Review: 2 from Adriano Zanni - Disappearing / Soundtrack For Falling Trees

Adriano Zanni is a man of many talents; sound artist ,field recordist, photographer and video maker. Under the Punck moniker he released some four albums and a handful of EPs but of late he has been recording under his own name and thus comes two works, both based on drones, evocative electronica and field recordings, but both with personalities of their own and both highlighting a cerebral grasp of the power of music in painting imaginary pictures. It goes without saying that I loved both of these.

Disappearing

'Disappearing' is brought to us by Boring Machines, a label that can always be relied upon for exceptional, thought provoking releases. As soon as the opener 'Dreams and Falling Trees' starts we are thrown into an alternative reality...the murmured female voices and foreboding electronica come straight from the dark recesses of the mind, the place where we all play out our darkest fears. For all its minimalist structure there is a lot going on; rich drones come and go and little bubbling synth lines all come together to produce a piece of music that is as beautiful as it is menacing. 'About the end, without beginning' opens with cavernous drones that suck the listener into another dread filled soundscape. Flashes of sub-industrial noises echo around these drones and inject a dystopian vibe to the dread...the metallic scrapes and heavy industrial beats seem almost apocalyptic and this is further acerbated by the existential spoken word sample that sees the track out. 'What is left' takes the dark vibe and takes it up a notch, the stillness of the track playing tricks...the ambient feel hides you from the terrors that lurk within; more female murmurs sit beneath drones that are the soundtrack to anxiety and dread. It is an immersive experience taking over everything when listening to it, it puts a dark veil over our inconsequential lives and we find ourselves in a reverie of memory and loss. 'In the distance' is a glorious cacophony of drones, electronica and guitar (courtesy of Alessandro Calbucci) that replaces the dread laden vibes for one of claustrophobia and disorientation, alleviated only by a minute or so of bliss at the end. The album is closed with 'Disappearing (the last trip)', a short track based on field recordings that gives the impression of a lone soul traipsing through a desolate landscape. As the track progresses the sounds of drones, aircraft overhead and high pitched squeals of electronica all combine to create another nightmarish trip.

For all its darkness and pessimism 'Disappearing' is a beautiful album. The melange of samples and electronica is structured in such a way that the atmospheres it creates never preclude the sheer joy of hearing a consummate artist at work. It is never going to be a record to put on at a dinner party but rather for those moments of introspection and searching, it is an album in which to become fully immersed and lost in the eerie landscapes. In short.....fantastic stuff! It can be ordered via the Boring Machine's bandcamp page here and comes as a download or vinyl LP.



Soundtrack For Falling Trees

As if one new work from Zanni wasn't enough, we have two! 'Soundtrack For Falling Trees' comes to us via Bronson Recordings and sees a different, but no imposing, aspect of Zanni's musical output. Gone are the claustrophic and dread laden soundscapes of 'Disappearing' to be replaced by more open panoramas. 'Fake trees' opens the album with deep, luxurious drones, underpinned by high pitched electronic notes, sounding like the twittering of cicadas, that add a frisson of discordance to proceedings. There are vaguely discernible elements that flit in and out of the listener's consciousness....secondary drones that add extra layers but never in an obtrusive manner. 'Lonely trees' is a blissful, poetic ambient trip - swathes of lush synths sit cheek by jowl with more elegant drones to form something that is a real balm for the soul. 'Fallen trees' is the longest of the four tracks at just over thirteen minutes and takes the ambient baton proffered by 'Lonely trees' and runs with it; more rich washes of synth paint a glorious vista over which a sumptuous drone adds body and structure. This is the type of track that would, and should, soundtrack the moments in one's life when all is well and we can properly relax....glorious! In direct contrast, this followed by 'Dead tree'...a track that is more strident and uses drones to express sorrow and decay rather than comfort the listener. The instrumentation sounds more 'ethnic' with Zanni using the synths to recreate real instruments...it reminded me of some of the superlative drone based work of E Gone (and that is a real compliment!)

'Soundtrack for falling trees', as well as being a superb recording in its own right, acts as a real counterpoint to 'Disappearing'....its lightness and panoramic quality juxtaposed with the darkness of 'Disappearing' creates a chiaroscuro feel between the two works. What is obvious is that both these albums were made by an artist, someone with a flair for the visual aesthetics as well as the aural...the music paints pictures with the eye of a grandmaster! 'Soundtrack.....' can be ordered via the Bronson Recordings Bandcamp page here and is limited to just 72 tapes.