1000 AUTUNNI

No release results - showing artist results instead

Sort: Recent best-seller | Results cached

Visit Amazon tag:'Progressive Rock' for more prog rock

Readers are going to start I'm making this up or that I am being paid to write this. Or that I'm just biased. Extremely biased. But what can I do, how can I react, other than with utter astonishment and joy when I hear the sublime music that comes from albums such as 1000 Autunni?

Here you have keyboards player Paolo Ske Botta, of the mighty Yugen, releasing an album of his music and what is in here is bliss for anyone who likes melodic and beautiful adventurous music; real adventurous melodic music, not the regurgitation of previous achievement found in other albums that inundates the progressive rock "scene" nowadays (though I do like and enjoy many of those as well, to be honest and fair).

And what disturbs me is that an album of this caliber gets little recognition and mention, it is hardly celebrated, reviewed and recommended. An album like this should appeal to all those 70s progressive rock golden era fans (as well as those embracing the more "out there" and "experimental" side of progressive rock). Those golden-era fans should like this, not because it sounds like this album is from that place and time, but because it does the same thing the bands of that age did (or tried to): explore various ways of creating music, experiment, mix influences and styles, do some trial and error. In other words, to progress beyond what is done in the general scene and make something unique, creative and (relatively) original (as much as possible).

Granted, this album is influenced by those classic bands, but the key word is influenced, not molded in their form. It brings in a storm of freshness, much like Yugen's Labirinto D'acqua did. It melts the ingredients of its influences and forms a fresh and unique sound and approach that will appeal to both those who like the classic "symphonic prog" and those who like their playful and melodic avant-prog (such as Yugen, French TV and Miriodor). Listen to Mummia and Denti and hear how Paolo reconciles the two, or rather, fuses them together.

1000 Autunni has lush tunes, melodic and seductive, at times angular and in your face (Scrupoli, Fraguglie, Denti), at others soft and comforting (Delta, Scogli 1, Sotto Sotto). The three Scogli tunes will be a test for the more "orthodox" listeners as they explore the "outer rim" and provide a more abstract and calm pace.

A piece like Denti will remind to some of Anglagard in places with its use of flute and mellotron and in others places it will remind others of Yugen. This piece is a great example of a fusion of the "symphonic prog" and "avant-prog" sides, scrambling both in a melting pot and molding them according to Ske's vision.

In Carta E Burro we are graced with beautiful female vocalizations by Roberta Pagani. The piece starts in a laid back mode and in the middle part an increase in tempo as the keyboards and saxophone engage in a superb interplay, only to relax again towards the end of the song. This solo part of the keyboards (which I think is a Farfisa organ), brings me to another point: there is use of a lot of wonderful types of keyboards here, contributing to a somewhat of a vintage-y sound (as well as the occasional reference to the "Canterbury school" sound). However, these different types of keyboards and the vintage atmosphere do not drown out and overtake the album's sound and style, they just make part of it, as is evident once listening to the album.

You are faced with a variety of instrumentation as well as an array of musicians. Paolo's friends from Yugen, Francesco Zago (guitars), Valerio Cipollone (saxophone and clarinet) and Maurizio Fasoli (piano) as well as Camembert members Pierre Wawrzyniak (bass) and Fabrice Toussaint (vibraphone, marimba, trombone, congas) all guest on various tracks here alongside an extended lineup of other musicians.

The musicianship is, as one would expect, top notch and the production crystal clear. I can hear the smallest of nuances and details and thankfull, there's a lot to pay attention to. Multiple listening rounds are needed to get a full grasp of this broad work and in my case, those were very rewarding listening experiences. I particularly appreciate the shift from the subtle and more serene parts to the rhythmic, angular and powerful sections with the always present attention to details and the layering of the instruments one on top the other, without masking them.

Listen with great attention or don't listen at all.

I didn't know that Ske was a nick-name of Paolo Botta until recently and the significance of that of course is that he decided to call this project after it. Paolo is the keyboardist for YUGEN and he has guested with PICCHIO DAL POZZO, FRENCH TV and others i'm sure. He's a very talented man obviously and I actually like this solo project of his more than I like the music from YUGEN. This is beautiful stuff with an assortment of guests playing a variety of wind instruments, harp, violin, theremin and so much more.

"Fraguglie" is almost ANGLAGARD-like in it's most aggressive moments although it does settle before 2 minutes as well as late to end it. Great track ! "Denti" is mellow with flute before kicking in before 1 1/2 minutes. It sounds like mellotron here. The tempo and mood continues to shift on this one. Another excellent tune. "Carta E Burro" has female vocals along with laid back horns and more. It picks up before 3 minutes then settles back with female vocal melodies late. "Scrupoli" has these outbursts of sound that come and go early on and what sounds like mellotron 2 minutes in.

"Delta" is laid back to start and kicks in before 2 1/2 minutes as contrasts continue. "Scogli 1" is a short piece with intricate sounds and synths too. "Sotto Sotto" is a relaxed song but it is interesting. "Mummia" is a dynamic piece with guitar, organ a beat and much more.Violin and synths before 2 1/2 minutes as it picks up some. "Scogli 2" is another short track with piano and synths standing out this time. "La Nefazia Di Multatuli" gets fuller before 1 1/2 minutes as the bass and drums join in. Vocal melodies follow. Nice. It settles after 4 minutes then rebuilds with vocal melodies. A calm ends it. "Scogli 3" is a short laid back piece. "Rassegnati" eventually has this prominant beat then powerful organ 2 1/2 minutes in followed by guitar. It settles after 3 1/2 minutes. We get a beautiful ending on this one.

A solid 4 stars for this accessible yet very interesting record.

1000 Autunni is an album which answers a question I don't think anybody had thought to ask: what would happen if Anglagard made an album paying tribute to the Canterbury scene? Ske, the solo project of Yugen's Paolo Ske Botta, offers an intriguing answer. With a production aesthetic and textures (particularly in the keyboards) reminiscent of Anglagard and jazz-tinged compositions influenced by latter-period Canterbury bands such as the Muffins or National Health as well as a broader range of fusion artists, as well as the occasional retro-prog moment, this is an intriguing album which takes the sounds of the bands that inspired it into a new era and offers a truly progressive and experimental sound.