Press release:

Third CD from the acclaimed dark ambient collaboration between Andrea Marutti (Amon, Never Known, among others) and Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh). Spread out over two CDs and totaling over 100 minutes, there's a lot to absorb here; organic, textural ambience that's murky and abstract, uncurling like tendrils of smoke before coalescing into a simulacrum of shadowy figures, to turbulent, more immersive post industrial sounds that prowl the depths of subterranean caverns and forgotten, still radioactive ruins. At its core, this is dark ambient, but with its roughly edged, mildly corrosive machine edges and cascading factory whir, Hall of Mirrors moves into a much more active and cerebral sonic realm. Features contributions from Vestigial, New Risen Throne, and Pietro Riparbelli/K11, among others. Two discs in a 6 panel eco-wallet, with four tracks on one disc, and one 45 minutes track on the second. A must for fans of Troum, Terra Sancta, early Zoviet France, and of course all related Andrea Marutti projects.

Reviews:

La scena dark ambient italiana sta attraversando un momento quasi irripetibile con numerose uscite di spessore e l'interesse di case discografiche locali ed estere. Sul mercato si riaffacciano anche Andrea Marutti e Giuseppe Verticchio con il superbo terzo capitolo discografico di un progetto che ha superato davvero le aspettative. 'Altered Nights' è l'esatto complemento di 'Reflections On Black' e 'Forgotten Realm' eppure a tratti non sembra nemmeno caratterizzato dalla stessa genesi. L'evoluzione stilistica a cui abbiamo assistito col disco precedente viene stigmatizzata da quattro frammenti sonori di rara bellezza Nel primo le chitarre di Andrea Ferraris e il field recording di Andrea Freschi fanno da magistrale sottofondo al fatale incontro, 'The Meeting' appunto, tra i musicisti celebri per Amon e Nimh. 'Invocation' e 'Magmatic Resonance' mostrano un substrato sonoro ancora più variegato con l'inserimento di khlui – il flauto thailandese – synth, segnali radio ad onda corta, loop minimali ed effetti di vario tipo. Il tutto inserito in un contesto oscuro e diabolico dal quale uscire appare estremamente complicato. Clamorosa la suite presente nel secondo cd che descrive nei minimi particolari un rituale di sequencer, violini, droni selvaggi e field recordings adulti. Da segnalare il contributo di Vestigial, New Risen Throne e Pietro Riparbelli/K11. Se fossi in voi avrei paura della stanza degli specchi.
Divine, Dagheisha, May 2012

The third release by Hall Of Mirrors, although it might be the second time I hear them. This is duo of Andrea Marutti (sometimes known as Amon and Never Known, from the Afe Records label) and Giuseppe Verticchio (who we know as Nimh also). This album, with guests as New Risen Throne, K11, Vestigial continues where we left of with 'Forgotten Realm' (see Vital Weekly 731), in the world of dark ambient, but not as massive as we sometimes find this on albums as released by Malignant. In between those dense tapestries of sound, we also hear a lot of loops of sound, repetitive, machine like, like a jack hammer, but without the true industrial meaning of the word machines. Lots of electronics are used, analogue synthesizers, effects, but also samples, field recordings, drones, treatments and above all reverb. Not necessarily put to the right use, but its effective in creating that artificial space that this kind of music always seem to have. In a curious way this is quite like a collage of drone/ambient music, rather than something that organically grows out of a few elements of sound, expanding beyond itself, growing larger than life, which is what ambient usually does. 'Magmatic Response' ends with a lot of reverb of guitars and is the most noisy track in these five pieces, while 'Immaterial Bodies' is the most rhythmic effort - which seems to me a rarity in the world of Malignant. Throughout a varied bunch of pieces, of which the only new thing seems to be that collage/montage like use of sounds, but overall works out like a fine, if not always the most surprising album of dark ambient music. Fine quality overall.
Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly, June 2012

