Missing Ear
is the sonic identity of Matteo Gualeni, a Milan-based experimental drummer and sound designer whose work explores the shifting boundaries between sound, perception, and space. His practice revolves around the listener’s active presence—an immersive process in which sound is not only heard but inhabited, redefined, and transformed into a tool for new forms of awareness. A key turning point in his artistic path came with the onset of tinnitus, which deepened his sensitivity to sound and led him to approach listening as an active, perceptual practice. Combining visceral rhythm with timeless textures and sound design, Missing Ear draws inspiration from the fractured architectures of Autechre and Andrea Belfi and the spatial poetics of Lee Gamble. Often starting from acoustic drum recordings, he digitally processes these into layered structures where rhythm becomes one element within a broader spectrum of textures and dynamic shifts. His compositions often extend into audiovisual and performative contexts, bridging sonic experimentation with visual storytelling, where sonic experience meets visual narrative and performance.