NICHELODEON

Somewhat remarkably, here we have the second album from Claudio Milano this year, which in some ways is the follow-up to the 2021 album by NichelOdeon, 'Incidenti - Lo Schianto' and in other ways is the companion to the new album 'Decimo Cerchio' which he recorded with the trio I Sincopatici. The reason I say the latter is that here he again works with Francesca Badalini (piano) and Andrea Grumelli (fretless bass, electronics) from that band. This is the first time Claudio has worked with electronic artist borda (Teo Ravelli), who provides drums, percussion and live electronics, and combines live performances and studio work. The voices were recorded live in Stradella in September 2023, in a show between theatrical monologues, mime, abstract painting and music, and it is this theatricality and feeling of there being much more than "just" singing which is a huge element of all of Claudio's work.

According to the Greenland Inuit, the "Quigyat" auroras were the spirits of children who died a violent death or on their birthday. The lyrics are incredibly important in this work, and I am fortunate enough to have been able to read them in English (they are sung in Italian), and they are quite shocking and thought provoking, and anyone who can understand the language must be very moved indeed when hearing them delivered with the empathy and emotion from Milano. Musically this is a far more accessible release than many of Claudio's works, as he is using his vocal talents in a much more normal manner with less of the over-the-top theatrics, and the piano combines to make us think we are at an opera or classical performance. It is also much shorter in that this has been designed to fit on one vinyl album, but don't let that lure you into thinking there is nothing challenging here, as the gentleness of "Los Pajaros Perdidos" soon gives way to chaos before switching back again.

Of the two albums he has released this year, this is the easiest to get inside and if you have yet to investigate the music of Milano then this is the one to start with, but if you want something to stretch your musical understanding then head over to 'Incidenti - Lo Schianto', but if you are like me then you will need to have both in your collection as this is another wonderful work from the maestro.

Found in other reviews and confirmed by an internet search, Quigyat is a Greenland's Innuit word to indicate a particular Aurora borealis which they think is made of the souls of "children died of violent death or in the day of their birthday". If so, I suspect a lot of those auroras should be visible in Palestine nowadays.

Anyway, this new Nichelodeon release features Teo Ravelli, aka "Borda" which is not just a guest as this is a real collaboration. The title track opens the album with a musical crescendo that at a certain point stops and leaves space to the great piano of Francesca Badalini (from I Sincopatici). Here Claudio Milano performs a sort of tragic recital. Knowing what Quigyat means, hearing "Dov'e' la mamma?" (Where is mum?) is a punch in the stomach, and I already know that more punches of this kind will come with the next track, previously published in the studio double CD "Bath Salts". After the vocals, the track proceeds with various soundcapes until a sudden stop when Claudio performs an acappella wordless chant vaguely reminding to a sort of funeral missa.

Then it comes "Alla Statua Dei Martiri Di Gorla". This was one of my personal favorite tracks on Bath Salts and it's again about children's death. It refers to an episode of the WWII, when a storm of English bombardiers was meaning to destroy a factory, but because of an error in the coordinates they destroyed a primary school killing about 200 young children. In this version the intro is a bit more melodic than in the original version, with piano and fretless bass. Or better, the melody is almost the same, but the fretless bass gives it a different colour. Knowing what it's about, would surely help to appreciate it, even for those who don't understand the italian language. I just mention a sentence: "Today let the bombs be only drunken skittles". This song gives me goosebumps everytime, not relevant, but my mother was born in Gorla and I have seen the statue.

Then a sursprise: it was since "Di Meola plays Piazzolla" that I didn't find the Argentinian tango mastermind in a progressive album. It's a slow song and the absence of the usual noisy background that's almos always present in Nichelodeon, shows that they are capable of melodic and not too challenging music...well it doesn't last long. The chorus features the noisy soundscape of Nichelodeon enhanced by the great percussion of Borda. In any case, as I have written years ago about the album "Cinemanemico", if they would ever try a more commercial approach, I think they have the potential. They are just too artists to be commercial.