Quattro lunghi brani dall’atmosfera mefistofelica sul primo CD. Uno lunghissimo (oltre i 45 minuti) più sacrale sul secondo. Tornano gli Hall of Mirrors di Andrea Marutti e Giuseppe Varticchio con un’opera che scava ancora una volta tra le immagini che ci tengono svegli la notte: sensazioni di immobilità che aprono porte su scenari apocalittici. Suoni di profondi sintetizzatori analogici, campionamenti di ogni tipo ma anche chitarre e percussioni fusi insieme in respiri che sembrano poter rallentare lo scorrere del tempo. "Altered Nights" va ascoltato di notte, in cuffia, in perfetta solitudine. A dare una mano a Verticchio e Marutti anche Andrea Ferraris, Andrea Freschi, Pietro Riparbelli, New Risen Throne, Vestigial.
Roberto Mandollini, Rockerilla, July 2012

La storia di Hall Of Mirrors abbiamo provato già a scriverla. Il progetto di Andrea Marutti/Amon e Giuseppe Verticchio/Nimh è al terzo disco, questa volta per Malignant Records, e vede la partecipazione di Andrea Freschi (Subinterior), Andrea Ferraris (Ur, Luminance Ratio), Vestigial (apparso su Cold Meat Industry, Loki Foundation), New Risen Throne (apparso su Cold Meat Industry, Cyclic Law, ha collaborato con Andrea Freschi sotto il nome Konau) e Pietro Riparbelli/K11 (Waiting For The Darkness è uscito per la Afe di Andrea Marutti). Altered Nights è un doppio ambizioso, che prova a duplicare anche le dimensioni del proprio suono. Come sempre Hall Of Mirrors espande le tracce all’infinito, oggi in maniera ancora più noise del solito e stratificando molto, a impattare maggiormente su chi ascolta e costringerlo ad affrontare il disco, volente o nolente. Sarà l’influenza di alcuni ospiti più satanici degli altri (nemmeno l’etichetta scherza), ma Altered Nights è minaccioso: non mette inquietudine, non fa credere che qualcosa di brutto stia per accadere, lo fa succedere e basta. Qui il lavoro di gruppo permette di coprire un ampio spettro di frequenze sonore, ottenendo un caos organizzato, nel quale ad esempio i synth riescono a bucare la coltre di rumore e raggiungere il cervello, mentre soluzioni meno frequenti per i due vengono adottate con la naturalezza di chi di fatto ascolta certi generi da una vita (le percussioni che chiudono “Magmatic Resonance” o i drone e i loop più sporchi di “Immaterial Bodies”, dove tra l’altro non ci sono contributi esterni). Meno spazio al lato etnico della faccenda, anche se il flauto khlui di Forgotten Realm (Silentes, 2009) ricompare nel secondo brano, e alle parti chitarristiche più “musicali” di Verticchio. Il secondo cd contiene i tre quarti d’ora di “Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony”, che dev’essere un po’ come provare ad atterrare su Giove e rimanere uccisi da tempeste, gravità, temperatura e campi elettromagnetici. Nuovamente, specie per certi suoni più abrasivi, si sente la presenza di Riparbelli. Hall Of Mirrors è qualcosa che “progredisce conservando”, nel senso che sin dalla collaborazione tra Amon e Nimh in Sator si percepiscono le stesse potenzialità, che poi vengono declinate e sviluppate in maniera diversa nel corso di questi anni, anche grazie alla politica della formazione aperta. Con Altered Nights, tra artisti coinvolti e scelte più aggressive, forse Giuseppe e Andrea hanno pubblicato il loro disco migliore.
Fabrizio Garau, The New Noise, July 2012

