2 from Italy: Everest Magma & Petrolio
A twofer now..two very different but very good albums from Italy: some experimental folk from Everest Magma and a suite of heavy cinematic sounds from Petrolio
Everest Magma - Alto//Piano (Maple Death)
Everest Magma is a man of mystery and has been since his days as Rella The Woodcutter and as a member of the incredible Eternal Zio. His albums as Everest Magma have all pushed the boundaries of music and have crossed boundaries and genres as all good artists/albums should. In the past he utilised the potential of technology and its ability to manipulate sound (see the review of 'Modern/Antique' here). For 'Alto//Piano' however, the onus is less on technology but relies more on voice and traditional instruments...but please don't don't go thinking this is a straight-up singer/songwriter album, it's way more interesting than that!
As Rella the Woodcutter the artist known as Everest Magma had a fine line in hazy folk tunes and that is revisited somewhat in 'Alto//Piano' and the whole album has a dreamlike, bucolic feel to it. Opener 'Marco' is just Magma's voice and some ace finger-picking but some skilful use of technology sees the vocal float in and out of reverb and the whole track is underscored with noises that sound like cowbells underwater. It is a beautiful track and it sets the tome for what is to come. Tracks like 'Trecca' see the pastoral folk mixed with some imaginative electronica that leaves one feeling slightly discombobulated..back-masking effects and squelches and broken beats are interspersed with plaintive vocals and preceded with some sublime guitar. 'Questa' is 2 minutes of similar electronica but breaks out into some really superb fingerpicking and hushed vocals.. the juxtaposition of these two disparate elements works wonderfully and the listener is held in a limbo of not really knowing what is happening but they sure as hell like it. 'Cosimo' starts off sounding like a Father Murphy vocal track played backwards over more acoustic guitar but it grows and flourishes into another masterful melange of the traditional and the modern.
'Alto//Piano' is a truly breathtaking experience; the acid folk stylings and electronic trickery prove to be comfortable bedfellows and make for a truly immersive listen. It is wonderful. It can be purchased on vinyl or as a download from the Maple Death Bandcamp site here.
Petrolio - 'La Disobbedienza' (Shyrec)
There is an Italian word that I use quite often on this site - 'chiaroscuro'. It means light/dark and is usually used in art circles to describe the tonal differences in a painting. It is also a very apt word to use about this album from Petrolio.. the heavy and the industrial sitting next to some truly exquisite music.
Petrolio is "a project with strong cinematographic connotations" and this album was born out of his work on a theatrical performance "L’Architettura della Disobbedienza" and later the artist felt the need to translate "these landscapes into constructed and meditated tracks, adding noises and perceptions captured in the two evenings in which Petrolio participated live with his own music."..and it is a triumph!
The album opens with 'L'Inconscio' and its industrial, dystopian soundscape...heavy beats sounding like the footsteps of the gods lay over some Bladerunner-esque music, all swirls and washes of dark synths. So far, so bloody marvelous but it gets better. The track morphs and evolves and the entrance of the piano immediately changes the mood into something more mournful. By the end of the track the industrial aspect has receded leaving just the plaintive piano. 'Il Vecchio E Il Bambino' starts the same way the previous track ended - soft synths and piano - but very soon some immense, sporadic beats break the spell like peals of thunder on a balmy summer's day. There is real beauty here. 'Molecole E Intercapedini' opens with a crescendo of disembodied voices and piano but soon settles into some soft drones. As with previous tracks, it morphs and grows to become a mix of the dystopian and the gentle; a lilting melody lingers while heavy synth washes and those thunderous beats provide a dramatic backdrop..again its that word chiaroscuro. Final track 'Il Tempio' brings everything to a satisfying conclusion with the initial piano and industry pairing slowly receding to reveal a soft, swirling drone...a chance to catch your breath after this rollercoaster of sound.
I absolutely loved 'La Disobbedienza' with its mix of the heavy and the light. It has an orchestral feel about it, one feels that if Mahler were alive and composing now this is the album he would make...it's that good! It is available via the Shyrec Bandcamp page here and is on CD and as a download.