"Malamore e la Luna" is my favorite Nichelodeon track ever. Its chorus is fixed in my mind and having discussed about it directly with Claudio, some time ago he has sent me a copy of the original score. My public "thank you" for it. I love this song and as on Gorla, also in this version the fretless bass adds a fantastic layer. The final is more noisy than on the original version, and I can't say which version I prefer. It's like asking which version of the Comfortably Numb solo you like. If you like it, you like all its versions. (just an example, nothing to do with Pink Floyd)

The closer is "Cio' Che Rimane" (What remains) which has already two versions: in Cinemanemico and in Bath Salts. In this version the piano reminds me a bit, maybe only to me, the first Emerson Lake and Palmer. It's a typical Nichelodeon track, with the instruments backing the theatrical vocal performance of Claudio, with piano only or with a complete set of noisy keyboards and percussion coming and going. In a point near the end of the track I think I've caught an echo of Radiata Quintet, another side project by Claudio Milano.

So what to say? Who is already in, can enjoy the new versions of those songs, but this can be a good starting point for whom intends to approach this band for the first time. Challenging but rewarding.

Every Claudio Milano related project is quite an artistic experience, and this is not the exception.

And I said artistic because it goes beyond music, because Nichelodeon shares a multi-disciplinary experience that yeah, has music as the main ingredient, but is quite theatrical, so performances are always related to Milano's work, creating this sensorial link between sound and vision. This time he, along with Francesca Badalini on piano, Andrea Grumelli on bass and electronics, and "Borda" Ravelli on drums, percussion and electronics, has release a new baby under the name of "Quigyat", which features five tracks and a total time of 39 minutes.

It starts with the title-track, "Quigyat (Little Symphony for Frozen Soldiers)" whose first couple of minutes are like being in a dawn of a day not so bright, because there is tension on it; later vocals join and piano begin to produce several emotions, first joining that tense atmosphere, but then creating more tender passages, however, I think there is a constant sense of sorrow in this album, which is wonderfully shared by Milano's theatrical skills, along with the raw distorted bass that appears at minute five. It is not easy to stay calm while listening to this, there are some disturbing moments which is good because, in the end, I think is what they are trying to transmit.

"Alla statua dei Martiri di Gorla (Requiem in Defence of Children's Rights)" is the longest track here. A kind of gothic feeling is perceived, the relationship between fretless bass and piano is wonderful, a constant dialogue which, after a couple of minutes is complemented by some far distorted noises. It is apparently a passage of calm where one can even close the eyes and feel a bit at peace; however, as the title suggests, it has a an inherent protest on its essence, because art is also protest and with it, people can spread messages. After the fourth minute Milano's lyrics appear and along with the electronics, a clear ambient of tension is shared, in spite of the delicate piano notes. Later they surprise us with a joyful / playful passage, which I think represents a kid's essence.

"Los pájaros perdidos" is a delicate (at least its first two minutes) track sung in Spanish, and then, all of a sudden Milano and co make the stage explode with a heartfelt but sorrowful passage where energy and emotions float on. Here we can truly appreciate the musicians skills, as well as Milano's capacity of recreating himself and provoke emotions no matter the language he is speaking.

"Malamore e la luna" has a cabaret-feeling start, then it changes a little bit and the theatrical essence is spread everywere; the drums/percussion work is great, adding a diversity of colorful elements that are wonderfully complemented by piano, vocals and bass. Despite being a relatively short track, I like its variety of changes in sound and mood, creating a totally avant-garde experience.

The album finishes with "Cio Che Rimane" which is a quite interesting song because there is a passage where we can clearly hear rock, in an experimental way, of course, but rock after all; and it contrasts not only with how this track starts, but with the whole album, and I think this explosion is great. Though is noticeable who drums explosion helped developing new rhythms, I really love the piano work which can share cadence and power at the same time. Of course, the music slows down and make some other changes, leaving us with a great musical and multi-sensorial experience.

Once again Nichelodeon have delivered a high-quality work, and I thank Milano for introducing me to it, and all the band for make this possible.

Claudio Milano has remained one of the most intrepid musical alchemists of the Italian progressive and experimental scene of the 21st century and has seemingly collaborated at one time or another with everyone who has touched upon the explorative underground of music where rock, modern classical, jazz and the avant-garde meet in dark alleys awaiting a future discovery. NICHELODEON has been one of Milano's primary projects since 2007 where he has forged some of the most cutting edge musical statements with a humungous number of other like-minded vocalists and musicians who have also propelled the world of experimental music into new realms.