Hall Of Mirrors fahren mit ihrer dritten Veröffentlichung namens “Altered Nights” einen ziemlich dunklen Batzen auf, der stilistisch dem Drone / Dark Ambient zuzurechnen ist. Unterstützung gibt es von New Risen Throne und Vestigial, beides Namen, die für qualitativ hochwertige Kost stehen und zur italienischen Speerspitze jenes düsteren Metiers zählen. Das Repertoire setzt sich neben oben genannten Stilen noch aus Field Recordings, diversen Percussions, Thai-Flöte, Loops und Violine zusammen. Dies ist aber lediglich ein kleiner Auszug, die Vielzahl ist nämlich doch beachtlich. Das Resultat ist ein entsprechend dichtes Album, welches man ruhig mehrere Male auf sich wirken lassen sollte, um so auch tatsächlich in den vollen Genuss dieser Veröffentlichung zu kommen. Die beiden Hauptakteure Andrea Marutti und Guiseppe Verticchio, so manchen vielleicht von ihren anderen musikalischen Aktivitäten her bekannt, verstehen ihr Handwerk und breiten einen düsteren Klangteppich aus, der sich hervorragend für so manch unruhigen Albtraum eignet. Finsterste Dronen brechen hervor und bestimmen im Grunde genommen auch das gesamte musikalische Bild auf “Altered Nights”. Wer sich an den teils recht langen Vertonungen nicht weiter stört, den erwartet ein Klangspektakel, welches mit dem zweiten Silberling seinen Höhepunkt findet. Eine gute Dreiviertelstunde lang geballte Dronen umgeben dich da, und wenn sich warme atmosphärische Momente gelegentlich durchkämpfen, klingt das Ergebnis schon beeindruckend. Gerade anhand dieses enorm langen Stücks schafft man es vorbildlich, ein Kopfkino zu entfachen, welches auf verschiedenen emotionalen Momenten beruht und auch tatsächlich am Stück überzeugen kann. Freilich hört man dabei ebenso die Handschrift der beteiligten Kollegen heraus, was aber in vorliegendem Fall sogar als Bereicherung anzusehen ist. “Altered Nights” birgt somit feine finstere Kost, mit welcher Hall Of Mirrors ihren Status fraglos weiter ausbauen können und bei Malignant Records an der richtigen Adresse gelandet sind. Freunde von Terra Sancta und Konsorten schlagen zu.
Blizzard, Necroweb Magazine, July 2012

I had never heard of this project before being sent this album and it was one of those times where I knew I had to hear it because of its cover. It's bleak and dark and that just bodes well for this style of music. The concept also struck me as working really well, especially in the state of mind I was in when I first listened to it. With an album like this one, I wasn't really sure how to approach it. It's dark ambient music, so it obviously requires the listener's patience and attention, or no attention, in order to just soak it in, but seeing as I don't have a lot of time, I have to kind of listen to it here and there. What resulted from that is me gaining an experience from this that I have not gotten from other albums of a similar style. For the dark ambient and industrial noise based genres, from the handful of groups that I've listened to from it, I haven't found too many that ultimately connected with me on a higher level than just enjoying it. Now, despite what you may be thinking, I'm not going to say that this connected with me on some pseudo-intellectual or spiritual level, but what I will say is that it's probably one of the most entertaining and deep records I've ever heard produced by the genre. Now, I'm gonna guess at what you're probably thinking now, "Dark ambient music, entertaining, don't make me laugh (or some variation on that)," but believe it or not, this is an entertaining record that is quite interesting to listen to. Each track on here contains a rich and complex musical soundscape that is deeply engrossing. It's a cacophony of various ideas coming together into tracks that explore themes of madness, paranoia, and terror, among others, and is one of the few dark ambient albums I've heard that manages to actually convey any sense of that within me. Usually it's just, it's dark, and I'm totally fine with that, but it's nice when music can give you a feeling of dread. It also helps that there's always something happening in these songs, with the exception of Night 3: Magmatic Resonance, which I found to be a bit too cold and sparse to really keep my attention, I never found myself getting bored and was instead actually drawn into the soundscape. Probably the most surprising thing to me while listening to this was that it never felt long. This is two discs worth of music, and not the sort of music that is all that active either, but it seemed to feel like I had actually been listening to this for around an hour and forty minutes. Ultimately, it's the longest track on here that makes this worthwhile though. For all the reasons that I enjoy the first disc, the second disc, which contains the forty-five minute Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony, is pretty much everything that I liked, but in a single track. You have extremely unsettling electronics, bouts of noise abuse, disturbing ambient sections, and it's just so pitch perfect in that regard that it kind of makes the first disc feel rather uninspired by comparison. Hell there's a small bit near the end that almost makes me think of really raw black metal, it isn't by the way, but it makes me think of it. Sort of Sutekh Hexen-ish in a way, but more atmospheric, either way, it's a great track that really personifies everything that I like about this album. This thing gets a big thumbs-up from me, it's easily one of the most exciting ambient/noise/etc. albums I've heard in a long while. Once again, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I still think that at the very least the second disc is worth hearing this year. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of this sort of stuff, you will not be disappointed.
Don't Count On It Reviews, July 2012

