[reviews] afe127cd
andrea marutti & fausto balbo: detrimental dialogue

This collaborative effort puts together ambient, dark ambient, electronic hero and Afe Records head-chief Andrea Marutti and Fausto Balbo that maybe some of you remember for having played in a hardcore band called Jesus Went To Jerusalem and later in the electronic-metal duo Der Tod.

During the last years Balbo has produced and played some electronic music made out of synths, samples, incredible self made kalimbas and a full load of great taste, so no surprise he musically tied the know with Marutti.

Even if the length of the tracks may suggest an heavy influence of the ambient musician, I think many of the sounds crossing the scene will show how this collaboration is the result of a mutual work.

The first synth driven suite start as an ambient piece to leave room to some unexpressive white noises and sounds and to resurface a simple fragmented keyboard melody, as the rest of the music the track is hyper arranged and not so immediate.

The second episode offers the same kind of cocktail you will sip for the whole length of the CD, but beside the ambient frameworks coming in and going and together with these sharp and/or fragmented electronic noises the used some bass lines, sometimes the impression is they put together some old IDM, Pan Sonic and cold experimental electronics, also thanks to its structure this track is my personal favorite.

With the closing tracks the atmosphere of the release becomes more rarefied and abstract, bringing in the "space is the place" element to the music, so if you're into that "we're floating in the universe" feel you love these closing chapters, above all the last one where this dynamic duo hypnotizes and scares the shit out of the listener, avoiding dark or gothic influences which it's a result itself.

An electronic post-ambient, post-kraut, cold but yet analog-sounding release... Can you imagine that?! A listen may help above all if you consider this is definitely interesting and not a conventional output.

[Andrea Ferraris]