DESTRUKTIVE ACTIONS AFFECT LIVINGS

What a second listening can do.

Well of course, I've listened many more times than that, don't worry. What I'm referring to is that difference in my reaction to this album between the first and second listens. The first listening experience was one of slight bewilderment, surprise and slight uneasiness. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was outside the range of possibilities I was considering. I wasn't impressed with what I heard. As a result I felt my relationship with this album is not headed towards a prosperous future. By the second listen, for some reason, I felt much more convenient with the music; all of a sudden it sounded much more pleasant, natural and smooth. I'm not sure why this happened, as I (almost) never disparage an album based on: 1) first listen and 2) expectations. I don't know why this album had the "misfortune" of getting the cold shoulder from me at first. It was unfair and misleading. Particularly as I grew fond of the album on the second listen; and in each further listen since. An album like this is really not one to try and gobble in one take and be done with it.

But who am I talking about? Who is Daal? Good question. Daal is the duo of Italian musicians: Davide Guidoni and Alfio Costa. Both are seasoned musicians who have worked with many other groups, particularly those in the progressive rock playground (Nuova Era, Taproban, The Far Side, Gallant Farm, Ozone Player, Tilion, Prowlers, Dark Sessions, Colossus Project). Davide is a drummer and Alfio is a keyboards player, but both employ a vast array of instruments that, upon listening to their music, will make you think you're listening to an extended lineup. Indeed, layers upon layers of sounds are laid on top the other, creating thick and rich textures. In this album they are joined by the following guest musicians: Riccardo Paltanin (electric fiddle), Guglielmo Mariotti (of The Watch; bass, vocals), Ettore Salati (of Soulengine; sitar), Salvo Lazzara (of Pensiero Nomade; oud), Alessandro Papotto (of Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso; horns) and Bobo Aiolfi (of Tilion and Prowlers; bass).

The album is mostly instrumental, made up of 9 tracks, one of which has vocals. The album contains spooky pieces, such as Anarchrist containing ominous sounding keyboards. Another beautiful and mysterious sounding composition is Level 6666 with subtle but creative drumming and a plethora of keyboards, both occasionally enhanced by a sitar.

On the other hand, you have Aglatarium, which starts out as a cool and calm jazzy tune with a nice fretless bass and a beautiful soprano sax solo (at least I think it's a soprano saxophone). Midway through the piece, there is a sharp short turn into electronic and psychedelic tainted pastures and a powerful climax lead by a saxophone (at least it sounds like one).

Some of the pieces on this album will help people uninitiated with hallucinatory effects of intoxicating agents, to understand effects of said chemicals (if any such people exist or still remain). By that I mean, there are some trippy moments on this album. Good trippy moments. Ones you wish to revisit and explore further. Among those trippy tracks are Destruktive Actions Affect Livings, Noises From An Interlude, Cry-Hologenic and the instrumental section of The Dance Of The Drastic Navels Part II. The duo creates an odd but appealing ambiance that is akin to being under the influence of a delirium-inducing substance. I also like a lot the Tangerine-Dream-esque influence in the middle of The Dance Of The Drastic Navels. The title track in particular is a trippy experience with tribal and processed percussions, electronic effects and wild sax soloing in the background (again, I'm not sure if it's a saxophone or not). This sounds like a maniacal period inside a patient's head (I should know). The apparent chaos and disorder here are coerced into an organized form that eventually coalesces into a structured and cohesive piece.

This album is one of those experience albums. An album I listen to for the ambiance, the peculiar sounds and moods it conjures and not so much for the melodies. In that aspect, I find it a successful release. Its wide range of styles and sound and its exploratory nature make it an experience I enjoy and want to come back to. For PA purposes: 3.5 stars

Daal's sophomore album, 'Destruktive Actions Affect Livings', was released in 2011 on the independent label Agla Records. Davide Guidoni and Alfio Costa went on with their musical project with the help of some prestigious guests such as Alessandro Papotto (sax), Guglielmo Mariotti (bass, vocals), Riccardo Pantanin (violin), Salvo Lazzara (guitar, oud), Bobo Aiolfi (fretless bass) and Ettore Salati (sitar). In my opinion this work marks a step forward for the duo. The result of their efforts is a well crafted and balanced mix of vintage sounds and sonic experiments but the experimentalism is never unfocused or invading.