Tumultuous and hell-ish dronescapes which savagely rising and rumbling from distant supernatural seas. An unique musical signature which reinforce the magnetic potentiality of corrosive-aggressively noisy droning frequencies in usual amorphous bleak soundscapes. Hall of Mirrors is an experimental-subterranean droning project formed by Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh) and Andrea Marutti (Never Known, Amon, Sil Muir…). Their music is entirely devoted to playful blackened ambient with an intuitive interest for dreamtime ethno-sound ritualism. Hall of Mirrors operates the perfect symbiosis between Giuseppe’s unique ability to create entrancing-textured acoustic canvas and Andrea’s solid specialization in sonically rumbling dronescapes. The duet is time to time accompanied by musician friends such as The leading thematic and conceptual motives behind these sonorous-cinematic soundscapes are turned to solipsism issues, odd metaphysics from the nature, existential isolationism and to the subliminal dimension of the being. Their first album Reflections on Black (Silentes, 2007) delivered a formlessness otherworldly dark ambient panorama in a pure classy vein . Forgotten Realms (Silentes, 2009) approached a innovative combination between sonic minimalist electronics, complex and slowly expanding sound textures with an important presence of acoustic instrumentation, their latest encompasses the fields of mantric-archetypal atmospheric epics. The first Chapter of this double album provides what we can consider to be the most colourful-ecstatically visceral dimension of Hall of Mirrors musical universe. This typicall sound imaginary culminates on the heavily tranced-out “Immaterial bodies”. A mesmeric track, perfectly orchestrated between monolithic-meditative drone waves, ritual electronic scintillations and windy-crystal like effects which progressively come to the fore. Primordial-Mystical energies are surrounded the listener to enter the supreme astral dimension. The second chapter delivers gorgeously cinematic blackness made of spherical-bass frequencies, processed field recordings, grimy chords and various sound objects. An ultra doomy, brilliantly static and dreamscaping sound odyssey that reminds the best things published in the dark ambient field with something very dense and massive regarding the sound assemblage and more progression regarding the sonorous intensity. Tumultuous and hell-ish dronescapes which savagely rising and rumbling from distant supernatural seas. An unique musical signature which reinforce the magnetic potentiality of corrosive-aggressively noisy droning frequencies in usual amorphous bleak soundscapes. The perfect musical elaboration between Northern textured nocturnal ambient and the Italian facet of death industrialism with ethno-spiritual sound ritualism. Absolutely baffling and unique.
Philippe Blache, Igloomag, July 2012

Malignant Records is the label that I usually follow its activity. Being a supplier of many highly acclaimed industrial and dark ambient acts for years already, it is really devoted to the process of those genres development. One more fruit of the recent Malignant production is the new album from Italy based formation Hall of Mirrors. Two guys that combined their efforts in this project are Andrea Marutti and Giuseppe Verticchio, both of them are not novices in creating interesting material through their main occupation in Amon and Nimh (relatively). But in order to experiment on the different field, they get together from time to time; and this time it is a turn of "Altered Nights" to see the light during 2012 while for the recording session of this album they invited few other artist to contribute from their perspective, like Pietro Riparbelli (New Risen Throne), Andrea Freschi (Subinterior) and Andrea Ferraris (Sil Muir). So, what do we have here as a result of this mixture of ideas packed in double cd format. The album cover hints about gloomy places that the artists invite me to join them for a trip, and I think it was picked successfully to describe the general mood of the record. The first part of the album consists of four long compositions. The music in general is very abstract and transcendental, almost nothing happens by sudden. Dense droning layers, designed with looped sections, slowly roll all over the place creating a thick ambience, creeping one over another and then slowly fading away. I slowly drift through old forgotten catacombs which didn't see the light of the sun for many years. The smell of decay and devastation surrounds me; the shadows of ancient evil dance on the musty walls. Did I mention the word "slow"? Then I will repeat it once again, it is a mega-slow, hypnotizing effect is the most common for all the tracks. Sometimes bass frequencies become stronger, creating an underground humming structure; sometimes it is a higher tone that plays a central role in the performance. Last two minutes of the third track "Night 3: Magmatic Resonance" make the difference with their deep ritualistic beat, and they are totally solid concluding the specific composition. Light electronic ticks, clicks and scratches ride on the wave of static and gentle noise of the fourth track that remains to be on the highest spiritual level. The second part of an album is based on one long composition of 45 minutes running time. The same viscid structure presents here as well, while the track is constructed by few sections, bind together with a cold and broody threads of a sharp floating background. The transition between the moods is smooth enough providing that special effect of one long track. After finishing this not so easy trip with "Altered Nights", I can guarantee that it will be really hard to grasp the whole album in "one shot". Sometimes the atmosphere reaches really high levels of emotional control and imprisons listener into the gloomy cell of claustrophobia and desperation. I strongly recommend this record to all dark ambient and drone ambient fans, because it is so far one of the most interesting projects in the genre of this year.
Andrew, Brutal Resonance, August 2012

