SA BRUXA Interview
Sa Bruxa is a project rooted in an Italian sensibility that draws from Southern European cultural undercurrents and translates them into a focused exploration of dark ritual ambient shaping since 2016 a sound practice grounded in discipline, introspection, and sustained atmospheric depth. The name, derived from the Sardinian word for witch, is used as a statement of intent, reflecting a body of work that treats sound as a vehicle for internal transformation, weaving extended drones, ritual percussion, and industrial textures into compositions that privilege immersion and concentration over spectacle. After relocating to Berlin, Germany, Sa Bruxa entered a broader experimental context while maintaining the Mediterranean pulse that defines its core identity, expanding its sonic vocabulary without diluting its original intensity. Releases such as Gnosis and Ritual reveal a structured and deliberate approach where each layer of sound functions as a temporal suspension device, guiding the listener toward a state of sustained depth and contemplative awareness, positioning the project at the intersection of esoteric tradition and contemporary industrial minimalism. Here is the main and sole member, Giuseppe Novella, answering to our call!!Do you remember the specific moment or state of mind in which SA BRUXA was born? What does the name Sa Bruxa mean to you? Is it an entity, a symbol, or an initiatory mask?
Sa Bruxa was born around 2014–2015, when I first developed an interest and felt the specific urgency in producing electronic music on my own. It means “the witch” in Sardinian language. I wanted a name that reflects a connection to my roots and the traditions of the place where I was born, and I also wanted a feminine figure to represent my project. The witch is a contradictory, mysterious, complex and obscure figure, so I think it fits perfectly the ambivalent and multifaceted nature of the project.
What role did the city of Berlin, especially "Neukölln," play in the sound and spiritual configuration of the project? And what was your first contact with the idea of sound as a ritual tool beyond the musical?
I'm living Berlin for nearly ten years, though my connection to the city began even earlier. As an academic Germanist, I've long been captivated by Germany and its rich culture. Berlin is a remarkable city, woven with contradictions in both its history and daily life. It has served as the backdrop—or even the stage—for my recent personal growth, with all its highs and lows, influenced by the city’s intense character and the various texture of its subcultures. The idea of implementing some ritual tools (like tibetan bells, Shiva drums, etc) came spontaneously to enrich my sound with authentic ritual instruments. However, I do not possess a lot of them, and I mainly use normal objects like metal scraps or self-built instruments with piezo microphones.
Do you consider your work as a hidden language that can only be understood if it is heard from the mind and not from the body? Do you think that ritual sound has the power to modify states of consciousness permanently, beyond the session or ritual?
Music, to me, is one of the most direct and potent mediums for self-expression, and industrial music stands out as a raw, unfiltered, and powerful conduit for this purpose. Since ancient times, ritual sounds have been harnessed to alter states of consciousness—temporary shifts achievable through skillful and devoted practice. While modern music may often lack this transformative depth, ritual industrial music offers striking examples of intense, ceremonial soundscapes. I think for example about the first Ain Soph productions (which are also a great inspiration of mine). The key lies in the intention behind the performance.
Does your recording method seek to capture the soul of the environment, or to build an environment that does not belong to this plane? What role do errors, cassette deterioration or saturation play in your sound aesthetics? Do you consider them accidents or portals?
Field recordings constitute an important part of my compositions. I use a lot of any kind of field recordings, sometimes including errors or cuts from not “optimal” field recordings. I try to use the sounds from the environment to build another environment that goes beyond this plane. Saturations, distortions, and overdrive also play a primary role in my music, and I spend quite some time in the mix and shaping of these kinds of effects. Especially Gnosis has a lot of field recordings in it, some of them taken during different travels I made or delivered from friends of mine.
"Gnosis" seems to be a work of spiritual transit. What part of you died during that album and what part was born in its place?
Neither nor, or both. Death and life belong to the body, Sa Bruxa is pure transformation. Gnosis was the beginning of this transformative trip; that's why I put a lot of field recordings in it. Is the first of a trilogy (which evolves into “Ritual” and a third part which is still work in progress) and the most “terrestrial” and “emotional” of them.
In "Ritual", each clue seems like an initiatory station. What is the order of this journey, and to whom is it addressed? How do you choose the "sacred" sound elements for your compositions: bells, mantras, field recordings, etc.?
