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Finnforest View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2011 at 17:45
Originally posted by avantgrind avantgrind wrote:

I'm a n00b to this sh*t. I know of Jacula, only because of that song that has a death metal-sounding guitar in it.

whats some good stuff? and I mean stuff that guy into noise and sh*t like the Residents would be into.


Hi AG and welcome to the threadSmile

I'm no expert on the serious noise stuff, but here's a few suggestions that fans of the wild stuff like...

Allegri Leprotti
Picchio dal Pozzo
Deus Ex Machina
Breznev Fun Club
Ossi Duro
Area, of course
Paradiso a basso Prezzo
Rascal Reporters (not Italian, but great stuff...check it out)
Garamond
Yugen
Art Fleury
early Battiato
Sorrenti's "Aria"
Osanna
Pholas Dactylus
Balletto di Bronzo's "Ys"


Well, that's enough from meLOL

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote presdoug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2011 at 17:58
Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

I remember checking with one of the band members back then Presdoug, and he didn't know anything.  I've been watching for information on it to arise, but have seen nothing yet. 

Todd, Andrea, anyone.....have you guys ever heard any news about a reissue on this?
Thanks for your reply, i wonder who has the rights to the recording, they are so un-Motown, am also curious about a cd re-issue of the English version of the debut album, which is wonderful as well
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2011 at 18:14
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Thanks for the heads up Todd, regarding that reissue! Just need a sugar mama and her bank account, and Iīll be on cloud nine with a huge stereo! 

Alright here goes. Iīve been wondering about something, that, most likely, only those who are Italians can answer. Up here in Scandinavia, the different languages are very close to each other, - which means that I can perfectly understand what, either a Norwegian or a Swede is saying to me - as long as he doesnīt use slang or ramble along like a rapper on caffeine. Finland, Iceland and The Faeroe Isles are pretty much outside this rather peculiar circle of understanding, and I have no understanding of their lingo. 
So, during my French studies, I picked up quite an amount of words, sentences and different characteristics - which seemed to lie very close to those of the Italian language. Itīs a different intonation, just like Swedish is far more melodic than danish - which is very flat, - but either way, a lot of the things i do pick up when Iīm listening to RPI, I manage to do through French. Itīs the same way around with Spanish, that also features a lot of common ground with the French. A long time ago, I had Latin, and because I enjoyed The Doors (The End - and all of itīs connotations) I got really caught up in it, and ever since Iīve seen many similarities in languages, - and especially between Italian, Spanish and French. I know itīs not entirely the same as up here in the cold north, but hereīs my question: Do you understand each other on some sort of level? OR am I totally offConfused   



Guldie, when I saw your post, I knew that Raffaella would be the one to answer it.  She doesn't frequent the site anymore, but I put your question to her and she send this response which she said I could paste here for all. 

I also encourage all of you to check out her fine music blog here: Fire of Unknown Origin.

Here's the answer to  your query:

French, Spanish and Italian (as well as Portuguese and Romanian, plus a slew of 'minor' languages like Catalan and Rheto-Romanic) all have a common ancestor, which is Latin. However, those languages developed in territories that had indigenous populations: this of course influenced their development, so that nowadays Romance languages differ from each other much more strongly than the Scandinavian languages, which instead developed on territories that were geographically much closer to each other, and very sparsely populated for obvious climatic reasons.

That said, educated speakers of Romance languages will find it relatively easy to understand other languages of the same family, at least in their written, standard variety - that on account of the common origin of most of their vocabulary, and also of the similarities in grammatical structure. The spoken varieties, on the other hand, can be somewhat trickier, especially because each of the Romance languages had different phonetic features. Therefore, for a native Italian it is generally much easier to understand Spanish than French or Portuguese, because the two languages are more similar in phonetic terms. Speakers of Romance languages (at least those belonging to the older generations) also have some notions of Latin, which of course helps a lot in understanding the other languages of the same family.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 16 2011 at 02:16
^Thank you JimSmile
You really didnīt have to do that, but you did so anyways. A great answer, and as always when youīre reading something from Raff, itīs extremely well written and informative. It was similar to what I was expecting, because the biggest similarities I personally see, is in the written language. Iīd have to go down there myself, to get my head around this. Movies donīt necessarily picture the truth about different lingos, especially when you have trouble understanding whatīs going onLOL 
I have been reading her blog from time to time, and I sure do miss her gentle touch around here... I am so glad, she found the time, to write up an answer to this nosy Dane. Thanks!