The latest CD of Hall Of Mirrors is also their 1st one on Malignant Records. The duo Andrea Marutti – Giuseppe Verticchio even achieved a DCD, which sounds like a trip into an inferno. “Altered Nights” is a meaningful piece of dark-ambient music. The 1st disc features 4 long-duration pieces. From start to finish you feel directly invaded by dark waves of sound. Spooky whispering vocals emerge from the background. Field recordings, studio effects, guitar abuse and different electronic sounds have been manipulated to get the most obscure arsenal of sounds imaginable. It rapidly moves into an impression of horror characterized by “Night 2: Invocation”. The progression of these 20 minute long pieces is absolutely fascinating. It all sounds like a labyrinth of sounds leading the listener to visit imaginary cold and wet cellars. You feel like you are surrounded by evil forces and before you really realize that what’s going on is a kind of suffocation. The voyage throughout hell is just beginning getting its 1st climax on “Night 3: Magmatic Resonance”. We here have reached the darkest realms of dark-ambient music. It’s like a point of no return, the part of your trip where you’ll open your eyes again in a sarcophagus of sounds. From now on your only companion will be the shades of night. After the 4 tracks from the 1st disc the experience and exploration goes on with the 2nd disc featuring the single track “Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony”. This is a new experience made of field recordings, samples, studio treatments, radio signals and different sounds of instruments. This track is a pure soundscape going on for over 45 minutes. The composition is much more into noise than the 1st disc. The dark and oppressive atmosphere remains the common element, which again will lead the listener into a total stupor. The Italian duo got the help of multiple contributors to achieve this poignant release. Among the list of contributors I would like to mention New Risen Throne and the great Vestigial (which I hope will release a new album soon). “Altered Nights” is a visionary experience in sound, like announcing the dawn of an era of eternal night and darkness.
DP, Side-Line, August 2012

