DISORGANICORIGAMI

I did something unique, I purchased 3 albums from Daal in one shot , without really hearing anything about them, a wild and bold gamble that was well worth it, considering the band offered me to review their latest, to which I promptly replied 'Great timing, 3 are ordered and in the mail!) . It's for a good cause but what spooky timing'..They were laughing too!

Daal has a different spin on the prog version of electronica, whereby both the keys and the drums play a vital part in the overall sound, as Alfio Costa (ex-Tilion and Prowlers) is unafraid of combining old-school symphonics and soloing into his vast arsenal of synthesized sounds. This lies somewhere between classic electronic and film music, old fashioned prog (mellotrons, flutes, violins) and the more technoid crowd but with sizzling drums from master percussor Davide Guidoni (Tapobran among many others) , fascinating piano designs and evocative compositions. Infusing some weirdness also helps keeping things unpredictable and magical. Strangely, I find this kind of strong music very romantic, perhaps even sexual in a way, ideal background music for some durable loving. Their debut 'Disorganicorigami' has profound liner notes that aptly describes how 2 polar opposite musicians welded together spiritually and musically. Muscular electronic prog this will be, a soundtrack for the bruised and forever hungry mind!

'Holocaustica' rages like air-raid siren that blares from the opening slit. The mood is set for some serious sonic mind rambling and divine progressive bliss.

On the brash 'Chimeria', Alfio's brother Flavio blasts some fizzling chords, while Stick bass maestro Cristiano Roversi (Moongarden) shuttles some mean low-end notes. The ebb and flow are stunning and highly (pun) effectual.

'Mo(o)ns(o)on' is a brooding , doom-laden synthesized bulldozer, pummeled by Davide's straightforward drumming mixed with sultry percussion (eat your heart out Carl Palmer!) , with occasional tropical glimpses, slashed by jungle noises, scarred by daring violins meows and bubbling ethnic sounds. Unlike anything I have heard instrumentally, the lads combine organic with electronic in an effortless fashion, molding a terrific composition and applying layers of texture.

The obscured by clouds 'Brain Melody' sounds frighteningly similar to one shot Swedish cinema proggers Morte Macabre or fellow countrymen L'Ombre della Sera, perfecting some highly visual soundtrack music with gargantuan torrents of lusty mellotron , aided and abetted by some Turkish sax (woss dat?). Brain melody indeed, this is deadly stuff, even zeuhl fans would flock to this comp! Sombre reptiles lurking in the gloomy shadows, hissing nastily.

'The Dance of the Drastic Navels Part 1' is the atmospheric epic selection here, a 14 minute + extravaganza of vaporous sighs, troubling sounds and surrealistic pillows. Furtively pinging synth bubbles, anomalous marimba patches and exotic percussives all coalesce into this cauldron of weirdness; a blitzkrieg rifle suddenly appears, armed by sax, clarinet and oboe (a la Andy Mackay) , giving the piece a highly experimental sheen, avant- garde and manically improvised, like early instrumental Roxy Music gone bananas! Metallic clanging, obtuse ramblings, bizarroid textures (early Eno?) only add to the apprehension. Not very melodic but certainly schizoid. But then, a sweeping and prolonged Keith Emerson- like synth solo blows in from the south, unannounced! Okay, I am gutted! Definitely mind music.

The mini title track is a snippet of deep breathing voice effects (smoking what, non sono sicuro!), a neurotic sax solo and all around quirk.

Pink Floyd's cover of 'A Saucerful of Secrets' is a bold yet unsurprising step, as the duo provide a denser electronic sheen, in complete acquiescence with the stupendous organ sounds, thus modernizing the classic piece beyond its boundaries. Drumming is fittingly nimble, the arrangement disjointed and schizophrenic. The solemn piano section is simply diabolical, glorified in the presence of Fabio Zuffanti's rolling bass (he of Finisterre, Hostsonaten and la Maschera di Cera fame) and Laura Mombrini seductively wailing vocals. Stunnerville!

'Children of Our Dreams' is a romantic piano-led lullaby, sweetly pastoral and orchestrated, crystalline in its purity and thus far-removed from the electronic kling-klang.

Bonus track is a cover from Ragnorok's 'Var Glad Var Dag', a classic Swedish prog composition drenched in eccentricity and cascades of abysmal mellotron, slithering drumming, grooving bass keyboards and woolly synthesizer soloing on an overpowering lead melody. A stellar opening goal for these astute Italians, a screaming volley right into the old onion bag! Daal is on the ball and I am anxious to immerse myself in their sophomore album, coming up next.

4.5 Confused paper dolls