The short, disquieting opener Redroom introduces the claustrophobic, tense 'AnarChrist', a piece dedicated to Giovanni Passannante, an Italian anarchist sentenced to death for a failed attack to the king of Italy Umberto I di Savoia in 1878. The death penalty was commuted into life imprisonment and Passannante served his time in very hard conditions in a dark, wet cell until his death. On the following track 'Noises from an Interlude' you can hear a sound of paces and a door opening. It's just a short introduction for the esoteric, almost mystic 'Level 6666', one of my favourite track on this album. Daal shot a video for this track providing evocative images for the music...

The long 'The Dance of the Drastic Navels Part II' is divided into six parts. It's the sequel of 'The Dance of the Drastic Navels Part I' on the previous album and begins softly with 'Awake'. The second section, 'Artificial Desire', features a dreamy vocal part sung in English... 'I'd like to be the wind / Caressing your face / Lost in your hair / I'd like to be fire... I'd like to be the blood inside you...'. Well, this story of sexual attraction between a man and a beautiful cybernetic-woman is rather strange. The music stirs your imagination and features many changes in mood and rhythm going on with 'Inside The Electronic Labyrinth', 'Ibridance', 'Flying To You' and 'The Oblivion'.

Next comes 'Cry-Hologenic' that begins with a delicate, dreamy piano pattern, then the dream turns into an ethereal mystic experience with ethnic instruments and synthesizers. The following 'Aglatarium' begins with a calm, jazzy mood then the rhythm rises for an unexpected finale. The long title track features an ethnic flavour and a good percussion work while the last track, the melancholic 'Memories of Old Pictures', is dedicated to the memory of a friend, Giuseppe Ottoni and features an intriguing spacey finale. The band shot a video for this piece as well...

All in all a very good album! By the way, Daal released in addition to the official edition, a limited edition featuring a box with a bonus CD that later became their third 'official' album, 'Echoes of the Falling Stars'.

DAAL as many know by now consists of a couple of Prog veterans from Italy. The drummer Davide Guidone who i've heard playing with TAPROBAN and NUOVA ERA and keyboardist Alfio Costa who has played with TILION, PROWLERS and more are the brains behind this project. They have six guests helping out, some from bands they've played with in the past. I'd especially mention BANCO's horn player Alessandro Papotto and THE WATCH's bass player Guglielmo Mariotti who also sings although this album is primarily all-instrumental.

"Redroom" opens with the sound of thunder and a transmission of some sort as it turns haunting. A short but very good track. "AnarChrist" opens with some urgency as it builds. I like this ! The organ joins in. It settles back around 2 minutes but it kicks back in. I like when the guitar comes in. Man I love this track. Check out the spacey calm 5 minutes in to the end. So good. Next up is "Noises From An Interlude" where we get some atmosphere with various sounds coming and going. It opens and closes with the sounds of footsteps. "Level 6666" is kind of dark and atmospheric with piano, drums and organ standing out. "The Dance Of The Drastic Navels Part II" is the longest track at 16 1/2 minutes and has laid back vocals in it at the start. I like the mellotron early on. I like it better when the vocals stop and the music sort of drifts along. Sounds like electronics before 11 minutes. The electric fiddle comes in and leads then it settles back again. It ends in a mellow manner.

"Cry-Hologenic" opens with piano before the atmosphere takes over. A baby cries 2 minutes in as the atmosphere and percussion continue. Spacey stuff. "Aglatarium" is where we get a Jazzy vibe with the prominant sax and piano as the bass and drums help out. A change 3 1/2 minutes in as synths and a beat take over. Cool sound here. The sax is back late. "Destructive Actions Affect Livings" is where I believe the band's name came from. It's minimalstic early on with electronics, xylophone-like sounds and the sound of the wind blowing. Percussion comes in. A change 4 1/2 minutes in as relaxed horns and percussion take over. Some intensity a minute later as electronics standout and more. Synths and beat lead 8 minutes in along with other sounds.Electronics ends it. "Memories Of Old Pictures" opens with piano but it slowly builds as atmosphere and soprano sax join in. It turns haunting after 3 minutes. Electronics kick in with a beat 4 minutes in. Piano and atmosphere end it.