Heiß, fröhlich und ziemlich kurz gehören zu den Adjektiven, mit denen Touristen für gewöhnlich italienische Nächte beschreiben. Dass sie damit ziemlich falsch liegen, beweisen die beiden Dark Ambient-Tausendsassa GIUSEPPE VERTICCHIO und ANDREA MARUTTI. Für beide ist ihre gemeinsame Kollaboration HALL OF MIRRORS nur ein Nebenprojekt – VERTICCHIO pflegt weiterhin sein Soloprojekt NIMH, während MARUTTI für seine zahlreichen Bands, wie AMON oder NEVER KNOWN, berühmt ist. Trotz des hohen Outputs der beiden Italiener leidet die Qualität ihrer Arbeit nicht darunter. Im Gegenteil! “Altered Nights“ ist ein spannendes und intensives Ambient-Album geworden, dem man die Detailversessenheit der beiden Künstler anmerkt. So hebt sich die Soundkulisse durch den Einsatz von ungewöhnlichen Instrumenten, wie einer thailändischen Flöte, Field Recordings und diverser, bedrohlich verzerrter Stimmen ab und verleihen den fünf Kompositionen eine Lebendigkeit, die anderen Veröffentlichungen des gleichen Genres oft fehlt. Die Kompositionen sind – zumindest wenn ich Titel und Angaben im Digipack richtig deute – an je fünf unterschiedlichen Nächten entstanden, in denen VERTICCHIO und MARUTTI ihre dunklen Klanglandschaften heraufbeschworen. Und stets tut man sich verdammt schwer, sich vorzustellen, wie eine solche Musik im sommerlichen Urlaubsland Italien entstehen konnte; unwillkürlich hat man sofort eine einsame Wald- oder Berghütte im Kopf, in die sich die beiden Musiker einsperrten, um bei Nacht zusammen zu experimentieren. Für nur fünf Nächte Arbeit ist übrigens verdammt viel Klang herausgekommen. “Altered Nights“ dauert weit über 100 Minuten und musste auf zwei CDs gesplittet werden. Unbestreitbarer Höhepunkt, sowohl musikalisch, als auch längentechnisch, ist “Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony“, welches dem Hörer eine 45-minütige wahre Tour de Force bietet, an dessen Ende jedoch die wunderbare Aufnahme eines kräftigen Sommergewitters wartet. Denn auch die können in italienischen Nächten schon mal vorkommen...
Fabian Broicher, Black Magazin, September 2012

Hall of Mirrors constitutes a collaborative duo, consisting of Amon member Andrea Marutti and Giuseppe Verticchio of Nimh. Although having not heard any of Nimh’s releases, I am well versed is the sweeping cavernous dark ambient works of Amon, which was clearly enough to garner my interest in this. Regarding the material presented on Altered Nights (Hall of Mirrors third album), it is expansive to say the least, spanning 2 discs and around 100 minutes of desolate, brooding dark ambience. ‘Night 1: The Meeting’ kicks off the first disc, and quite quickly builds in to a multi faceted dark ambient / drone-scape which tetters on the edge of abrasiveness. ‘Night 2: Invocation’ arrives next, sprawling over 20 minutes, and is calmer and more organic and in tone than the first, with a watery ebb and flow to the multi faceted drones. Although ‘Night 3: Magmatic Resonance’ may commence in murky cavernous depths, it slow ascends into a quite animated and forceful frame, which seems to multiple in intensity through the introduction of a stratum of flowing / sweeping layers and disharmonic wailing tones. Mining a slightly different sound, ‘Night 4: Immaterial Bodies’ flirts within an ethno ambient tone, with it shimmering sound textures, and the vague rhythmic effect created by the various sound loops. On the second CD, it reveals a single 45 minute track ‘Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony’, which gradually builds into a stormy crescendo of jagged droning frequencies, before reaching a calmer plateau with a sparse melancholic melody. This calm section however is relatively short lived, as through the mid section the track builds back up to a serrated, swirling tonal range. Towards the conclusion of the album, the lead out section of this track is excellent (and dare a say it) beautiful and serene in sound, with a calm sweeping undercurrent and sustained harmonic tones. Within a broad drone / dark ambient framework, the 5 tracks across 2 CD’s reaches both spiralling heights and cavernous depths, and spans a sonic spectrum from stormy to calm, resulting in a meticulously constructed and nuanced album.
Noisereceptor, September 2012