It is, in a certain way. It's addressed to anyone who's feeling aligned with it and with my music. The album is entirely dedicated, and conceptually structured around the figure of Chinnamasta, one of the ten tantric Mahavidyas. I am deeply connected to the potent energy of Chhinnamasta and the profound symbolism she represents. She embodies not only self-sacrifice and the transformation of sexual energy into elevated consciousness but also raw, untamed power and the flash of sudden enlightenment. The sacred sound elements have been selected on the basis of the song and the corresponding moment of the album, each song being a specific moment of the Ritual. All Mantras are related to this deity. An important inspiration for this came by the Elisabeth Benard's beautiful book “Chinnamasta: The Awful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess”
Do you feel that each album is a time capsule, or rather a timeless manifestation of an inner state? Are there specific entities or presences that you invoke when creating? Is your music an offering or an invocation?
All my music with Sa Bruxa serves as a conduit for an inward journey into the soul—the truest essence of our being, experienced through our senses and mind. If my music aids even one person in focusing on and connecting with the deeper dimensions of their existence, its purpose is fulfilled. In this way, we can say that my music is an aesthetic instrument to focus the metaphysical side of existence, a means to channel it and attempt to give a shape in audial form to this intuition. Hence, I see my music both as an offering and as an invocation, directed toward the same end: the realm of authentic Being, glimpsed through the veil of our mortal existence.
How do you define ritual today, in a demagnetized and postmodern world? Is the ritual practice in your music a personal catharsis or a form of collective deprogramming? And do you use physical instruments and tools in your rituals, or are your body and mind sufficient as a channel?
I do practice meditations and do my Sadhanas/devotional Rituals, incorporated in my daily routine. I prefer to keep private the entity of these operations.
Do you think art should illuminate, hurt, or transform? Which of these three functions best represents SA BRUXA? Do you see your path as a descent into the shadows or as an ascent into the ineffable? Is there a philosophy that has marked you more deeply than any religion or esoteric tradition?
As previously mentioned, both aspects embrace themselves, there's not Shadow without Light and vice versa, and no ascension without descent. For sure Tantric and traditional Germanic traditions marked my path quite deeply, as well as Sardinian myth and folklore. Hermetic Wisdom influenced me a lot, especially in the last 5-8 years, when I approached the western occultism in a deeper way.
What is the difference between Giuseppe and G. VOID? Does one inhabit the other, or are they fragmented mirrors? What masks do you wear to protect your creative process from the banality of the external world? Do you think that the ritual artist should disappear behind his work, or reveal himself as a conscious channel? What do you think of the cult of the artist in the underground scene? Is the ego a tool or a prison?
There's no difference between my personal and my artistic life. My music – and I think this is valid for all art forms - is a channel to express my intimate self in a cryptic language, but in the end it's always me. But I totally appreciate the anonymity in musical projects and I absolutely appreciate the concept of masked, anonymous artists. It's for sure a way to center the focus on the artistic proposal and let it speak completely, without associating a face or a “human representation” behind it. As for the cult of the artist in the underground scene, well, at least in the electronic extreme music there are plenty of “scene kings / queen”. It's irrelevant for me if the “fame” has been deserved or not, I simply find this kind of behavior ridiculous. The ego is always a prison.
Do you feel that SA BRUXA is still in its embryonic phase, or has it already gone through an alchemical death?
The project has existed since 2016, which is quite a long time. During this period, I've released plenty of material and woven an evolution that's clearly audible in my works, I think. Although there's still a lot to be done, I feel the project has now aged and entered a sort of stasis. Becoming a parent two years ago has slowed the creative process considerably. Still, I'll keep releasing music as long as I feel the need to do so.
Feel free to talk us more about upcoming projects, releases for next years and close this interview as you want. Thank you for your time.
I'm working on a new album that will close out the trilogy I started with “Gnosis” vand continued with “Ritual”. This new album will also be released by Dunkelheit Produktionen, who have always believed in my music, and I will always be thankful to Bernd for his work. Besides that, I'm also working on material for a new EP. Thank you for your interest in my music and this space.
SA BRUXA
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