I have lots of albums that just don't work as background music, in other words they demand my full attention to be appreciated and this is one of them. It wasn't until I listened to this with headphones on that I got lost in the wonder of it all.

This second chapter in the Daal saga has some of the same wonderful electronic- drenched creativity found on the debut, but does also follow a more soundtrack-ish route that is not always that successful on first listen, requiring a deeper sense of exploration. . So let's be somewhat original for a change and go straight to the absolute winners here: It all starts quite promisingly after the initial obscure intro by blasting forward with a heavy tune: "Anarchrist" (bold title) is a hard-assed slab of molten synths and propulsive drums, highly forceful and utterly remorseless. The main melody can be perceived as scary, lugubrious and nightmarish with a stubborn woo-woo synthesizer patch that is lethal, like flickering phosphorescent paintballs in the night sky, gigantic mellotron swells blowing hard wind , all conspiring to twirl one's ears sideways and delectably so. The foreboding doomsday qualities verge on psychosis, like a hard psychedelia with heavy metal leanings. Pounding and swooning at the same time. Hmmm! Something even synth guru John Foxx would come up with (that's a colossal compliment by the way). Raw, manic, slightly deranged and frantic, this is pure modern proggy bliss.

"Level 6666" even dares to venture into sitar-laden Eastern swirls, piano clanging, all- encompassing synths and the authoritative drumming all combine to treat the ears like a fine mistress. Serving up sizzling sensations, ethereal covenants with mood and shadow, whilst pruning sonic overkill and staying the course.

"The Dance of the Drastic Navels Part 2" continues the Part1 found on the "Disorganocorigami", a symphonic cacophony with mind-bending rules, extremely dissonant and chaotic, drenched in absolute weirdness and remorseless misdirected confusion. The lysergic qualities can be scary and frightening to the uninitiated but at least its not overt technical bragging that subverts so many progressive "we want to be cool" releases! A nearly 17 minute magic mushroom carpet ride into the ether! The two-sided "Aglatarium" is in the same vein just jazzier, with a wobbly bass rendering and an unexpected saxophone wail, extremely pleasant and then unchallenged, swerving into dense electronica forever so briefly and then just dying serenely. Darn good! The disc ends with the remarkable "Memories of Old Pictures" a piece showcasing the deep progressive roots of the RPI school, ornate elegance, piano and flute in loving embrace. A sultry clarinet adds that Italian spice just at the right moment, deeply poetic and achingly distressing. The film noir mood entirely fascinating! The slow paced morphology into a pulsating electro beat is resolute and defining, signaling a sense of sensorial bewilderment and light paranoia.

Some of the less evident tracks are not to be viewed negatively; they are just a tad more experimental and therefore progressing along their natural path. .

"Noises from an Interlude" is exactly that! A slight sense of filler but at least its brief! "Cry-Hologenic" begins oddly with gentle piano and odd vocal sonics, like some outtake from a sci-fi movie, sweeping hushes and trembling percussives, baby crying in the background, hallucinatory thrills, extremely psychotic and bizarre.

The title track and perhaps band moniker (DAAL) prefers another uncanny adventure into experimentation, this time the xylophone being the main vehicle, supported by gale-storm howls and loads of otherworldly effects , mostly of a percussive nature, as Davide seems to be inspired by Jamie Muir (KC's loony percussor) as he slams every object in sight. This momentous clash between modern computerized sounds and tribal trappings is quite unique and ultimately inspiring. Vibrant and far from minimalistic, there is always some kind of mania set loose (zipping Moog loops, solid drum beats and anguished saxophone blurts)

Easily a proper companion of glorious proportions, Daal constitutes the top echelon of the current Italian scene. Do not miss out on the successful tracks; these are snarly rebellious, conservative odd, sonically concise, utterly crafty and ultimately stellar.