Ci ritroviamo sulle strade tortuose di Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh) imbattendoci nel suo nuovo album come Hall Of Mirrors, progetto condiviso con l'amico Andrea Marutti e giunto con questo Altered Nights al terzo album, i primi due per la trevigiana Silentes, mentre il terzo per la statunitense Malignant Records, etichetta che ha visto, tra gli altri, il primo album degli Orphx. L'album in questione è un doppio cd con un packaging a tre ante molto ben confezionato e sul quale sono riportate grafiche ed immagini degli stessi artisti. Abbiamo affrontato su queste pagine la musica di Nimh descrivendovi dapprima il recente album “This Cryng Era”, poi proponendovi il suo podcast esclusivo prima dell'estate. Sul primo cd ci troviamo di fronte un opera concepita in quattro sezioni, da Night 1 a Night 4, porzioni di tempo dentro le quali si sviluppa una visione a suo modo ricca dell'universo musicale. Gli strati di suono seguono un processo di addensamento progressivo, si inizia quindi nel primo passaggio con un umore sotterraneo e fumoso dove si avvertono, lontane, strane frequenze che sembrano voci rubate dallo spazio, oltre a metalliche e delicatissime incursioni di chitarra eseguite da Andrea Ferraris (il progetto Hall Of Mirrors contempla sempre l'intervento di soluzioni praticate da musicisti esterni al gruppo). L'atmosfera tende a mantenersi impalpabile, nonostante i synth con il passare dei minuti diventino più ossessivi e pressanti, intorno lo spazio vuoto si riduce al minimo, venendo saturato dalle frequenze, dal noise e dai fields recordings e/o samples vari. Nel secondo segmento, Night 2: Invocation veniamo letteralmente abbattuti dalla potenza di questo suono che sembra voler trascinare via ogni scampolo di realtà per indirizzare la mente dell'ascoltatore verso quel nulla che possa permettere una intima analisi interiore. Un potere così forte da aver la capacità di annullare (momentaneamente) il quotidiano ritagliandosi quel lasso di tempo così privato da essere segreto. Gli elementi che contribuiscono a questa astrazione sono molteplici, i suoni sono come mattoni messi in posa dai due artisti che riescono a costruire un muro invalicabile attraverso le frequenze dei synth, le registrazioni di voci ed ambientari, i drones, gli echi ed il rumore. La posta in gioco è altissima, è una musica dirompente ma che va colta ed assaporata nei grandi momenti di apertura mentale. Un disco difficilissimo, diciamolo, che ha bisogno di pazienza, solitudine e piena dedizione per esser recepito in pieno. Il quarto segmento, Night4: Immaterial Bodies, sembra intraprendere traiettorie differenti con quel ronzio che rimanda a lontani echi di Digeridoo ed avvicina la mente ad un concetto di trance primitivo, tribale, un condotto che trascina mente e corpo verso ignote profondità. Nel secondo CD troviamo un unica esecuzione di quarantacinque minuti intitolata “Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony”, qui il suono sgorga, passatemi il termine, apocalittico, una sessione importante perchè concentra in questo lungo momento una miriade di stratificazioni e sonorità, come se in questo secondo CD fosse impressa la somma di tutte le esecuzioni precedenti, le chitarre ed altri strumenti a corda, le registrazioni ambientali, il rumore nero, le strazianti urla dei synth, la follia e poi anche la presa di coscienza, nei minuti finali, un gesto a ritroso, la scorporazione delle parti, una sottrazione che ci riporta sulla terra dopo lunghissimi minuti passati in una tensione inverosimile. Senza dubbio, un lavoro destinato a segnare gli ascoltatori che sapranno abbandonarsi completamente ai suoi flussi sonori. Ti toglie via la pelle.
Ivo D'Antoni, Electronique.it, September 2012