It's only been three years since the last NICHELODEON release "Incidenti - Lo Schianto" which featured a whopping 44 extra musicians collaborating to craft the most unclassifiable music to exist in the 2020s. The best thing about Milano and his projects is that you never know where he's going next and to only expect the unexpected and with the newest NICHELODEON release QUIGYAT, Milano throws yet another curveball with a leaner lineup of only three musicians and Milano on vocals as well as a more accessible stripped down approach that serves somewhat as a little breather after the massive complexities that Milano typically fortifies each and every release with.

While QUIGYAT is a less ambitious affair than its predecessor, Milano delivers yet another slice of strange musical statements and expressive vocal performances with a little help from pianist Francesca Badalini, bassist / electronic wizard Andrea Grumelli and a special appearance by percussionist and live electronics master Theo "Borda" Ravelli. QUIGYAT features five tracks and is the Greenlandic Inuit words that refers to auroras that appear in the sky after children either die a violent death or suffer a death on their birthday. The album exudes a darkness that laments these themes with haunting performances as well as the NICHELODEAN staple of taking you on a musical journey that you weren't quite expecting.

These tracks were basically recorded live at A.N.F.O.R.E. which stands for "A New Form Of European Recital." The band presented a multi-discipline artistic statement that featured various elements including monologues, miming, visual arts such as painting and of course music. While recorded in a live setting the music was processed, edited and given additional sounds to make this a unique live / studio hybrid. The event itself took place in September of 2023 and after mixing it all together the final product resulted in just over 39 minutes of crafty experimental musical mojo that really only features one new track.The other ones consist of three reworked tracks from earlier NICHELODEON releases as well as a surprise reinterpretation of Astor Piazzolla's "Lòs Pàjaros Perdidos."

The only original score, the title track begins this set and is more of a formless series of progressive electronic experiments that finds bizarre atonal piano rolls and Milano's vocal additions popping in and out of the electronic freakery. Milano delivers declarative expressive vocal performances reminding me a lot of Catherine Ribeiro's approach with her most experimental moments with Alpes. The fretless bass also adds an air of mystique and although the track drifts on for nine minutes never totally declares itself as rock, jazz or classical but rather offers a very surreal pointillistic approach that will evoke the works of 20th century classical masters such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen or Györgi Ligeti. Milano ends it all with an indigenous chant.

After the avant-garde adventurism of the bizarre introductory track the rest of the album feels tame in comparison relying on the piano as the primary melody maker although the electronic wizardry is always a key ingredient in offering the dark atmospheres and icing on the cake. "All Statua Dei Martitri Di Gorla" tackles the theme of the district of Gorla in Milan that was bombed in October 1944 accidentally killing 184 and serves as a eulogistic memorial of sort to commemorate the senseless atrocities that plagued much of Europe during World War II. The following interpretation of Astor Piazolla's "Lòs Pàjaros Perdidos" is a bit moire light-hearted and Milano leaves the comfort zone of his native Italian to sing in the Spanish language. Primarily piano based with a vocal accompaniment, this track delivers a unique take on the world of tango forged into an avant-garde oddity.

The closing two tracks are stripped down minimalistic reworkings from the 2010 avant-prog release "Il Gioco Del Silenzio" and follow suit as piano-based songs that focus on Milano's lyrical delivery and distinct vocal style that offers both traditional singing and his usual or should i say unusual voice experiments. While the music is very structured, the band offers moments of avant-garde freakery such as the closing sequence of "Malamore E La Luna." "Ciò Che Rimane" offers a more abstract ambience and mixes the avant-garde electronic nebulous sonic storm of effects with the more structured piano based vocal accompaniments. Likewise it offers some extremely bizarre deviations from the primarily melodic piano and vocal performances.

Admittedly i was underwhelmed by NICHELODEON's latest release. Let's face it, Milano has spoiled us with an excess of riches on the last two albums and pushed the limits of progressive music in just about every conceivable way. I had to let this one sink in after a few listens and suspend any expectations or comparisons to previous efforts and simply accept it on its own terms. After all, change is the only constant in the universe so more of the same for NICHELODEON is rightfully unacceptable. After a few attentive listening sessions though, this one has gotten under my skin and has emerged as another delicious morsel in the ever-changing world of Claudio Milano's sonosverse. While i can't honestly say it tops NICHELODEON's previous efforts in any way shape or form, it's still a worthy set of five deliciously delectable tracks that offer a nice respite from the all weird all the time methodologies on previous efforts. A delayed light bulb moment for me on this one but ultimately one where the switch was turned on!