4.5 Moodswings

Italian duo DAAL was formed back in 2008 by Davide Guidoni (drums) and Alfio Costa (keyboards), with the latter the main person as far as crafting material goes. They've contributed to a number of thematic albums instigated by the Finnish Colossus organization, and from 2009 and onwards they have steadily released studio albums as well. "Destruktive Actions Affect Livings" from 2011 is their third album.

Daal's 2011 CD "Destruktive Actions Affect Livings" comes across as something of a smorgasbord of compositions and constructions that utilize electronic and rhythms to give sound and life to a cold, alien futuristic landscape with occasional traces of human warmth. Those fond of sophisticated electronic music will find a lot to enjoy on this production, and if you have a taste for subtler effects carefully employed in elongated pieces of a mostly ambient nature as well I'd expect you to love this CD from the moment it sets off until the final notes wheeze out at the end. But a highly recommended disc it is anyhow, as long as you have an interest in adventurous progressive electronic music.

One look at the fascinating and ominous computer illustrated sci-fi cover of Daal's second album `Destruktive Actions Affect Livings' should instantly tip listeners off that this work will be one for the fans of darker music! That's mostly true, but there's a lot more going on here than that. What makes the duo of Alfio Costa and Davide Guidoni so interesting is that beneath cold electronics and murky atmospheres, they incorporate elements of ambient music, psy-trance, gothic, classical and even brief touches of proper Italian prog and jazz to fascinating results. It's an album of beautiful contrasts, seamlessly moving back and forth between light and dark passages, eerie ambience, brooding heaviness and sedate thoughtful movements. Although I'm yet to work out if it's a proper concept album or not, most of the music flows together, one track blending with another. It's like the listener is moving through a futuristic apocalyptic world, or trying to escape a sinister scientific lab or haunted house, and each piece is a different room, a different encounter to escape through to gain your freedom and glimpse just a trace of hope on the other side.

`Redroom' makes for a haunting opening, fragmented radio transmissions and distorted electronics blur into an almost metallic droning ambience. The Mellotron fuelled `Anarchrist' sounds like Steven Wilson jamming throughout the darkest King Crimson moments, a brooding and impossibly morose slab of psy-trance with plodding bass, manic drumming, a straining guitar solo near the end and tip-toeing ghostly piano majesty to end on. The unpleasant and fascinating soundscape `Music from an Interlude' could almost have been taken from an album by fellow Italian band Antonius Rex, full of stomping footsteps and creaking doors over crashing cymbals, harsh thick electronics and a maddening electronic pulse. `Level 6666' features sweeping and confident classical piano over regal Mellotron in the manner of the vintage Italian progressive bands, and I love that while you're sinking to deep depths below with the unnerving gothic atmosphere, it also takes you to spiritual and hypnotic highs with use of a sitar.

The almost 17 minute absurdly titled `Dance of the Drastic Navals pt 2', a continuation of a piece from the debut album, maintains a maddening build-up of suffocating unease and unnerving intensity throughout. The only track to feature a proper vocal, Guglielmo's Mariotti's voice takes on a pleading and sadly romantic quality, with just a hint of obsession and unease - "I'd like to be the wind, lost in your hair, I'd be like fire. I'd like to be the blood inside you..." - so full of clawing lust and sweet desire. The music around it is a mix of creeping 70's Pink Floyd intensity (just listen to the glistening organ and booming cymbals straight off `Ummagumma' in the middle!), droning liquid ambience, intimidating electronic oscillations and a glorious, almost joyful violin/piano led finale. Simply beautiful.

The nightmarish `Cry Hologenic' is a fragile piano piece interspersed with very harsh cutting electronic drones. `Aglatarium' begins as a mostly downbeat jazzy piano and sax piece before dissolving into a psychedelic keyboard breakdown, and it would have sounded right at home on any of the daring Italian prog album of the 70's. The ten minute title track blends purring deeply ambient Tangerine Dream-like electronics, gentle programmed beats and faraway frantic sax with all sorts of daring RIO/Avant-garde experimentation. With a title like `Memories of Old Pictures', it's not surprising to find the album closer is a reflective and somber piece, full of lonely sax, piano and gloomy Mellotron with a chilling and howling electronic climax. The piece perfectly shows that despite the level of cold electronics the band frequently surrounds themselves with, they never lose touch of their humanity, actually something they balance perfectly throughout the entire album.