Edited by Guldbamsen - July 16 2011 at 02:26
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dreadpirateroberts Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 16 2011 at 02:24
Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

Originally posted by avantgrind avantgrind wrote:

I'm a n00b to this sh*t. I know of Jacula, only because of that song that has a death metal-sounding guitar in it.

whats some good stuff? and I mean stuff that guy into noise and sh*t like the Residents would be into.


Hi AG and welcome to the threadSmile

I'm no expert on the serious noise stuff, but here's a few suggestions that fans of the wild stuff like...

Allegri Leprotti
Picchio dal Pozzo
Deus Ex Machina
Breznev Fun Club
Ossi Duro
Area, of course
Paradiso a basso Prezzo
Rascal Reporters (not Italian, but great stuff...check it out)
Garamond
Yugen
Art Fleury
early Battiato
Sorrenti's "Aria"
Osanna
Pholas Dactylus
Balletto di Bronzo's "Ys"


Well, that's enough from meLOL



From Jim's recommendations I'd like to second some of the few I actually know at this stage in my RPI collecting career Wink and suggested Area and especially Osanna and a second especially for Balletto di BRonzo's Ys 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2011 at 20:39
Chris nails this review (and bio if you want to read more)....this band didn't grab me at first when we were evaluating....but they are growing on me big time.  Way to call it, Chris, kudosClap

 La Coscienza di Zeno by COSCIENZA DI ZENO, LA album cover Studio Album, 2011
4.00 | 1 ratings

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La Coscienza di Zeno
La Coscienza di Zeno Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by seventhsojourn
Special Collaborator RPI Team

— First review of this album —
4 stars La Coscienza di Zeno (CDZ) is a contemporary RPI band that recently completed its first album for Mellow Records. They began recording in May 2010 and when they emerged from the studio in November they must surely have believed their musical vision had materialised. After listening to the sample songs on the band's official site I couldn't wait to get my hands on the album. It's probably worth saying straight from the off that their music is not instantaneous. I wasn't exactly bowled over at first by the seemingly less-than- adventurous music, but then some of the best progressive music suffers from the very same perceived deficiency. And sure enough this album's initially vague landscape slowly came into perspective with repeated plays, like clouds of mist drifting away to leave a clear summer's day.

CDZ are undoubtedly influenced by the golden generation of Italian progressive bands but this isn't the only circumstance that guarantees my enjoyment of the album. My understanding is that CDZ write discerning lyrics in order to create a distinct style; each song is apparently linked to visual images and sensations in an attempt to whelm the listener's imagination. While this high ambition is somewhat lost on a non-Italian speaker, I can still appreciate a vivid sense of grandeur in the texts. Lyricist Stefano Agnini, in addition to providing all the words, was involved in composing the music on all but two tracks here. Apparently he is no longer a full-time member of CDZ but will continue to write lyrics for the band's songs; hopefully they will continue to come up with equally good material in the future despite Stefano's departure. However if the only track he didn't have a hand in writing, 'Un insolito baratto alchemico', is anything to go by then there's no need for concern.

The intricate compositions are highly articulated and there's an effective conflict between the band's soft and hard sides; melodies are elegant and full of lustre while riffs are robust and, at times, sinister-sounding. All in all it makes for a balanced, well-proportioned mix of styles and CDZ certainly seem to have brought their A-game with them. They demonstrate their seventies-inspired RPI passion on 'Cronovisione' which basks in some eerie synthesizer parts that in a curious way remind me of a track on the first Alphataurus album, although it also features some wonderfully spacey guitar and later has a slightly Arabic feel. There's also plenty of that Italian eclecticism thanks to the energetic leanness of the synth- work on 'Gatto Lupesco', the spirited wanderings of the multi-part 'Nei cerchi del legno', and the discordant 'Un Insolito Baratto Alchemico' with its dialogue of flute and fuzzed guitar. But I really don't need to describe every track in detail because devotees of traditional Italian symphonic prog should just plunge straight into the album.