3.5 stars. "Quigyat" is NICHELODEON's first production with electronic artist Teo Ravelli, who also adds drums. According to Inuit folklore the Northern lights were the spirits of children who died a violent death or died on their birthday. I live in central Ontario and am far enough north that I have seen these lights many times but it seems like a long, long time since I've witnessed them. There was to be quite the show of these lights about a month ago but we happened to have cloud cover making that advertised event a bust.

This record was taken from an event called A.N.F.O.R.E. which stands for "a new form of European recital". The voices on here were recorded from that live event and added to the studio compositions. This is surprisingly stripped down with us often just hearing bass, piano and Claudio's voice with electronics creating atmosphere. Considering the subject matter I am not surprised at how dark this can be and especially sad. They do go into the difficult side of our music but this record is less that than any of the previous NICHELODEON cds I own, in fact even Milano's vocals sound strangely normal at times. Still, this is not for the faint of heart believe me.

I think that second song "Requiem In Defense Of Children's Rights" is like a mini version of the album in the sense that everything I have described about this record is here. A great track to sample to see how you feel about this album. We get five tracks worth about 39 minutes and some of the instrumental sections were taken from previous NICHELODEON tracks. That closer might be my favourite, haunting and I like that there's drums and how about that powerful section just before 6 minutes. So good!

I applaud Claudio and this band for doing something a little different here although it seems Milano is always searching for something new and different to unveil to the world. I'll admit that their music doesn't always work for me, with me giving half of their records less than 4 stars over the years, but then there is always this guarantee with his music that new paths will be forged and that is exciting and welcomed whether I think it works or not according to my musical tastes.

For the year 2024 Italian voice artist Claudio Milano's "Nichelodeon" project offers a new five-piece work "Quigyat" . "According to the Greenland Inuit, the "Quigyat" auroras were the spirits of children who died a violent death or on their birthday" is stated in album's liner notes, and even without knowledge of Italian the listener can easily feel the sadness, anxiety and dark beauty in music. Songs' titles like "Little Symphony for Frozen Soldiers" and "Requiem in Defense of Children's Rights" tell it all too. But even if the whole work is as eclectic as always with any Milano work, there are not only dark colors or concern in it.

The trio of Milano, pianist Francesca Badalini and fret-less bassist Andrea Grumelli on this album for the first time collaborates with percussionist/ live electronics artist Teo "Borda" Ravelli. Being eclectic, "Quigyat" is less quirky then many other Milano works. The vinyl space limitation dictates extremely accessible (for Milano music) release size - less then 40 minutes in total. It's not a secret, that many previous Milano works were far not easy accessible even for his followers since they contained extremely eclectic and complex form material, offered in a size of two or three hours long.

"Quigyat" is more accessible and it shows that smaller doze is sometimes a better solution. Still, the material here isn't what newcomer can easily imagine. Milano offers his usual voice theater, mixing musical genres from singing poetry to tango, to analog electronics and quite bare-naked piano-fretless bass Italian prog.

I really like here minimalist take on a chosen material with highlighted bass line, a bit flat piano sound and in whole very theatrical atmosphere. For my ear, "Quigyat" is one among more successful Milano works and can be recommended for open ear newbie, interested in testing what Claudio Milano music is too.

An amazing release!

Some of you might have read or listened to the name of Claudio Milano, but if you haven't, let me tell you that you are truly invited to discover his music, because he is quite a talented mind, one of a kind.

Eleven years after my introduction to his music with 'Il Gioco del Silenzio", he gave light to an ambitious release which gathers four different projects in which he is involved with, and despite he is a mastermind, he couldn't have done this without the help of his fellow Italian musicians, which is why in the credits with can read over 40 names, each and every one of the adding their grain of sand and their soul in order to deliver a top-notch work.

So this is quite a journey, and if I wanted to give you a summary, I would say that this is an avant-garde album that will challenge your perception about music, however, I will give you more details.

First I would like to talk about Not Me, a project that features six tracks in the album. As long as I know, it was conceived in 2018 and has approaches life topics such as social problems in a libertarian way, so criticism is always present. What I love about Milano's music is the evident theatrical feeling they provide, and that's not an exception with Not Me, because since the opener track 'Non Esistono' we can appreciate a soprano female voice (Laura Catrani) in a really theatrical way. The music is quite interesting because is not really opera, it takes elements of classical music but it also makes some electronic noises that produce tension, that wonderfully work as a revulsive. Claudio's voice appears then in 'Con dedica' while some piano notes are played here and there, and synth produces spacey but strange atmospheres. 'Senza Ritorno' has a darker sound made mainly by organ and that quirky vocal game, where different male voices talk to us.