`Destruktive Actions Affects Livings' works beautifully as both a background listen and one worthy of your full listening attention, where you'll discover all sorts of rich subtleties and hidden secrets. Daal have a very unique interpretation of progressive rock, one that incorporates a wide range of influences without ever resorting to anything resembling clichés or imitation. It's a very modern sounding album that still respects progressive rock of the past while always moving forwards, and fans of electronic invention, heavy or gothic music and maybe even the more experimental Italian progressive artists will find much to enjoy here.

Four stars.

At least, DAAL got away from the rather "claustrophobic", Rock Progressivo Italiano tagging.

No singing in italian to send them down there. This perfect match between hungry like electronic performance and early baroque musical figures, so well fusioned without becoming intellectually pretentious but ingeniously deserves to be again reviewed. And thanks for this recommendation to Aussie Bird.

For starters, the Eclectic (or by the way the Crossover one) Progressive music sub genre's tagging is kind of a mystery for me, so, I would review this work on those terms. This second release by DAAL's: Destruktive Actions Affect Livings is as daring as early 60s "prog-electronic" experimentations were, which actually gives the work its whole "conceptual" character. The part that has to do with the songwriting and singing will otherwise sound as a David Sylvian rendition. The construction of electronic music from an otherwise uncomfortable plattform, as pure symphonic or chamber music lines and instruments could turn out to be, is what pulls this work upwards to become a must listen to this album.

The result of this "mix" of simultaneous approaches and languages with a never ceasing flow of attractive melody lines, makes the whole experience, as being hypnotized by two snake charmers at same time. It turns out hard to decide by whom one wants to fall wit , both are truly "charming". The right sound at the right moment, no minute, is unworth or wasted.

So,.. Intelligent and creative music writing, the way they use rather "cliched" (by others) structures to their benefit (like Jazz structures and others), the obvious, but wise, use of vintage electronic sounds, including references to Zanov's: Green Ray" and Franco Leprino's : INTEGRATI... DISINTEGRATI, the blend of baroque like musical figures and instruments opposing "computerized" electronics and also the subtle tributes to Univers Zero, here and there adds up for an enticing & memorable ride.

Well, this one has a lot to offer and it is as good as DAAL's "future" fourth album DODECAHEDRON (2012). And the same ****4 star rating, that means, hold on to this one it will fit in perfectly in your prog collection.

The music is a composition of strong emotions, especially if you appreciate Progressive Rock, the genre in which the artist feels free and "naked" in experiencing their feelings into sounds. There is one who rides the genre on the waves of others' success, remaining tight to certain stereotypes, and there are those who are carried away from the heart and mind, maybe even into the paths never discovered before. Alfio Costa and David Guidoni are the Daal (from Bergamo) and those who follow the Italian Prog scene, already knows the caliber of the characters in question. To accompany the two artists there are special guests, such as Guglielmo Mariotti (The Watch) on vocals and bass, Ettore Salati (The Watch) to the sitar, Bobo Aiolfi (Tilion) on bass, Alessandro Papotto (Banco) on sax, Salvo Lazzara (Pensiero Nomade) on guitar and Riccardo Paltanin the violin.

"Destruktive Actions Affect Livings" continues the discussion undertaken with the debut album in 2009 titled "Disorganicorigami", running the sensations almost on the same track. Having to deal with musicians who are part of the DNA Prog, inevitably their entire musical culture is to show where in every single song, also passing through psychedelic style Pink Floyd at the New Prog and so on and so forth. Character and musical culture collide to give life to a work definitely difficult to memorize, but thit makes you think and excites. The artwork is obviously by Davide Guidoni.