Links:
Maple Death Bandcamp
Maple Death Facebook
Shyrec Bandcamp
Shyrec Facebook
Petrolio website
Petrolio Facebook
Everest Magma - Alto//Piano (Maple Death)
Everest Magma is a man of mystery and has been since his days as Rella The Woodcutter and as a member of the incredible Eternal Zio. His albums as Everest Magma have all pushed the boundaries of music and have crossed boundaries and genres as all good artists/albums should. In the past he utilised the potential of technology and its ability to manipulate sound (see the review of 'Modern/Antique' here). For 'Alto//Piano' however, the onus is less on technology but relies more on voice and traditional instruments...but please don't don't go thinking this is a straight-up singer/songwriter album, it's way more interesting than that!
As Rella the Woodcutter the artist known as Everest Magma had a fine line in hazy folk tunes and that is revisited somewhat in 'Alto//Piano' and the whole album has a dreamlike, bucolic feel to it. Opener 'Marco' is just Magma's voice and some ace finger-picking but some skilful use of technology sees the vocal float in and out of reverb and the whole track is underscored with noises that sound like cowbells underwater. It is a beautiful track and it sets the tome for what is to come. Tracks like 'Trecca' see the pastoral folk mixed with some imaginative electronica that leaves one feeling slightly discombobulated..back-masking effects and squelches and broken beats are interspersed with plaintive vocals and preceded with some sublime guitar. 'Questa' is 2 minutes of similar electronica but breaks out into some really superb fingerpicking and hushed vocals.. the juxtaposition of these two disparate elements works wonderfully and the listener is held in a limbo of not really knowing what is happening but they sure as hell like it. 'Cosimo' starts off sounding like a Father Murphy vocal track played backwards over more acoustic guitar but it grows and flourishes into another masterful melange of the traditional and the modern.
'Alto//Piano' is a truly breathtaking experience; the acid folk stylings and electronic trickery prove to be comfortable bedfellows and make for a truly immersive listen. It is wonderful. It can be purchased on vinyl or as a download from the Maple Death Bandcamp site here.
Petrolio - 'La Disobbedienza' (Shyrec)
There is an Italian word that I use quite often on this site - 'chiaroscuro'. It means light/dark and is usually used in art circles to describe the tonal differences in a painting. It is also a very apt word to use about this album from Petrolio.. the heavy and the industrial sitting next to some truly exquisite music.
Petrolio is "a project with strong cinematographic connotations" and this album was born out of his work on a theatrical performance "L’Architettura della Disobbedienza" and later the artist felt the need to translate "these landscapes into constructed and meditated tracks, adding noises and perceptions captured in the two evenings in which Petrolio participated live with his own music."..and it is a triumph!
The album opens with 'L'Inconscio' and its industrial, dystopian soundscape...heavy beats sounding like the footsteps of the gods lay over some Bladerunner-esque music, all swirls and washes of dark synths. So far, so bloody marvelous but it gets better. The track morphs and evolves and the entrance of the piano immediately changes the mood into something more mournful. By the end of the track the industrial aspect has receded leaving just the plaintive piano. 'Il Vecchio E Il Bambino' starts the same way the previous track ended - soft synths and piano - but very soon some immense, sporadic beats break the spell like peals of thunder on a balmy summer's day. There is real beauty here. 'Molecole E Intercapedini' opens with a crescendo of disembodied voices and piano but soon settles into some soft drones. As with previous tracks, it morphs and grows to become a mix of the dystopian and the gentle; a lilting melody lingers while heavy synth washes and those thunderous beats provide a dramatic backdrop..again its that word chiaroscuro. Final track 'Il Tempio' brings everything to a satisfying conclusion with the initial piano and industry pairing slowly receding to reveal a soft, swirling drone...a chance to catch your breath after this rollercoaster of sound.
I absolutely loved 'La Disobbedienza' with its mix of the heavy and the light. It has an orchestral feel about it, one feels that if Mahler were alive and composing now this is the album he would make...it's that good! It is available via the Shyrec Bandcamp page here and is on CD and as a download.
Links:
Maple Death Bandcamp
Maple Death Facebook
Shyrec Bandcamp
Shyrec Facebook
Petrolio website
Petrolio Facebook
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