Before continuing, I'd like to clarify something important: the projects are intercalated in the album, so you will listen to Not Me at track one, then six, then eleven, so the experience is even more challenging and interesting, it is like a mixture of sounds but at the same time, they all are ONE big project, because somehow they are all connected.

'Sabbia scura' has a sinister sound made by organ, and the vocal experimentation is inherent, almost every track carries it, reminding me of the immense vocal work of legendary Demetrio Stratos. With 'Del Mondo gli Occhi' we enjoy once again the female soprano, with a softer sound as background. And finally they share 'Out Let - Viae di (s)Phjga' which not only finishes with Not Me's tracks, but with the album. This is an extraordinary closer, cinematic, classical avant-garde music, I would say.

The second project featured here is NichelOdeon, which was my introduction to Milano's work. It was conceived back in 2007 and it might be the most personal, intimate project of his. What the musicians share here is also theatrical, covering a wide range of musical genres and eras, and taking a rich diversity of influences and knowledge, since all of them are studied musicians. 'How Hard Tune! La canzone dei soli' is a beauty, chamber rock with a RIO sense and with the amazing addition of electronic elements. 'Il Barbiere degli Occhi' is like being reading a novel, it is so visual, I mean, strings and vocals sound but there are also some noises like a whiplash or steps, so it is easy to put some pictures in your mind. What I also love about this track is its changes in tempo and mood and how crucial the piano is, because its participation is what normally opens the gates to those changes.

'La Scatola' is also great, and it is impressive to see how they ensemble a lot of sounds and changes in only six minutes, because here we can appreciate a richness of textures and emotions provided by accordion, violins, oboe, piano, synth, stick, drums and of course, vocals (and I am probably missing something). I love how they take us from one place to another, I repeat, just like reading a novel, it is musical literature.

'L'ultima Sigaretta - Fantasmi ad Argun' is as its name suggests, a ghostly track and we can tell it by the different voices we listen here and there. It is a bit creepy, scary, but quite interesting, because when it becomes totally instrumental, the feeling completely changes, sharing a bit of light under the darkness. 'Idiota ? Autoritratto' is a shorter track, however, the theatrical and visual feeling prevails. It is a lament which has a dark and sinister essence, mainly made by piano and vocals. And the sixth and final NichelOdeon song of the album is placed at track 14th, entitled as 'La Montagna e il Trono', which might be the closest one to rock, and I am being bold with this phrase, but I said it due to the drums work (which is not present in the whole track, by the way). Amazing, wonderful project, so creative and always pushing boundaries, which to me is awesome, but I am sure to some people might be difficult to dig, to listen.

The third project is This Order, which features only two tracks in the album. However, This Order is deeply interesting and different from the previous two, since here Milano and company share gothic-driven music, taking elements from a variety of musical realms such as avant-garde, rock, prog and of course, goth. 'Variations on The Jargon King' is the first one and it is awesome, like a blend of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum with Fantomas, so the sound as you can imagine, is much louder, more explosive. I didn't know this project and with this only track, it blew me away.

'Ho Gettato mio Figlio da una Rupe perché non Somigliava a Fabrizio Corona' is the other track of this project, with the difference that it is introduced as This Order & Coucou Sèlavy. It starts with fast drums than all of a sudden stops and then voice appears. Little by little the instruments are being added, bass, guitars and drums again, creating a heavier and experimental sound which, of course, has also a theatrical feeling. This is the longest track of the album, with a length of 12 minutes, so as you can imagine, you will find a lot of changes here, in a challenging and quite creative composition that let us know, once again, the amazing compositional and executional skills of Claudio Milano and co.

And last but not least, the fourth project: InSonar, which was formed back in 2011 with the help of Venetian artist Marco Tuppo. There is only one track featured here, but it happens to be one of the longest. 'Nyama - Gettarsi Oltre' is a 10-minute trip to a diversity of textures, nuances and sounds, where elements such as sax, bassoon and even glockenspiel are featured; of course, the voice is once again a main element because it is capable of producing a lot of atmospheres and even emotions, which is why to me, Claudio Milano is really a one of a kind artist. And despite most of the tracks here are not for the common mainstream listener, I dare to invite anyone who likes music to discover what these musicians can do, because it is avant-garde music indeed, but it is also very human, emotional, memorable.

