Michele Ducci has spent the last decade moving between ambitious sonic worlds. As one half of electro-pop duo M+A, Ducci released two albums, including These Days, which earned the pair a place on The Guardian’s “best new bands of 2014” list. The project also led to performances at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and the Venice Biennale. Later, he formed Santii, a collaborative project featuring artists including Rejjie Snow and Mick Jenkins. Now, the Italian musician returns with “Rain On Me”, the latest single from his forthcoming multimedia project Snail in the Clouds.
Premiering today alongside its animated visual, “Rain On Me” leans into dense, synth-driven textures and pulsing basslines, recalling the emotional sweep of classic electronic records while still feeling distinctly personal. Ducci’s worn-in vocal delivery cuts through the track’s expansive production, which was recorded and produced by Simon Milner at London’s 4am Studios. There is a cinematic quality to the song’s slow build, balancing moments of tension with flashes of warmth and melody.
The single draws clear inspiration from Underworld’s seminal ‘Born Slippy’, something Ducci openly acknowledges. “I wrote it thinking about what the rain would say if it could speak,” he explains. “Before starting the recordings, I was listening to ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld, appreciating the soundscape that they managed to recall with the synth. When I entered the studio Simon told me that he thought a sound like ‘Born Slippy’ would be perfect for the song. So, I think it was a telepathic communication.”
Created by Ducci and Letizia Mandolesi, the accompanying animated video expands the mythology of Snail in the Clouds, a feature-length animated film and album centred around a fictional planet inhabited by musical hybrid creatures devoted to music and harmony.
In this latest chapter, the musician Diodoros summons rain from the planet itself before being carried skyward beneath an umbrella in one of the project’s most visually striking sequences to date. The hand-crafted animation mirrors the track’s dreamlike atmosphere while deepening the surreal narrative that runs throughout the wider project.
Snail in the Clouds arrives June 5 via Monotreme Records, with a limited vinyl edition following in July.
Watch the music video below.
