Chain D.L.K. (USA)

Even if this is formally a solo release of Gianluca Livi which takes a step from the from the hard rock of Anno Mundi, for whom he plays drums, to this mostly prog oriented relase, the front cover credits the other musician of this release in clear jazz style: Stefano Pontani, a jazz/fusion guitarist, Domenico Dente, a bassist, and Massimo Sergi, whose piano and synth are a major part in this album. The overall style of this release is a sort of crossover between krautrock, prog and ambient in a crystal clear '70s style so a more modern use of laptop is used with remarkable parsimony. The album starts with a track in two parts "Birth Of A Flower (In A Post-Atomic Landscape)" which starts with the guitar of Stefano Pontani showing the influence of certain '70s prog rock and creating a dreamy atmosphere with the almost imperceptible, at first sight, aid of his mates which punctuate rather than accompany. The second part is centered instead on the piano of Stefano Sergi that borders jazz territories which could be misinterpreted as modern classical. The first part of "Fujiko Mine" starts to expose the interaction of a real band as the interaction of synth, percussions and percussion revolves around a basic melody for an hypnotic effect while "Irrational Thoughts" revolves around the sustained noted of the guitar and the melodies of the piano. While, until "Zero Gravity In My Lair", the role of Gianluca Livi was more on the background, with this track his laptop begins to take a structural role on the track so the track stays in an unstable equilibrium between rock and experimental. While the first part of "Lost In Space" is suspended the entrance of the drum introduce a twist towards a free form. The longest track of this release, "Talkin’ To An Alien About Eternity", is a sort of pendulum where all instruments has a primary role until it's time to give space to another so it sounds quiet but there's a lot of movement involved and is followed by the shortest track, the second part of "Fujiko Mine", closing this release bordering noisy territories. It's evident that this is not a release for those who search for the next big thing or the trend, this is music tailored for nostalgic connoisseurs of an age where the first skill of a musician was to be able to play and compose not to be a PR of his art. Like a lost gem from the past.

http://www.chaindlk.com/reviews/?id=10204