Congrats to all people involved in this outstanding record!

NichelOdeon came together from a series of compositions at the end of the Nineties by composer, singer and performer, with a group taking shape some time later with their debut album released in 2010. Another two followed in fairly quick succession but then there was an extensive gap until this was released in 2021. This album is probably best described by the cover art where we find Claudio in different positions and moods, as this album contains performances by four different musical entities, namely NichelOdeon, Not Me, InSonar and This Order, all of which have Claudio at their heart. In the small booklet he details what each group attempts to achieve, and interestingly he refers to each one of them as a project as opposed to a band, and there is definitely the feeling that this is music which has a huge visual content as opposed to just aural.

The music is progressive, eclectic, RIO, avant-garde, chaotic yet controlled and always with the understanding that it is designed to make the listener think. Some of the lyrics are in English, many in Italian, and one feels being absorbed into a musical theatre which is true art, yet there is no doubt that many people will feel this is just uncontrolled noise. This really is only for people who feel they have wide tastes in music and can open their minds to different experiences, who feel Art Zoyd and Can should be considered mainstream and not exciting or intriguing enough for their adventuring minds. There are spoken word passages, beautiful harmonies, scraped violins, and a desire to always be non-conformist while also not falling into repetition. That there are four quite different projects taking part never matters as the album works incredibly well as a whole, just that each one takes their own theme and pushes in a different direction while all starting from the base of Claudio Milano.

This is not music to be taken lightly, or to be played in the company of those with a weak disposition, and is certainly not something to be enjoyed on first time of playing, as this will take repeated listenings on headphones before one starts to get inside Claudio's mind and understand what he is trying to achieve. This will certainly not be for everyone, but for those with broad tastes this is something which needs to be give the care and attention it deserves.

Delighted to finally be getting to this, the latest from Italy's NichelOdeon (2021). Vocal maestro-frontman Claudio Milano reached out to me here almost a year ago about this album, and I'm so grateful they did. I was already going to listen, yet the answer as to when, as is often the case, was unknown. And even if I go backward, I'm excited to do so. Unmentioned below, I would say this should appeal, to certain degrees, to fans of Univers Zero, Slapp Happy and Art Zoyd.

We are thrown into Drama Italiana [Is that good grammar anyhow? haha] via the opener "Non Esistono", the soprano-capable vocals of Milano met with dark strings and, later, eerie and distorted electronic tones. Chilling track to start us off. Static frizzles as we pick up apparent far-off transmissions. The bass from Andrea Grumelli sounds off the next, "How Hard Tune!" Here vocals overlap with different timbres as the full ensemble lightly swings underneath. This is the sort of material that I would hope fans of, say, Serj Tankian (of System of a Down) would be happy to discover. Nearly percussion-less, the effect is striking and poignant. Rhythmic vocalizations at the start of "Variations on the Jargon King" evoked Ruins' own drummer-vocalist Tatsuya Yoshida. Here, Mimmo Frioli has a proper introduction via the drums, entering a mostly bleak musical landscape. In its latter half, this is what it's really all about. Spacy, devilish synths clash with relentless guitar (Stefano Ferrian); the groove remains.

"Il barbiere degli occhi" is like a dark waltz. A lot of emotion is explored across its 7+ minutes, from apparent melancholy to sweet nostalgia. What's really striking about much of this album, well displayed here, is the stark instrumentation. I feel it's a sign of extreme purpose and care. It's well arranged, with a wide variety of instrumentation heard as the piece breathes, ebbing and flowing. Bold juxtaposition once more, "Con dedica" is just Milano and keys. Timpani, perhaps, appears to be there, but I have a feeling this deep pulse on occasion is merely the lowest notes from the 88s. As a piece of the whole, great track. Distorted vocals clash--sometimes with an alien waver, otherwise choppy and broken--underlaid with what sounds like pipe organ on "Senza ritorno". Its effectiveness when compared to "Con dedica" is less of note to my ears.

