THE ARCHINAUTS

This is the debut album by Italian duo Ivan Santovito (vocals, keyboards) and Ilenia Salvemini (vocals), who have been joined by Giovanni Pastorino (keyboards, programming), Simone Amodeo (guitars), Andrea Bottaro (bass guitar) and Paolo Tixi (drums), along with special guest Martin Grice (flutes, saxophones) (all of whom, apart from Andrea, are in Z-band). I am a little surprised to see these guys listed on ProgArchives as being RPI in nature, as apart from being Italian and Progressive I personally think that description is tenuous at best. Firstly, all of the lyrics are in English (which is often an automatic disqualification), and much of the music is much cleaner, simpler and less layered. But, there are times when they do definitely bring in that style and approach, but for me this isn't the pervasive sub-genre. Just goes to show that although we all attempt to categorise music, sometimes the best we can do is to say whether it is good or bad, which is always a subjective opinion even though every effort is made to be as objective as possible.

Putting all that to one side, this album is a delight from start to end. The vocals are fresh and not forced, and the arrangements are quite superb. There are times when they are symphonic in nature, and others where the piano is definitely the most important instrument. There is a strong use of space, leaving plenty of room for the atmospheric nature of the music to come through. For the most part this is a very modern sounding album, rarely looking back to the Seventies, and the duo have obviously followed their own course as they bring in elements of electronic and pop, so much so that at times I was reminded as much of Savage Garden as I was of IQ. The use of different keyboard sounds and textures is important, while Simone's guitar is sometimes non-existent and at others providing an incredibly dynamic solo, again adding to the textures. This is a modern progressive album that has been released on CD by AMS but is also available through Bandcamp, and is one of the best new projects I have heard from Italy in quite a while.

What a nice little surprise from southern Italy - a young architect also musical educated suddenly surfaces with a modern, wonderfully crafted album full of maturity. Composer and lead vocalist, Ivan is the true creator of this great first Opus, but a special mention is deserved to the other half of the duo, the lovely harmony vocals of Ilenia (also co-arranger).

The musicality is very modern, synths and power chords and all, but plenty of grand piano, flute and acoustic guitars all-around give a classy feel (not retro, mind you) to the whole. The band delivers at high level, very cohesive and tight, which might be somehow attributed to the participation of Fabio Zuffanti, credited with Conducting and Art Direction.

Just bought the digital version from Bandcamp and, though it was actually a passion at first sight, after 3 full spins I am loving it even more, discovering details and renewed pleasure each time.

So a full 4 stars to me, without a doubt !

I have spent way too much time trying to decide whether to give 3 or 4 stars for this recording. A true 3.5 star record and considering the RPI tag and looking at it as such this is 3 stars. Just too modern, english vocals, sure Symphonic with some Neo references but other than the sampled mellotron nothing about this brings that golden era of RPI to mind. Now looking at it as it is, that is a Symphonic/Neo recording this is a 4 star recording. I agree with kev rowland who also feels this way that RPI is a bit of a stretch despite this being the project of two Italians.

Ivan and Ilenia are ISPROJECT and they provide the male and female vocals with Ivan composing all the music here. Neither play an instrument on here. And living in Italy who better to contact for some guidance than Fabio Zuffanti? Fabio simply does that here provides direction to this young couple and even bringing in his ZBAND, a five piece to play Ivan's music. Ivan is a huge Steven Wilson fan which shows up at times and while Fabio offers guidance AMS Records produced this album, an album that deals with architecture, poetry and photography the loves of Ivan and Ilenia. By the way the drummer is also part of IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE an excellent modern RPI band while the sax/flute player is from DELIRIUM.

Man this record hits some highs, that middle section, songs 4 to 6 is outstanding and the best of all might be the only instrumental on here and that's the opener "Ouverture". Ivan has a good voice I quite enjoy it but Ilenia is thankfully in the background much of the time, I'm just not into her high pitched voice at all. This record is drenched in a lot of mellotron, this just sounds amazing, so uplifting and enjoyable. Modern sounding guitars and the flute and sax add a lot even though they are used sparingly. Actually on my copy it lists the horn player as a guest which I find strange as he is part of Zuffanti's ZBAND but he used little so I guess I get it.

How gorgeous is that opener "Ouverture"? I must say that this record features plenty of piano often used when the style of music is going to change. Lots of synths as well. "The Architect" is a good example of what this band does here with the repeated themes, the piano interludes, the mellotron choirs. My least favourite track is "Mangialuce" I just haven't been able to connect with it but man "The City And The Sky" is a killer tune, so emotional maybe my favourite along with the opener. Ivan's vocals soar here and the mellotron and guitar also shine. "Lovers In The Dream" continues the incredible music with flute and mellotron but Ivan really sings on this one. "The Mountain" is almost as good as the previous two songs and then the closer, a 15 minute ride where Ilenia is unleashed somewhat but it doesn't affect my enjoyment of this proggy number.

I have spent a fair amount of time with this one, more so than normal and as usual the only way to get to know an album is to actually spend time with it not review it after one listen and think you really know it? Or better yet not even owning it but streaming it a couple of times. I'm old school I guess.

A new Italian Neo Prog band backed by Fabio Zuffanti and his music making machine. The music here sounds to me very much like a slightly more diverse IQ--especially due to the Peter Nicholls-like voice and style of male lead singer and principle composer, Ivan Santovito.

