ASCETA

ASCETA is an 8 piece ensemble out of Santiago, Chile led by Rodrigo Maccioni who composed the music and plays guitar, flute and synths on here. We get classically trained musicians playing this sophisticated brand of Chamber Rock including cello, violin, drums, bass and double bass, bass clarinet and clarinet, piano and electric piano and lastly the bad ass of the group the bassoon player. Interesting that Rodrigo's father is Italian because I thought of Italian bands like CALOMITO and STORMY SIX when I first played this. This is all instrumental and not far from the UNIVERS ZERO area code.

When I got this originally I was listening to a lot of Psychedelic music so when I spun this at that time man I was blown away at this structured music that is classical and avant and so well played. Udi Koomran mastered this in Israel which only adds to the value. Kind of cool that on my cd package there was this loose fitting cover over it of the original cover art, primitive like it was done by a pencil but so interesting comparing this to the final result plus on mine it has 23/100 so I'm also blessed to be one of the eventual 100 people who have this physical copy.

I'm thankful that this clocks in at around 44 minutes because this is a lot to take in. Often there is so much going on with the array of sounds but then we get the contrasts thankfully where the atmosphere is welcomed. A dark and mysterious vibe to this one which made me think of UNIVERS ZERO of course but this isn't like "Heresie" at all, it just has that mood at times. A song like "Ameba" brings some light to the table but that's not the only example and I really like how some of the tracks start with atmosphere and experimental bits before the song kicks into gear. Songs like "Fobia", "Gigante Microscopico" "Los De Afuera" and "Movimiento Estatico".

While Chamber Rock is down the list a ways as far as my favourite styles of music goes, I can't help but be so impressed with what Rodrigo and his band have come up with here. As beautiful as the city from which this band comes from.

I wasn't expecting that the first chamber rock album of 2023 would have come from Chile. I mean "my" first chamber rock new listen, the album was released in 2022 by an excellent ensemble of classical trained instrumentist who play the complex and challenging music composed by Rodrigo Maccioni. As usual in the chamber rock standards, the signatures vary very often inside the same track and the chord sequences are built to gain the listener's attention without giving any clue about it, so that every passage is quite a surprise.

Respect to the obvious comparison with bands like Art Zoyd, and Universe Zero, I personally find the Asceta's music to be more dreamy than dark. Some passages make me think to classical authors like Debussy in primis. The opener, Fobia, is cinematic. Its finale reminded me to the soundtracks of the most dramatic moments of the classical series of Star Trek.

Proceeding, Virusmosis has some rock moments hidden inside a soundscape similar in some ways to the Spanish band October Equus.

I sometimes wonder how a human being can compose so complex music. "Gigante Microscopico (microscopic giant)" starts like a sci-fi movie of the 50s, but it quickly turns into something completely different. I like the sudden changes of rhythm and the pauses. It's incredible how all this stops and starts don't interrupt the continuity of the track, which contains also hints of the latin origins of the band even with some arabesques. This is my favorite one, in particular the second half, whith the dialogue between bass and guitar with the strings and the clarinet behind.

The track lengths and the total duration of the album make me guess that it might have been conceived for a vynil release. If so, "Los De Afuera (those from outside)" should be the first track of side B. Again, I think it could be perfect for a movie soundtrack. One of the reasons why I like this kind of music is that it gives me the possibility to create mental images. This album does it. Sticking on the music, the work made by the flute on this track is remarkable, but clarinet, violin, cello, every instrument concurs and I must also make my compliments to the production. In particular for how the volumes of the various instruments are balanced.

the first notes of "Ameba" are reminding of Stravinskij, at least until bass and drums make us remember that this is "Chamber Rock", not "Chamber Only". I'd be curious to give a look to the scores. I'm absolutely sure that not a single note is improvised.

"Movimento Estatico (Ecstatic Movement)" Start with "concrete" sounds then after few seconds takes a path that made me think to the Soft Machine. It sounds jazzy to my ears, and here the eight musicians are like a full orchestra.

"Sistemas Alterados (Altered Systems)" opens with the strings of the piano like in "Heavy-Aries-Heaven" by Vangelis. This track has a mood similar to that of the previous one, what I describe as jazzy probably mistaking. I have the impression of an relationship with Gentle Giant.

In summary, this is an excellent album that doesn't have anything less than the outputs of Universe Zero or Art Zoyd or any other RIO band. We have eight great instrumentists and an excellent composer playing seven tracks full of things, with passages often unexpected and a great composing work on the rhithmic section (I guess).

4 stars, but very close to 5.

...and let me say that I consider the stars no more than a little eye-catcher. If an album is good is good. Stars aren't relevant.

...and this is very good.

Many thanks to Rodrigo for sending it to me. I have really enjoyed it and I hope that RIO-addicted listeners can do the same.

What a weird, mysterious sleeve pic. Yes this appearance explains much for such a wondrous album. "Asceta" was launched in late 2022 as the debut album by a Santiago-oriented chamber rock octet ASCETA. Thanks to a suggestion by one of ASCETA founders Rod and my prog friend Ian, I could bump into such a fascinating creation (thanks both!). I don't know if 2023 would be a happy year or a tough one, sadly under covid pandemic situation in Japan, but this album has healed me enough from the beginning of the year.