We seem to turn the page with a piano ballad, "La scatola". And this piano falls away, replaced by a swirl of reeds (all performed by Evaristo Casonato). Classical then meets modernity, as reverberating percussion marches in approaching minute 2. Erica Scherl has a beautiful performance on the violin here. Even the moments of sparseness are full, and full of life. Definitely pay attention as you approach minute 4. This track is one of the most striking moments on the album. "L'ultima sigaretta - Fantasmi ad Argun" is certainly maximal (and therefore a challenging listen)... Clear already, this is one of those albums, and certainly not despite its appearances (huge production, as you can see), where you will want to devote your attention to all of its nuances. What I assume to be Pt.2, "Fantasmi ad Argun" features that same level of classic Horror as the beginning of the album. Some of the most provocative moments are from female musicians, here the zither (of all instruments) performed by Paola Tagliaferro. Terrific. And Milano likewise stretches himself to the max on this'n, delving down into throat singing.

We enter a dream-like state on "Idiota - Autoritratto (Tadzio's Death)". And just like many dreams, it's simultaneously wondrous and mysterious (or maybe 'mystifying' is a better word). We then get the return of Frioli on drums with "Ho Gettato mio Figlio da una Rupe perche non Somigliava a Fabrizio Corona", effectively contrapuntal in its irregularity to the vocals. This is our first of two mini-epics, as I'd call it, this one lasting 12 minutes. This is more or less the sort of feeling that I look for from Avant-Prog. We are thrown to and fro here, from a seemingly mocking children's song to a hilariously irreverent folk tune. The latter (lasting for longer than expected) was certainly a shock, and for the better! As the folk number falls away, the song slips into what I can only describe as 'nightmare' [a very specific term used to describe a female horse you might encounter after dusk /s], achieved by a great variety of voices--some tortured and anguished, others taunting my ignorant, English-speaking ears haha--constantly overlapping one another. Feels like a false equivalence perhaps, but this maybe reminded me of maudlin of the Well(?); I feel I'm once more slightly off base.

The spook continues with "Sabbia scura", though it eases slightly in the middle with an increase in vocals. There's an interesting whipping sound, if I can try to describe it, the track otherwise being sans-percussion. On the minute-long track "Del mondo gli occhi (New Moses)", we get one of our few vocal features, Coucou Selavy, interestingly attributed in the liner notes as 'one thousand voices/theatre'. Beautiful and operatic. This acts pretty well as an introduction then to "Nyama (Gettarsi oltre)", itself introduced with some of the best vocal performances, in my opinion, and bombastic instrumentation comes in harsh attacks. This is our second so-called mini-epic at just over 10 minutes. Interestingly, perhaps, some of the 'group vocals' remind me of the specific arrangement style of one of my favorites, Native Construct. Guitar enters, reminding me of "Mood For a Day" off Yes's Fragile. Then we get some spanky sax! We get another vocal feature, but I wasn't sure who it was. Beautiful, regardless. Great duet. It sort of lost me in the second half: its sparseness [both in the song and the album as a whole], sharing in surprise(?) maximalism, often did it for me (but not so much here). "La Montagna e il Trono" certainly made it all aright to me. Vocals are great, and we get another violin performance, met with a sort of wild scurrying from the other underlying instruments. And finally we have "Out Let - Viae di (s)Phjga)". We get our final statement here from guitarist Stefano Ferrian, and a fantastic way to go out. The orchestration as well was notable. Sort of a general effect found in the work of John Zorn or Trey Spruance (the quieter moments from his Secret Chiefs 3 project came to mind).

Overall, a striking release, highly cohesive in feeling and in its quality from track to track. Can't wait for the next one. Cheers!

[Originally published at The Progressive Aspect]

In 2021, I belatedly came across a magnificent album by the Deadburger Factory collective of Italian artists, which blew my mind. This year (2022), I've belatedly come across a magnificent album by the NichelOdeon/InSonar & Relatives collective of Italian artists, which has blown my mind. While the two albums are very different in sound, both mine avant garde territories full of intense and extreme soundscapes, resulting in music that may be a challenging listen for many, but which I find I cannot get enough of. The thread that ties together the four groups who make up the music of "INCIDENTI - Lo Schianto" is one Claudio Milano - a self-described speleologist of sound, implying not so much an exploration of sound (that would surely be a spelunker, rather than a speleologist), as a scientific interest in the form and structure of sound, and the processes that can affect its constructions and appearances. Speleology is a cross-disciplinary field, and that too fits the character of Claudio Milano as a "designer of sonic geometries for theater/performance/dance/installations". If a traditional speleologist can be said to develop portraits of caves as complex, evolving systems and relationships, so Claudio has developed over the years his own portraits of sound as complex, evolving systems and relationships.

