MANO AI PULSANTI

RPI fans know well the story of the 1970s "one-shot" band, those groups of young guys who released their lone esoteric classic before fading into the dusk of history. Well it still happens in the 2000s. Adharma were a hard working band in the mid 2000s when they got the chance to record a full length debut, and just like the old days, they had but a short time to nail it. And nail it they did. I'm so sad this cool band didn't last. "Mano ai Pulsanti" was a concept album dealing with criticisms of media and television, the relationship between reality and media-reality, and power. Their influences included the usual English prog giants Floyd and Crimson, modern bands Mars Volta, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Radiohead, as well as legends of the Italian cantautori De Gregori and De Andre. They personally remind me of their fellow Italians in Akt, as well as the Wilco of the "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" era.

The music is a superb meld of modern sensibilities and classic progressive rock atmosphere. Unlike so many of the 2000s albums which can be overly loud, overly dense, and over-produced, Adharma has an almost-minimalist sound, but one which is by no means timid or flat. This rocks and has bursts of aggression and chops, but it also has the most serene and poignant moments of space, where the keyboards create pure atmospheric highs. Stressing atmosphere over melody at times, the keys create a broad background palette where you can hear both Radiohead and 70s influences come alive. Electronic blurbs and washes work together with perfectly constructed runs of piano or organ. Rarely do keyboards grab me like they do on this album. Alongside the colorful keys you have guitar and drums that are both comfortable laying back or attacking aggressively. All of the other Italian pleasantries come and go as well. You will find your share of boisterous Italian vocals, heated passages of saxophone jamming, odd sound effects, and choirs.

"Per I Balli di Domani" surfs along in almost detached fashion for a while before the finale launches into pure aggressive, blissful abandon, with super-chugging guitar and raging drums over saxophone. "Colpo Grosso" embraces the avant tendencies never far below the surface in good RPI, with odd sound effects leading to an Eels-like dreamy loop. The 3-part, 12-minute "La Gabbia Nel Mare" is my real favorite. Starting with spooky keys and veiled vocals, it offers a mix of the beautiful and the disorienting. A nice fusiony jam of piano and sax comes. There are even spacey sections here almost like Kingston Wall might throw in. Again, it's the choice of key sounds that blows me away more than the notes or speed. There's great intuition for mood. Part 2 is a sound collage of pure violence and part 3 is also quite strange. The closer "Rue di Rivoli" is a perfect finish, typical RPI piano of a stoic nature backs some narrative vocals over what sounds like a dinner party in the background. It then jumps into a more muscular section with some high pitched keys retaining the common "dreamy" vibe running through the album, then slowly fades. I love this album. If you read this guys, get back together for a 2nd album!

This is one of those fantastic obscure gems which every RPI fan should grab before it disappears. There is no CD. It is offered as a free download or stream here: www.trovarobato.com/adharma/mano-ai-pulsanti.html

Dealing about the unholy marriage between mass media and television, and how we year after year slowly get sucked into a vortex of stupidity, Adharma's sole album may not be reinventing the wheel, but it feels honest - and furthermore does it touch upon a subject that is as real and tangible as ever. Sadly, it is not the cultural fine tunings of a media in touch with the human equation that we meet the most in this our much beloved box. Yeah well maybe it is, because there are obviously people out there who keep reaching for the remote, whenever Jersey Shore is about to start...

Whatever it is, we still love the comfortable numbness that we are met with whenever we turn on our televisions. Resistance is futile!

The music on offer here is a thrilling mix of Italian old school progsters as well as a modern sound that sneaks its way in through the back-door. Whether it is done through radar-like subsonic electronics that simmer underneath most of the album, or felt in the vocal department that echoes the sensibilities of Thom Yorke - that is without ever sounding like the man himself, - you are never in doubt as to which era this record belongs to.

If you can imagine a concoction of slow moving Dillinger Escape Plan, Mars Volta, Radiohead and a decisively more electronics dominated Cervello, then Mano ai Pulsanti should be the final equation. I remember downloading this a good while back - genuinely taken aback by the sheer quality of this free album, - and yet here the other day I suddenly dug it out from my computer, where it had remained unplayed for a long period of time. One of these days I'll probably forget my own head... Is this what it feels like getting old?

The moods here are generated by dense and luscious guitars that twinkle and shimmer - holding hands with the aforementioned electronics - culminating in a powerful and quite melodic approach. Sprucing things up we are treated to something that is pretty rare inside the world of RPI, that is at least to my knowledge, which is the maniacal almost punkish rhythm section, where especially the drums thunder away like a percussive tropical rainstorm. Again, just like with the guitar and electronics, the intimate feel of instruments finishing each other's sentences is continued within the keys department. You hear how the occasional mellotron laps up against the swaying of the frail piano, and the world suddenly turns from grey to colourful - from metal to flesh.

From time to time the music gets vitalized by different reeds feeling warm and welcoming - though still possessing that angular and quite teasing expression to them - relegating the feel of Cervello, or indeed Danish band Burnin' Red Ivanhoe. Other such types of guest appearances are a choir, noise or an extra guitar - all helping gain that passionate and engaging sonic experience. My personal fave is however the wonderful theremin of the first part of multitrack La gabbia nel mare. An 'epic' in its own right that threatens to explode at any given moment - and actually does in the very end sounding like a bomb has been set off.

I really dig the feel of this album - the beautiful piano melodies that every once in a while come to the fore - subduing your high blood pressure and stressed out mind - or the astonishing mix of modern electronics and fusion touches all mixed up with a clear adoration of the RPI of old. This one's got a genuine personality of its own - whether it is speeding on the highway with punk-like attitude or chilling in the grass with ethereal voices and docile gentle accompaniment. 3.5 stars.