FUTURO ANTICO - AKTUALA - EDIZIONE LIMITATA 350 COPIE

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E D I Z I O N E   L I M I T A T A   A 350  C O P I E

C A S A L   G A J A R D O     R E C O R D S   CGR  004

F u t u r o    A n t i c o      ( AKTUALA )

suoni dai primitivi all’elettronica

  Walter Maioli, Riccardo Sinigallia

  La trama di questa musica si snoda in una strana dimensione senza spazio nè tempo, richiama strati di coscienza non ordinari, curva il tempo fino a far sovrapporre avveniristiche atmosfere elettroniche con i primi suoni dell’uomo primitivo. Difficile descriverne il contenuto e, proprio per questo, impossibile non accennare al metodo di realizzazione e alla strumentazione usata. Dai primitivi all’elettronica: dall’uso del più antico strumento musicale, comune a molte culture primitive, chiamato”rombo volante” fino alle sofisticate macchine elettroniche del nostro tempo (moog, sinthi EMS, eco computer) e, tra questi due poli, una infinità di altri strumenti ed effetti (flauti barocchi, doppi di canna, richiami degli Indios dell’Amazzonia, suoni di bicchieri elaborati al nastro magnetico, osso d’aquila, strumenti orientali).

Le strutture portanti sono ancora quelle della musica elettronica, ma l’introduzione di questa originale strumentazione e una indubbia influenza di sonorità orientali (Maioli, già fondatore nel “72 degli Aktuala, torna da un soggiorno di tre anni in Himalaia), danno all’atmosfera musicale un gusto arcano e delle aperture metatemporali notevoli. Questa cassetta inoltre è autoprodotta e autodistribuita e anche questa è una nota di merito agli autori, una sana abitudine anglossassone che in Italia, purtroppo, fatica a prendere spinta. (M.S.

Italian musicians, the group also appeared to have Indian and African musicians, which really lent the ethnic credibility to this wonderful album. This is not your typical run of the mill world music album, but one with a highly avant garde bent. The group wasn't called Futuro Antico for nothing, as they also incorporated electronic with lots of African and some Indian influences. All sorts of modern and ethnic instruments used, like synthesizers (apparently a Minimoog), organ, piano, marimbas, jawharp, kalimba (African thumb piano), flutes, sitar, and something that sounds like a didgeridoo (if they got a hold of a didgeridoo, they must have not got the circular breathing technique down because it keeps stopping after a few seconds and besides, in 1980, the didgeridoo was pretty unknown outside of the Australian Aboriginal community). "Piano Synt" is one of my favorites here, stunning use of piano and trippy use of '70s analog synths that remind me a bit of Tim Blake circa  Crystal Machine. "Eco Raga", as you might expect, is quite dominated by the sitar, with a strong Indian bent. "Piano Synt" is a lot less ethnic, with emphasis on piano and stunning '70s analog synths. This piece really blows me away, I find it hard to believe this was from 1980 and not 1976, but it is from '80! "Sinikorò Kumà" is very much dominated by marimba, lending to an African feel, while "Concrete Music" starts off rather avant garde, but eventually you get treated with marimba, kalimba, Fender Rhodes electric piano and even didgeridoo (I believe, but then where's the circular breathing or those screeching sounds associated with that instrument?)

This out of the way: I have never been called a world music enthusiast. I obviously have no problems when a group like Ozric Tentacles included lots of Middle Eastern and Asian influences in their music which really gave that group character, it's straight-up world music that I am not much into. But then Futuro Antico isn't conventional world music as there's lots of avant garde, electronic, psychedelic and even some prog rock influences to go with it.

The album was apparently released only as a privately issued cassette, after all, this was 1980 and record companies were by this point interested in what sells. Had this album been released in 1973, a label like Bla-Bla would have released this album (Aktuala actually recorded for that label, just like Franco Battiato). Certainly the finest thing I ever heard from 1980. It sounds way more '70s than '80s to begin with. In 1990 the album received a limited edition reissue, but it really needs a more permanent reissue. For the adventurous listener, this comes highly recommended!