Another link to caves, to my ears, is the shamanistic sound of much of this album (which again draws me back to Deadburger Factory's La Chiamata, and the importance of the shaman to its concept and themes). If you have any doubt about the ubiquity of the idea of a shaman in their cave, simply Google and find a plethora of images and links. The polyphony (some might call it a cacophony) of Claudio's vocals could well be the echoing chanting of the shaman in their cave. Not that this shaman is alone, as over forty musicians perform on the album, within four band projects. It might then sound surprising that the whole is so remarkably consistent and cohesive. Perhaps because all are pursuing a similar vision, and probably more so because of the presence of Milano throughout. In fact, I imagine some listeners might well assume this is the output of just one band, if they were not told otherwise. While there are differing sounds between the four bands, and it doesn't take long to be able to recognise their individual aspects, all mesh together beautifully. Chaotic, atonal jazz, foreboding, dissonant folk, Gothic, operatic metal, and more, all of which coalesces into one breathtakingly, jarringly, exhilarating, radically eclectic, genre- bending whole.

The album's title recalls Porcupine Tree's "The Incident", which explores throughout how the words 'accident' or 'incident' can be so detached from something destructive and traumatic. But the second part of the title "INCIDENTI - Lo Schianto" ('The Crash') brings its own mental imagery that is almost cognitively dissonant to the abstract notion of the first part. That dissonance, and the alteration of perception that individuals can have about an incident or accident, is wonderfully communicated by the multiple vocal lines of Milano - who has an extraordinary range (spanning octaves) and styles (including some quite marvellous throat singing). The vocals of Milano will either make or break this album for listeners. I love Milano's singing, in all its extremes and eccentricities, and the breadth of emotions he can evoke with just his voice is quite astounding - even if one can't understand what is being sung. I resorted to asking Claudio Milano for the lyrics, so I could churn them through Google Translate, and thankfully he obliged. The lyrics can be particularly graphic, especially earlier on in the album. It's no wonder Milano's vocals are so tortured and anguished at times. It makes sense that the reinterpretation of a Peter Hammill song is one about repressive hegemony, and which serendipitously appears on an album most famous for a side-long suite detailing the aftermath of a crash.

"A Black Box" aside, the concept of "INCIDENTI - Lo Schianto" possibly couldn't have more relevance now; as Russia continues its aggression, invasion and occupation of Ukraine, for 'the crash' of INCIDENTI is the collapse of social equilibrium, and the fear and terror generated by this - of repression and murder, and dispersion of those who fall victim to it. The album is not as depressing as this sounds, though, as it is more about overcoming that aggression. Even the artwork expresses this, with the knife almost omnipresent - but a symbol not necessarily of danger and violence, but of responsibility and redemption. The knife in the target, and particularly in the inner artwork, above the head, along with the apple (again particularly in the inner artwork), could be considered an allusion to William Tell, Palnatoki, Egill, Henning Wulf and all the many other Germanic and Norse figures of legend who shot an apple off a child's head to escape injustice. The cover art itself is also somewhat reminiscent (if only to me) of Salvadore Dali's Autumnal Cannibalism, and its theme of dissonance in the face of the destruction of war. In both artworks, there are elements of tranquillity and horror, and in both an apple features prominently. Dali's apple was a deliberate reference to the William Tell tale, but in his version, Tell's son does not survive. (Less obvious than the whole apple on the head of one of the figures, is a peeled apple below, representing the death.)

All these words, and very little describing the music. But for that I make no apology, as this album is all about the words of Claudio Milano, and the creative manner in which they are performed. As great as the music is - and it is great (amazingly so) - it is secondary to the voice(s) of Milano. Apropos the Peter Hammill reinterpretation, as Marmite as Hammill can be, Milano stretches the listener's limits even further. But so long as you are willing to be stretched, the rewards of this album are almost limitless. Heck, there's even a snatch of the Smurf's la-la song, and no matter how many times I hear it (and that's very many, by now) it still puts a smile on my face. Each song on the album is appended "Senza Valore" ("without value"), which is perhaps just one more example of the dissonance and alteration of perception, as every track holds a great deal of value for me. And, for those like me who can't get enough, the longest track from "INCIDENTI - Lo Schianto" has also been released as a stand-alone single, with an alternate version that is as enthralling as the album version. I can very highly recommend this, in addition to the album itself. Wow! Just, wow!