ELECTRONIC MIND WAVES

ELEKTRIKTUS is the project of one Andrea Centazzo who hails from Italy. "Electronic Mind Waves" was released in 1976. In the liner notes he talks about the times in the early to mid seventies not only in Italy but across Europe where there was this cultural revolution going on. It was a time of riots and extreme political tension.There were bombings and terrorism and in this climate bands would show their support for the left by playing Jazz or Avant- garde music. Certainly the lyrics were also a way to show support as well.They were not going to conform.Andrea immersed himself in all of this between 1973-1977. While he was a free Jazz percussionist he had a great admiration for the Electronics movement, especially with what was going on in Germany. With the money he had earned from being a musician he bought one of the first four track recorders and a couple of primitive analogue keyboards. In the silence of his own studio on the hills of Friuli he started composing, playing and overdubbing. ELEKTRIKTUS was born.The name is a combination of the name of his free Jazz trio (ICTUS) and the word electronic. He talks about the joy he felt in being able to express himself with a new media like the synthesizer.

"Frequencer Departure" is really only one of two tracks where the sequencer is prominant. In fact i'd wondered what i'd got myself into after listening to this first track. It starts off with a door slamming then a car starting and leaving then the sequncers come in and absolutely dominate in a way I hadn't heard before. It does settle right down after 3 minutes as spacey sounds take over and hover.Very atmospheric to the end. "Flying A Day- Break" has these pulsating sounds as these twitterings join in.Some bass guitar also joins in then percussion as it builds. "First Wave" has a dark and eerie vibe to it. Sounds echo before 2 minutes then that earlier soundscape returns as contrasts continue. Great track !

"Power Hallucination" has a good beat to it as spacey sounds and synths help out. A definite favourite. "Second Wave" has this beat with spacey synths.This is the third straight track that is absolutely fantastic. And they keep coming with "Implosion" where we get these spacey sounds that come in waves. "Third Wave" starts with a beat as the synths blow in sounding almost like orchestral strings. "Flying A Sunset" has these almost sparse sequencer sounds but not really in a rhythm as a somewhat dark and spacey atmosphere joins in.That car is back as it pulls up and is shut off as the door is open and closed. "Freequencer Arrival" is the dreamy and spacey closing number.

This was a pleasant surprise to say the least. Love the cover art as well.

Elektriktus' sole album is an eclectic foray into early electronic music.

A lot of electronic releases from this era have a tendency to be only one type of electronic music, but Elektriktus has created Electronic Mind Waves in an obvious effort to make music that is different and to incorporate his influences seamlessly.

Some of this album sounds similar to some of Karlheinz Stockhausen's more aggressive early electronic tape recordings like "Japan", specifically the first half of "Frequencer Departure".

"First Wave" was the first track on this album to really make an impression on me because it has a very unique sound: very krautrock-oriented but with intermittent jazzy upright bass playing that sounds like a precursor to nu-jazz as played by the Norwegian Eivind Aarset.

For fans of Maurizio Bianchi, "Power Hallucination" will be a pleasant surprise as it is composed of the powerful industrial harsh noises that the aforementioned Italian uses predominantly in his early works, but coupled with short bursts of a calming and eerie emptiness.

The remaining tracks are all displays of unique krautrock and Stockhausen/Parmegiani compositions that are all fun to listen to while providing an great amount of variety while maintaining a comprehensible flow between tracks.

Electronic Mind Waves is an album that I feel would appeal to fans of artists like Gila, Cluster, Heldon, Klaus Schulze, Agitation Free, and Dzyan. But also I think that anyone wanting to start the listening experience of '70s electronic music could find this album to be a great starting place, because it's considerably active compared to some of the obvious classics in the genre.

ELEKTRIKTUS was a one-off solo project founded by an Italian electronic fanatic Andrea CENTAZZO who had tried to drench this creation named "Electronic Mind Waves" in an obscure electro-trippy ocean with slight delightful flavour typically in Italian Rock scene I imagine. Fine, funky, and easygoing texture can be heard in the second tune "Flying A Day- break", flooded with brilliant danceable comfort and fantastic electronic sound gems ... this superb groove can move us naturally. On the contrary, we can enjoy fresh electronic atmosphere all through this album, as if we would run by an open car through a green forest with green air in the first track "Frequencer Departure". Also such a cool mint may be seen in Italian human nature I guess at the same time.

"First Wave", for me one of the most challenging stuffs in this album, might be much influenced by some Krautrock / Electronic hoaxes raging in early 1970s, I feel. Dark ambiance with hypnotic electro-dread can blow us away from the real world gradually. Much appreciated as one of textbooks of Progressive Electronic. While the following "Power Hallucination" might be, as the title says, a musical hallucinogenic agent in the middle of this album, though this track might be one of Andrea's mischiefs possibly. :)

"Second Wave" and "Third Wave" cannot be felt so experimental as "First Wave" above mentioned, but something quirky via electronic effects (in the Second) or comfortable hypnose wave (in the Third) is definitely left here and there, that can amaze us. Through a dark / drone madness "Implosion" or so, we can get to the last scattered electric sounds heretic "Flying A Sunset" and fall asleep upon a quiet bed "Frequencer Arrival" after driving through the electronic forest filled with Italian green.

What do you feel this eccentric gem that has aroused a controversial typhoon in RPI scene? An interesting one, even as a Progressive Electronic stuff and simultaneously as an Italian Progressive Rock one. Enjoy.