Для создания «Altered Nights» в рамках проекта «Hall Of Mirrors» объединились не только его непосредственные авторы Андреа Марутти («Amon», Afe Records) и Джузеппе Вертиккио («Nimh»), но и другие музыканты, представляющие, без шуток, цвет итальянской постиндустриальной сцены. Здесь участвуют Пьетро Рипарбелли («K11»), Андреа Феррарис («Sil Muir», «Meerkat»), Андреа Фрески («Canaan», «Subinterior»), Габриэль Панчи («New Risen Throne») и «Vestigial» - знакомые имена, не правда ли? Каждый из них, привнося в звучание «Altered Nights» что-то свое, участвует в формировании уникального звукового пространства, заполненного тревожными звуками и образами, напряженными шумами, плотными клубами трескучего и шершавого гула – пространства, которое ассоциируется или с постапокалиптическими пейзажами, или с сакральными местами на теле Земли, сквозь которые выходит неизведанная и потенциально опасная энергия, древняя, как само мироздание. Три ночи первого диска слушателю предстоит провести в напряженной и нервозной обстановке. Музыканты создают непроницаемые звуковые завесы из блуждающего гитарного гудения, излишне радостно болтающих голосов из радиоэфира (словно человечества уже нет и остались только записи, обреченные крутится по кругу, пока осталось электричество) и напористого, но не ядовито-злобного шума. Скорее, это транс-шум, архаичный и, одновременно, урбанистичный, хранящий в своей бормочущей и шипящей клоаке кусочки забытых ритуалов (тут вступает в дело Вертиккио, иногда играя на самодельных восточных инструментах) и монотонные, бьющие по ушам радиопомехи. «The Meeting», где атмосферные эффекты придают мрачному звучанию кафедральную мощь, порой действительно превращая изгибы синтезаторных волн в подобие хоралов, в итоге все-таки вызывает стойкую ассоциацию с заброшенным залом ожидания аэропорта или покинутым торговым центром. «Invocation» имеет более ритуальную основу, и, призывая разными способами (от пищащих дудок до стойкого рева обратной связи) каких-то иррациональных существ, открывает ворота в подземный мир «Magmatic Resonance», где в раскаленном бордовом сиянии клокочет магма, где формируется магнитная сетка планеты, линии которой вступают в резонанс с посланными к ним сигналами. «Immaterial Bodies» образует бесконечный призрачный хоровод, здесь даже присутствует ритм и возникает вопрос «а почему бы не покружиться вместе с этими прозрачными фигурами, манящими в темную чащу леса?», но нужно хорошо осознавать, что это – путь в один конец. Проводя слушателя к тем священным местам, где будет проходить «Late Summer Ceremony», духи оставят одурманенного человека. Теперь он станет участником действа, смысл которой непонятен, правила не объяснены, а исполнение их допускает комбинацию первородных, до-музыкальных звуков и вполне современных технологий. Все идет в ход: и захлебывающийся шум, и скрипично-гитарный гул, и экстатическое напряжение синтезаторов, и антрацитовые глубины темного эмбиента, застилающего все вокруг до самых первых солнечных лучей, пробивающихся сквозь вытканную за эту летнюю ночь паутину мрака. У «Hall of Mirrors» есть свой стиль, и именно он делает эту группу единомышленников одним из самых интересных, как в плане подхода к созданию и использованию звуков, так и в плане эмоционального воздействия, проектов на европейской экспериментальной сцене. Новый альбом – самое достойное тому подтверждение.
Sergey Sergeyevich, Maeror3, October 2012

Über 100 Minuten Dark Ambient präsentieren uns Hall of Mirrors, ein italienisches Duo bestehend aus Andrea Marutti und Giuseppe Verticchio, die beide schon mit anderen Projekten wie Amon, Never Known und Nimh musikalisch tätig sind. Das Gesamtwerk Altered Nights besteht aus zwei CDs und ist in insgesamt 5 Teile aufgeteilt - Night 1 bis 4 auf CD 1 und Last Night auf CD 2. Grundgebend ist eine durchweg düstere Atmosphäre, einer Mischung aus tiefen Drones, Rauschen, Brummen, analogen Tönen und teilweise auch Samples, die manchmal einen finsteren und schleppenden Rhythmus erzeugen. Beim Hören entstehen unweigerlich Bilder von dunklen Wäldern, frostigen Nächten und unheimlichen Schatten, also wahrscheinlich genau das, was die Musiker beabsichtigt hatten. Altered Nights hört sich irgendwie organisch an, die Sounds klingen nach Holz, nach Stein, nach Natur und alles immer sehr unheimlich und düster. Erstaunlich ist, dass bei einer Tracklänge zwischen 8:10 min bis hin zu 45:27 Minuten niemals Eintönigkeit oder gar Langatmigkeit aufkommt. Für Abwechslung ist also gesorgt und auch innerhalb der einzelnen Tracks wird immer wieder Spannung erzeugt und bis zum Schluß gehalten, wobei sich der Spannungsbogen sehr unterschwellig und schleichend aufbaut und somit exakt in das gesamte Klangbild eingebettet wird. Altered Nights ist wahrscheinlich nichts für einen nächtlichen Waldspaziergang, aber für die dunkle Jahreszeit der perfekte Soundtrack.
Der Medienkonverter, October 2012