1. "Ouverture" (3:54) a gorgeous introductory song--with beautiful melodies coming almost passively from the keys with steadily strummed 12-string guitars and thick Mellotron strings. Sounds a lot like something from NOSOUND. After 90 seconds, Hammond organ and a couple of time stamped power chords from the rest of the band denote a transfer of power to the classically-oriented piano. At the three-minute mark some more RUSH-LE ORME-like power chords take us into a very RPI-like heavier version of the opening melody and motif until ... A great opener--and a top three song for me. (9/10)

2. "The Architect" (6:23) ? we bleed over into the next song. The funky sound palette here almost sounds like something out of early 1980s American Soul/R&B--PRINCE-like! But then it morphs into a heavier passage based on a repeating progression of power chords while keys and electric guitars solo a bit--until 2:10 when it suddenly settles into a sedate and steady, slow, PINK FLOYD-like four-chord progression over which the reverbed voice of Ivan Santovito makes its first appearance. The musical combination and palette has a lot in common with early IQ-- especially due to the timbre of Ivan's Peter Nicholls-like voice. After a brief piano solo in the fifth minute, we return to the main motif with Ivan singing, but now he's joined beautifully by the lilting voice of Ilenia Salvemini to back up and accent his own. Beautiful! (8.875/10)

3. "Mangialuce" (7:39) I like the diversity of the multiple motifs packaged into this one. It's quite symphonic (like the last song). But the dynamics might be a bit over the top in terms of bombast: sometimes feeling almost forced or more cerebral than heart-felt. Also, this is another song that very strongly brings up the feeling that I'm listening to something by the British NeoProg band IQ (especially in that first 90-second motif). The second motif is pure Steven Wilson (Hand.Cannot.Erase.) The third, for the first instrumental passage, sound like something straight out of 1972-3 Le Orme. Then, at 4:45, we're back in Steven Wilson's musicquarium with a tangent of some treated piano and reversed guitar. But then at 5:39 we burst back into the heavy land of reality with a RPI-RUSH-like bombastic passage over which Ivan tries (unsuccessfully) to match intensity with his voice before lead guitar takes over and takes us to the end. (13.25/15)

4. "The City and the Sky" (4:57) a song in which the main melody line feels as if directly lifted from one of STEVEN WILSON's Hand.Cannot.Erase. album. Even the instrumental and chordal palette of this motif feels SW. The second, alternate motif is pure RPI--as if coming straight from LE ORME's Felona e Sorona or LA MASCHERA DI CERA's Le Porte del Domini. (8.75/10)

5. "Lovers in the Dream" (5:59) back to the safety of IQ music (even feeling as if they're going back to the melody and chord structure of "The Architect"), piano and synth strings support Ivan's reverbed voice as he seems to repeat/carry forward the melody (and story?) of the album's second song, "The Architect." Yes he reaches for some higher heights during the more dynamic bursts of the chorus, but in truth, I feel as if I'm listening to a re-working of the main motif of that other song! Nice guitar play during the solo in the Steven Wilson-like instrumental passage. (8.75/10)

6. "The Mountain of Hope" (6:31) NeoRPI with tons of Mellotron, reverberated male vocal, and dynamic bursts for instrumental performances (including great Moog solo at the end). (8.875/10)

7. "Between the Light and the Stone" (14:37) very long, mellow, and slow-developing intro from piano, ARP "strings," taking two minutes just to break into full band for flute and vocalise from the lovely female voice of Ilenia Salvemini. At the very end of the third minute a new, rather sinister theme is introduced using a weird GOBLIN-esque synth sound buffered by airy flute. At 3:48 bass and drums finally break into a pattern that becomes that which the rest of the song is built over--with Ivan Santovito beginning his Peter Nicholls/Mariuz Duda-like singing almost immediately. The chorus section is nicely balanced with Ilenia injected as the second vocal. At 4:45 piano takes over carrying the melody forward a we enter into an instrumental passage within which flute flits and flourishes between RPI chord blasts. At 7:10 BRAINTICKET-like organ takes over the melody, all by itself, as Ivan and Ilenia sing in tandem, taking turns to continue telling the song's story. Organ continues as rest of band joins in, supporting some nice electric guitar soloing until the nine-minute mark when solo piano takes over, transferring the music to a jazzier foundation, over which the rest of the band join in loudly so that saxophone and Moog get some nice soloing in. I love this full buildup throughout the eleventh minute--especially as the sax and Moog duel--but then everything cuts out to leave a solo piano to provide a little classical interlude for about 45 seconds. Then we jump back into a full-band motif so that Ivan and Ilenia can continue delivering the story--this time with Ilenia serving solely as the harmony vocalist--and with piano being the definitive lead instrument in the bluesy-rock motif--which is perfect for the retro-guitar sound that bursts forth to deliver a powerful solo to the song's finish. A very enjoyable listening experience of a very satisfying and mature construction. Another top three song for me. (28/30)

Total Time 50:00

Very nice, melodic and engaging NeoProg songs that benefit also from great sound from great engineering and production.

B+/4.5 stars; a collection of excellent musical constructs forming a near-masterpiece of prog rock--one that seems to teeter over--or bridge--the span of "classic" Italian prog and modern NeoProg. Highly recommended for your own perusal and opinion-making.