the submersible dirigible

Any researcher looking to uncover an exhaustive list of international musical hotbeds, those alluring capitals for creativity and genre-bending developed by the contemporary music underground (e.g., Iceland, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Denmark) would probably find Italy ranked alongside the likes of Mongolia, Cambodia or the United Arab Emirates.  Until just recently, I doubt I could name many noteworthy Italian musicians myself, besides the glorious Goblin, or Luciano Pavarotti — and the latter only comes to mind because I regularly encounter his likeness featured proudly on a wall mural inside my local pizza place.  Goblin and Pavarotti are nothing to sneeze at, surely, but aren’t quite cutting edge.  Partly for that reason, discovering Fabio Orsi’s ambient work — and subsequently the work of Gianluca Becuzzi, Valerio Cosi, among others — has been especially delightful.  Encountering your favorite genre surprisingly well developed in yet another region overseas leads to a barrage of new discoveries.

Fabio Orsi’s Picture Myself In a Cloud (Speaking Through Thought), his first release for ruralfaune (myspace), is the latest in an accomplished catalog of finely crafted, endlessly pleasing electro-acoustic, ambient releases from the Italian musician.  Picture Myself fits snugly alongside an already impressive catalog of under-celebrated releases on the finest of micro-labels, including LVD, Digitalis, and (the apparently Italian) A Silent Place.

Picture Myself’s first and warmer of two long-form ambient pieces is fittingly titled ‘Part One’. After a slow paced, radiating electronic buildup, ‘Part One’ peaks with the gorgeous pairing of plucked acoustic guitar melodies mingling alongside an edgier electric tone, like a violin bow carefully drawn across an electric guitar’s strings, a hair-raising, drawn electric riffs.  Background electronic oscillations, speckled with a hint of static grime, complete the scene, providing an oscillating layer of cold, wet Spring sound.  It’s simplicity is charming rather than mind numbing, like GHQ performing an outdoor concert in the Scottish Highlands, pacing themselves to the climate’s tempered, mossy warmth.  Looping a minimal Greg Malcolm composition over Aidan Baker might produce a similarly charming effect.  ‘Part Two’ relies on a colder tones, but follows a similar progression, slow electronics unwinding into a heady hail storm of drones, vocal wailing, and simple percussion, the bit of electric decomposition and static nibbling on its extremities.

 

 Fabio Orsi - Part One (Picture Myself..., ruralfaune 2008): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (223)

Machinefabriek, Jasper TX, and Aidan Baker’s similar electro-acoustic work is an easy reference point, but Orsi’s work here definitely distinguishes itself from your typical drone/ambient rabble.  If we assume Machinefabriek is a sort of non-homicidal, tape-looping audio Tetsuo, Orsi would be our swooping, hairy Falcor.  Honestly, I can’t imagine a more stirring endorsement.  Picture Myself In a Cloud includes complimentary twig, presumably from Bruno’s (ruralfaune’s kindly curator) back yard.

Picture Myself In a Cloud aside, everything I’ve heard from Orsi has been completely satisfying, but more importantly, his music ages well.  Orsi’s collaborative work with his fellow Italian ambient musician Gianluca Becuzzi, is the finest ambient work I’ve heard in some time.  Orsi/Becuzzi’s ability to blend thick layers of electronics seamlessly into acoustics melodies is infinitely pleasing, comparable to the best work from genre masters like Machinefabriek or Christian Fennesez.  Fortunately, Orsi & Becuzzi have already released a bundle of collaborative work.  Foxglove’s Orsi/Becuzzi release Please Don’t Count the Clouds, a Orsi/Becuzzi  3×3″ cdr set composed of one collaborative and two solo discs from each artist, is the best starting point for anyone introducing themselves to the duo.  Orsi’s solo contribution (linked below) includes subtle hints of genuine electronic heritage, the likes of which don’t often find outside of Morr, Warp or Sending Orbs these days.  The release is far from “electro”, but those rubbery, cerebral electronic beats still find a comfortable new home in Orsi’s ambient sound regardless.  In most cases, glitch, noise and drone, riley-esque stretched soundscapes, are more common in Orsi’s work, but the incorporation of varied audio flair keeps his music sounding fresh.

fabio orsi - at last as naked as clouds (please don’t count, foxglove 2007)

orsi & becuzzi - another day is fade away (stone knows, digitalis 2007)

Fabio Orsi’s ‘Find Electronics‘ (A Silent Place) is also available for streaming (in full) at last.fm.