is to get people emotionally involved.”

And Life does just that. It doesn’t scream for attention. It draws you in. You don’t listen to it as much as you fall into it. It’s music for the late nights when you’re awake for no reason except that your brain won’t turn off. For the moments when beauty and fear collapse into the same breath.

With Life, Michael It’z has created more than an album. He’s created a time capsule of emotional evolution. One that speaks not in words, but in waves.

This album is so intimate and cinematic. Did you approach Life differently than your previous work?

Yes indeed. This album is very much different from all my previous works. This album is also different in terms of genres; it's more like trip hop and IDM, all my other albums are usually more ambient oriented. This record is very intimate, it's more personal, let's say, inspired by the most exciting and intimate period of my life, made while my wife was pregnant with our first daughter. In the album, each single track is inspired by a specific moment and feeling lived during that period, such as excitement, joy, and fear. I would say that this record is my most important work yet. 

“Eleanor” is such a stunning tribute to your daughter. What was the emotional process of creating that track like?

From the very first moment I thought about writing a song for Ellie, my only certainty was that the piano would be the leading instrument, because it is my favourite one and because I believe it has a unique and unparalleled emotional power. So I tried out a few chords and eventually went for a simple minor scale, repeated in a loop with some delays and accompanied by a soft angelic pad. The whole thing makes me think about how beautiful it is to look into her eyes every day. The writing process was quite fast and spontaneous; I'd even say this might be the track on the album I spent the least time working on. 

“Liminal Spaces” and “Protect Me” introduce more tension and even panic. How do those feelings play into the broader story of Life?

Yes, exactly as I mentioned before, this album is dedicated to my daughter, but also to my wife (who is my soulmate) and our relationship. Liminal spaces, Anesthesia, The Sky Was Black, and Protect Me are tracks that deal with the fears that a person can have while thinking about a future where there is no longer the two of you. The fear of not being enough, the fear of failing, and the constant anxiety brought on by everyday life. 

In these tracks, I've amplified those aspects because it wouldn't be honest to say that pregnancy is only made of beautiful and positive moments. But in the end, these songs serve as a backdrop to an album that is both ambitious and joyful. With this album, I wanted to write my own hymn to joy.

How do your Sardinian roots and London experiences influence your current sound?

My roots have always held deep meaning for me, especially when it comes to my musical journey. Everything artistic in me was born in Sardinia, and it's thanks to her that I've become the artist I am today. 

The sea resonates through every track I compose, the hush of the forests, the cadence of a sunset; these elements have always shaped my inspiration, and they continue to do so, even from afar. London, in turn, has offered me vibrations I have never experienced before. I have to admit, I've found and still find endless inspiration in the richness of British electronic music.

Living here has always been a dream of mine. I love this city deeply, for all it has given me and for everything it keeps offering. 

If Life had to be described in one word or one color, what would it be, and why?

If Life were a colour, it would be painted in stark black and white, streaked with a flash of acid green, like a dream half-remembered, chaotic yet luminous, ungraspable in meaning yet endlessly capable of wonder.