Review: Squadra Omega - Altri Occhi Ci Guardano

Way back in April I wrote a somewhat panegyrical review of the Heroin in Tahiti LP 'Sun and Violence'. Since then I have listened to, and some cases, reviewed many very, very good albums, but I really wasn't expecting to hear another album that matched the HiT album in scope, imagination and atmosphere....but then along comes fellow Italians Squadra Omega and their superb 'Altri Occhi Ci Guardano' (Other Eyes Look at Us).

Squadra Omega are nominally part of the 'Italian Occult Psychedelic' scene, but, as with HiT, to try and fit them into a pigeonhole is missing the point and doing them a grave misservice. Labelling themselves as an "impro psych collective" Squadra Omega have produced an album that is magnificent in its scope and so enthralling as to be almost addictive.

Listening to the album is like taking a trip around a cool friend's record collection; the breadth of the influences is, at times, breathtaking but never contrived. Every aspect of the record has its own place and not crowbarred in for the sake of cleverness or smartarsery. At times, the juxtaposition of styles and approaches could lead the caual listener to feel some form of musical cognitive dissonance (does free jazz sax sit well with Cabaret Voltaire electronica or Muslimgauze ethnic beats sync with pastoral acoustic guitar?) but such are the musical chops of Squadra Omega they make everything work and the album is a cornucopia of ideas and forms

To give a track-by-track breakdown of the album would be like breaking down a diamond into its constituent carbon atoms; this album needs, rather deserves, to be listened to as a whole. However, I can tell you it takes in kraut-inflected,surf-tinged Western soundscapes ('Sosperi nell'Oblio') , foreboding tracts that could soundtrack 'Giallo' movies ('Il Buio Dentro'), skewed, noirish jazz ('Il Labirinto') and pastoral-folk inflected acoustic guitars ('Hyoscyamus'). But its not that simple...it's the small details in every track that lift this album above the norm...little filigrees of percussion, some muted middle-eastern chanting, some malevolent drones and splashes of hauntological electronica.

This really is a wonderful album; intelligent, thought-provoking and immensely satisfying. It's not a 'background' or 'dinner party' album, but if you are willing to put aside an hour or so to immerse yourself, there are rich rewards to be had. 'Altri Occhi Ci Guardano' is released on vinyl by Macina Dischi (IT) and Sound of Cobra (Germany) and also available as digital downloads.