Such a deep, tight combination of melodic lines and rhythmic bases comes up on us. "Fobia" should be phobia in English I guess, and a complicated dark theatrical sound readout is pretty suitable for the meaningful title. Complex phrases created with various instruments, especially weird strings and fragile winds, catch our heart strictly. Unearthly silence amongst the melodies would drive us into another madness. Repetitive incarnations of anxiety and impressive intonations are lyrical and somewhat predictive. The following "Virusmosis" might claim the current situation as mentioned above ... Quite critical viewpoints tinged with uptempo sound potential can be heard, but contrary to the crisis, their plays cannot be disrupted nor warped at all. Guess around this track is their strong intention for stabilizing their mental, physical, and musical condition. "Gigante Microscópico" gets started with an eerie, mystical sound / noise collective. Wondering what the song title means but their tightly junctional sound discharge blows such a query out completely. In the middle part a battle of clarinette and bassoon is well matured and splendid. We are relieved and encouraged by some balanced melody lines between dissonant avantgarde phrases. More painful soundscape can be felt via "Los De Afuera" but every player should be merged and united with others perfectly, not be assertive nor explosive. And the latter part of "Ameba" is pretty as sensitive and elegant as Chilean wine (my love). Such a smooth acoustic expression is also one of their brilliant characteristics, methinks. "Movimineto Estático" is another gemstone featuring synthesizer-based dream collection. Swinging jazzy atmosphere flavours incredibly charming. There should be our comfort deeply in this track. On the contrary, we can enjoy the most critical movement in the last track "Sistemas Alterados", that consists of dangerous noisy punctures and tighten-up enthusiastic sound collectives of dissected melodies and deeply heavy rhythms. Massively appropriate for the epilogue is middle-tempo high-profile sound energy itself.

ASCETA's magnificent creativity and dynamic mentality should be appreciated by all chamber rock fans. Finally a happy new 2023.

One of the great Rock In Opposition albums of 2022 comes not from Belgium, France, the UK or even North America for that matter but from the southern hemisphere. Santiago, Chile to be exact. ASCETA, Spanish for ascetic, the noun that is which refers to a persona who renounces material comforts and leads a life of austere self-discipline is actually a fitting moniker for a group of musicians who are more inspired by delivering complex niche music than cashing in on the latest pop music trends which at this stage in the 21st century have reached an all time low it seems. This is nerd music all the way and what an amazing find this was!

ASCETA was founded in 2020 by the guitarist / flautist Rodrigo Maccioni who had written music that didn't quite fit in with his main band Abrete Gandul which has released four albums since its inception in 1999. Somewhat of a pandemic project ASCETA emerged from the desire to create music that was above and beyond the casual prog sophistication of Abrete Gandul and required a team of eight classically trained musicians to pull it off. ASCETA was born when two quartets, one of rock and jazz instrumentation (guitar, bass, drums, piano) joined forces with a classical ensemble which included violin, cello, clarinet and bassoon.

The project grew into a larger than life soundtrack sounding chamber rock orchestra that not only evokes classic Univers Zero and Art Zoyd of the Rock In Opposition world but also ample doses of such disparate influences including the 20th century modern classical sounds of Béla Bartók, the world of tango in the vein of Astor Piazzolla as well as the less predictable world of prog acts like Frank Zappa and other artists existing in the world of avant-prog. Likewise the classical influences are far reaching and steeped in an accomplished sense of dedication. This all instrumental album features seven well-defined tracks that evoke true dedication to a musical craft that has been fine-tuned into absolute perfection.

In the fifty years or so since the Mothers of Invention and Henry Cow introduced the world to a whole new musical paradigm called avant-prog, the nebulous style has shapeshifted between the world of chamber music, classical string ensembles and the world of freeform experimental rock but very few have muddled the distinctions as successfully as ASCETA seems to have on this debut self-titled release. The seemingly perfect amalgamation of nerdy chamber prog amplified by rock ambitions and classically skilled workouts, ASCETA has eschewed the trap of many avant-proggers of diving into the whimsically world of weird and instead focusing on perfecting the classic sounds laid down by early Univers Zero, Art Zoyd and Present.

The results are nothing short of breathtaking with eerie spell casting intros ushering in time signature rich processions of nerdy avant-prog Rock In Opposition that ushers in a dark and gloomy emotional response without ever taking it too far. Sounding like one of those soundtracks for a film that never existed, ASCETA has captured the essence of a true heroes journey through sound and sound alone with triumphant displays of what often sounds like a mix of military marching music mixed with tango grooves augmented by angular time signature deviations and the warmth of 20th century classical tones and timbres while the woodwinds offer the proper dosage of chamber music and the guitar and drums dish out some serious delectable jazzy chops.

Like all artists who excel in the difficult music section of the prog world, ASCETA may require a bit of acclimation to digest the overt business but the band has also strived to offer instantly warm and cuddly melodic touches that really do impact upon the first listening experience. It's really imperative to let this music sink in as there is as much attention paid to the range of tones, timbres and textures as there are to the rhythmic displays and stellar instrumentation. This is the type of music that only seasoned classically trained or long time jazz musicians could pull off without a hitch.

What i really love about ASCETA is not only does it bring the sounds of classic Univers Zero and Art Zoyd to the 2020's but also in how well this ensemble reinterprets it all with a new stylistic approach. ASCETA employs much more 20th century classical aspects to its sound and eschews the forbidding darkness that UZ and AZ cranked out in their early years. Graced by a modern production and mixing job that is every bit as accomplished and the musical performances and advanced compositions, ASCETA is a true treat for those who are floored by true musicianship that is set in the context of a traditional style without sounding like a carbon copy of any particular act that came before. One of my top picks for albums of 2022. I just wished i had discovered it earlier. One of those that was love at first listen but only grows better on each return visit. Looking forward to the next chapter of ASCETA. Chile is officially the next hotbed of Rock In Opposition splendor!