The spatial two minutes of "The Redroom" enable to predict what one will encounter, thrilling and fantastic emotions, thanks mainly to the electronic equipment. Interlayer between growing and thoughtful pauses shakes the psyche of the listener, who is accustomed to Prog Psychedelic, has something to think about, otherwise the journey becomes steep and complex as in "Anarchrist." Daal flies high, between the cosmos and the border of the imagination. Investing time and money today, 2011, in such operations has something masochistic, because the society with 'bite and escape' rules, leaves no way to any other alternative business, for this "Destruktive Actions Affect Livings" in the eyes of the fans of the genre takes on a critical bombast, while the daily listener may encounter difficulties of acquisition. This is obviously not interesting for the duo, who launches headlong into the music that fills the mind. Psychic soundtrack, introspective moments, walking inside 'myself", game of feelings, fear, grief and amazement, basically a game in which no sound will come across every day.

The second Daal effort ''Destruktive actions affect livings'' came out in 2011 in two different versions: One coming with the bonus CD ''Echoes of falling stars'' in an extremely limited edition of around 60 copies and a more regular one, featuring only the album.Again the whole sessions took place in two different studios with a nice number of famous guests helping out: Guglielmo Mariotti and Ettore Salati from The Watch on bass and sitar respectively, Alessandro Papotto from Periferia del Mondo and Nodo Gordiano on sax/clarinet, violinist Riccardo Paltanin, Germinale's Salvo Lazzara on guitar and Roberto Aiolfi of Prowlers and Tilion on fretless bass.

The presence of all these guests does not mean that Daal have removed from the experimental, Avant-Garde and electronic soundscapes of their debut.The musicians appear separately in specific moments of specific pieces and the music is still grounded on Davide Guidoni's heavy percussions and Alfio Costa's depth on a keyboard manifest and samplers' possessing.Take equal beats from Electronic Music, Industrial and Progressive Rock and throw them into a mix to imagine what this whole project is all about.Sonic soundscapes, distorted instrumentals, vintage refrences in a Film Score mood ala GOBLIN and some extremely haunting prog stuff with a slight KING CRIMSON edge due to the strong use of Mellotron and the sparse presence of electric guitar.There are even references to Eastern-Asian and Ethnic Music as well as some horrifying, symphonic tunes in the vein of IL BALLETO DI BRONZO.Vocals are very limited (as on the 17-min. ''The dance of the drastic navels part II'') and the album is obviously directed to experimental forms on using keyboards and samplers as a guide, balanced by other changing instruments.It's some sort of an Avant Prog release with emphasis on cosmic electronics and sinister keyboard themes, which surprisingly works quite nice, despite the exhibition of many loose executions and semi-improvised acoustics.

Solid work for the mystified community of Experimental Prog.Lovers of Avant-Garde Music ala FRANCO BATTIATO or ALAN SORRENTI as well as those into mysterious Soundtracks will love this one as well.Recommended.

Whereas the debut album by DAAL seemed to be more oriented around a musical tribute to Pink Floyd's "Saucerful Of Secrets" days, their second release DESTRUKTIVE ACTIONS AFFECT LIVINGS has a more progressive electronic feel. DA-vide Guidoni continues his varying percussive palette in tandem with AL-fio Costa's expansive universe of synthesized sounds but this one is less bizarre to my ears and more calm and spacey. There are long smooth passages that tend to lull the listener into a mediative state and although there are occasional jarring signs of agitation, for the most part this is a more easy listening experience than the debut.

This is truly difficult music to describe. It reminds me of cloud music. Pleasant meandering melodies that have the ability to sustain themselves nice and slowly changing at a snail's pace much like a cloud slowly drifting in the sky and changing shapes and evoking subtle different moods in the process. In addition to the touch of smooth jazz from the horn section provided by Banco's own Alessandro Papotto, there is also a nice touch of sitar, oud and electric fiddle to give more flavors not present on the debut.

This is my kind of weird and eccentric music for sure, but i prefer it a bit less to the debut. One of the things about DAAL that usually brings the album down a notch for me are the vocals. On an otherwise totally spacey and unearthly trip through the sonosphere, the spell is broken by some average vocals. I am not against vocals in this context by any means but i just find THESE vocals a little ordinary in an otherwise unique and blissful experience. DESTRUKTIVE is a great album as background music and also as something you can really get off on the subtle details involved. Highly recommended for progressive electronic lovers who don't mind some varied percussion and myriad instruments in the mix.