The RPI subgenre shows no sign of diminution with the recent and imminent additions of some very exciting bands, and with the release of this album CDZ has produced what I think will be one of the dominant works of the year.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2011 at 05:35
^Yup - I read that as well. Great review Chris, you really made me curious! Especially the part about writing music to visual images - intrigued me. Thatīs what happens in reverse, when I listen to music! The music plays and a world of imagery pops up in my head.
And I for one have no problems with the recent resurgence, of what many people describe as "retro prog". To me that only says one thing, and that is: we will rather use instruments like mellotron, real piano, wah wah pedals, fuzz tone bass and analog equipment, - than dive into the rather sterile midi formats and computer generated sounds, that I myself find far less appealing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2011 at 05:56
Well said my friend.....you use the sound that you need to use as an artist to express yourself.....if people call that retro, so be it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2011 at 16:43
^^^ That is a great review Chris, I want to get a copy of that one myself.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote seventhsojourn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2011 at 17:29
Many thanks guys, and nice to see CDZ among the Top 50 Popular Artists for the past couple of days.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2011 at 12:05
I am such a sucker for PFMīs LīIsola di Niente! Via Lumiere gets me every time. From that almost Canterburian wacky start to the pastoral simpleness of the organ at the end - the track is a great example of what PFM could do, when they were good! Anybody else here, who thinks that it is their finest hour?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2011 at 15:34
Finest hour?  Hmmm...  Well, although Per Un Amico was my introduction to them, I like Storia di un Minuto better.  That's still probably my favorite, with Isola di Niente coming in second, followed closely by Per un Amico.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mellotron Storm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2011 at 16:08
Originally posted by Todd Todd wrote:

Finest hour?  Hmmm...  Well, although Per Un Amico was my introduction to them, I like Storia di un Minuto better.  That's still probably my favorite, with Isola di Niente coming in second, followed closely by Per un Amico.

Come on Todd you know it's true. Isola Di Niente is mind altering.Bowdown
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2011 at 19:51
Originally posted by Mellotron Storm Mellotron Storm wrote:

Originally posted by Todd Todd wrote:

Finest hour?  Hmmm...  Well, although Per Un Amico was my introduction to them, I like Storia di un Minuto better.  That's still probably my favorite, with Isola di Niente coming in second, followed closely by Per un Amico.

Come on Todd you know it's true. Isola Di Niente is mind altering.Bowdown


The artist formerly known as Sinkadotintree strikes again...
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote presdoug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 22 2011 at 21:29
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Originally posted by Mellotron Storm Mellotron Storm wrote:

Originally posted by Todd Todd wrote:

Finest hour?  Hmmm...  Well, although Per Un Amico was my introduction to them, I like Storia di un Minuto better.  That's still probably my favorite, with Isola di Niente coming in second, followed closely by Per un Amico.

Come on Todd you know it's true. Isola Di Niente is mind altering.Bowdown


The artist formerly known as Sinkadotintree strikes again...
I love everything up to and including Jet Lag-Chocolate Kings is pretty awesome as well!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mellotron Storm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2011 at 20:18
Listened to LOCANDA DELL FATE's debut no less than three times today. I figured if the Gnosis site rates it as the 14th best album ever to come out of Italy i need to re-visit it. Also listened to LA TORRE DELL'ALCHIMISTA's debut album today which clicks with me in every possible way.Love that record.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2011 at 14:06
^ I'm a fan of La Torre Dell Alchimista too though I prefer Neo to thier first. Both great albums though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote marisa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2011 at 12:25
Good thread. You have some names that I have never heard of that I may check out. Have you heard of Banco Del Mutuso Soccorso?
They are an excellent progressive band from Italy that I have resently found out about.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2011 at 14:33

Marisa, welcome to the thread!

Yeah, most of the RPI junkies around here have gorged on Banco for some time....they are a favorite.  Hope you find lots of good stuff through these forums.  Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dreadpirateroberts Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2011 at 20:37
Welcome, Marisa!
Only have 1 Banco - looking for more, just gotta invest in the debut, as I loved 'Darwin'
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