QUINTA DIMENSIONE

One of the lesser known formations to come from Italy is Persimfans, a group formed in 1978 by a group of Italian music students. Sadly having my interest piqued, Quinta Dimensione turns out to be the only album to have been released by them. The original album featured spoken word vocals by wizard Tony Binarelli; however my review is based on the Cd reissue which was minus the vocals.

The line-up of keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and vibes looks nothing out of the ordinary but this music never takes the form of a rock band being more dominated by the keyboards and delicate guitar work and drums rarely make an appearance. The musicians more often than not opt for a low key and atmospheric approach creating musical soundscapes and mood pieces blending electronic, avant-garde and classical touches with some symphonic arrangements making an effective use of vibes and chimes on occasion. To my ears the mellower pieces work to better effect than the occasional moment of bombast (relatively speaking) such as Heat, preferring the atmospheric and melancholic feel created, Space being a case in point with some exquisite mellotron.

Persimfans are certainly not your typical RPI band (if such a thing exists) and those approaching them as such are likely to be disappointed. Nevertheless for the more adventurous, who enjoy the sort of qualities outlined above, you might just be onto a winner here. 3 ½ stars.