DESTRUKTIVE ACTIONS AFFECT LIVINGS

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'.