Il Cavaliere Azzurro
Guided by reissue culture and the tireless efforts of passionate fans, an image of Italy’s remarkable history of avant-garde music has slowly begin to emerge from the shadows. As sinfully overlooked within its own country, as without, this music is marked by astounding diversity and adventurousness, is notoriously resistant to categorization and genre, while being incredibly democratic - drawing on a remarkable range of influences from across the globe. Whether focusing on individual releases, o…
The Pool
The Pool represents Apta's most focused and compelling release to date. Based on the transformative plunge of a psychedelic experience, it maps both tentative footsteps into the unknown and euphoric, melodic bliss. Recorded using a combination of modular synthesis, Arp Odyssey, bass, guitar, Elektron grooveboxes and (for the first time in Apta's recorded history) a hint of vocals. There are wisps of melody from the outset, woven through skittering modular synths and saturated bass guitar. But it…
The Shameless Years
* 2021 clear vinyl repress with new cover art; originally released in 2017 * Post-minimalist American composer Rafael Anton Irisarri's Umor Rex debut. Inspired by a troubled socio-political climate, buried melodies punch their way through a bleak cover of noisy drones, periodically veering into some of Irisarri's most eerily pertinent music to date. One of Rafael Anton Irisarri's most thematically and sonically cohesive records to date The Shameless Years came together in a relatively short burs…
Le Raccourci
Le Raccourci is a welcome introduction to the world of Sebastian Gandera.
The impressionist landscapes of a sensitive soul self-reflecting, these
miniature compositions alternate across a rudimentary set up of piano,
field recorder, sampler and four-track recorder, melancholic utterings
hastily captured some 100km east of Paris. Classically trained by the
same teacher as his parents, Gandera first began recording in the
confines of his university dorm room, inspired by a C60 from friend an…
Scoprire le Orme
Limited clear vinyl, edition of 100. Mysterious, charming, and wavering, Scoprire Le Orme (Discover The Footsteps) represents a unique musical experience; a kind of Minimal Folk with far Eastern baroque influences. The work is a living entity, yet with a calm atmosphere interweaved with tension - the tradition here being redefined and transfigured in a very personal way with a touch of esotericism. Roberto Mazza (formerly a member of Telaio Magnetico, along with Franco Battiato, Lino “Capra” Vac…
Olympic Signals
Limited clear vinyl, edition of 100. Giovanni Venosta’s Olympic Signals, is one of the great lost documents of the Italian avant-garde - the first solo outing from one of the movement’s seminal voices, most recognised for his collaborative work with Roberto Musci. In a sea of unjustly neglected works, Venosta’s debut rises from the tide time as a towering gesture of sonic creativity. A shimmering, complex wonder of overwhelming Minimalistic beauty. One of the great records of the 1980’s, that al…
...E Il Pavone Parlo' Alla Luna
Originally released in 1980 (and privately issued only in 1987) Arturo Stalteri’s …E Il Pavone Parlo’ Alla Luna falls among the last artifacts of Italy’s great wave of musical Minimalism. Like the movement to which it belongs, rigorously resistant to categorizations and definition, this overlooked marvel sculpts a startling singularity. A radical and democratic vision in sound, blending elements of New Age, the avant-garde, and Prog, with Western and Indian Classical musics. Long oversha…