MAPPE NOOTICHE

An Italian group from Cremona, that started as a trio under the name M.C. Noon with Andrea Fiorin (bass, synthesizer, vocals), Umberto Schirosi (guitar, vocals) and Luca Galimberti (percussion, loops).After the self-produced album ''Altroquando'' in 2002 with additional member Fausto Brusamolino on flutes/guitars, they changed their name to Mappe Nootiche, a term derived from the book ''Elianto'' of writer Stefano Benni.The group became a constant performer around the Milan area, now with Andrea's brother Mario on additional keyboards, and found a home in the Music Center record label.In 2008, along with the compilation album from the M.C. Noon days ''Le origini'', they released their official debut ''Terra''.

Back in the age of M.C. Noon the original trio played experimental and imrpovised spacey music, that eventually developed into Mappe Nootiche's semi-loose and sonic music soundscapes, a style based mainly on hypnotic grooves, airy piano lines, atmospheric synths and alternating guitars.Unfortunately the majority of ''Terra'' is dedicated to narcotic, deep and almost ambiental textures with loops and synthesizers being the main instruments, lacking the nerve and dynamics of OZRIC TENTACLES, which is one of the group's main influences.Steady, light grooves by the rhythm section and some smooth vocals support a very psychedelic but not really interesting music, that hardly contains any serious variations.Of course there are a few pieces in here with some tremendous energy akin to QUANTUM FANTAY or compatriots ASTRALIS with heavier guitar lines, long, spacey keyboard interludes and finally some changes in the direction of the same track, even having a bit of cinematic grandieur at times.There are also some moments that even the mass of lighter tunes are sensitive and emotional, especially on the lovely piano moves, but these are too few into the chaos of extended, boring minutes.

This is not among the best Space/Prog Rock works around.The absence of serious dynamics, trully memorable, soaring movements or deep inspiration marks it as a good purchase for fans of ambiental and rather Lounge Space Rock, however some potential is definitely indicated among its best parts, enough to at least keep an eye on the band...2.5 stars.

Well I wasn't too impressed with the follow-up to this but tszirmay insisted that i'd like their debut better, and he was right. There's a FLOYD vibe here at times along with that PORCUPINE TREE beat we hear on those early albums. This is pretty much all instrumental too but we do get some voices and vocal expressions at times. I don't think i've played an album more than this one before I reviewed it. I just was on the fence as far as the rating goes but have decided it's worth the 4 stars. Lots to enjoy here for psychedelic music fans.

"Egitti" opens with percussion as spacey sounds join in along with these outbursts. Piano before 1 1/2 minutes then bass as the percussion continues. Percussion and bass only 4 minutes in then the piano joins in again. "Dub One" has some atmosphere as the drums and bass join in. Some Gilmour-like guitar after a minute and an almost Reggae rhythm. "Ti Ricordi ? " sounds really good when it becomes fuller before a minute. I like the guitar as well in this relaxed tune. Some nice bass after 3 1/2 minutes. "Paradossi" has a FLOYD vibe early then it kicks in with prominant bass and a spacey soundscape. Piano before 2 minutes. Guitar after 4 minutes as it solos over top. It stops before 7 minutes and some vocals follow.

"Lacrime" kicks in at 2 minutes with a beat. Vocals join in too and it settles back late. "Frontiere" has a beat with guitar and atmosphere. Vocals and bass join in after a minute. Guitar to the fore after 4 minutes and it's Gilmour-like. The bass is excellent here. "Interludio" is less than a minute of laid back piano melodies. "Mura" sounds great as it builds. A definite favourite. "Satellite Centro" has picked guitar,synths, a beat and more. Lots of intricate sounds. "E Le Stelle Siano Con Te" is a good one and a great way to end the album. It's spacey with a beat as piano and guitar play over top. Vocals before 5 minutes.

A low 4 stars but I appreciate this style of chill-out music.

I wish I was as enthusiastic as tszirmay about this record. I do like the style of music they play but listening to almost 66 minutes of that same repetitive style is just too much for me. The last song is my favourite but by the time I get there i'm done. Regardless, if you like laid back Psychedelic music chances are you'll like this alot.

"Fratelli D'Italia" opens with atmosphere then the drums come in and build after 1 1/2 minutes. The guitar echoes and piano helps out too. Organ before 5 minutes as the thunder booms and the rain comes down. Guitar and spacey sounds follow.Spoken words before 11 minutes as the guitar lights it up, then it turns spacey again and blends into "Ahisma". Spoken words come and go throughout this track.

"Cieli Sotterranei" opens with piano only then it turns spacey as the guitar echoes. A beat comes in before 3 minutes. A fuller passage comes and goes. "Terra !" is once again laid back. Some vocal melodies before 3 1/2 minutes. Guitar to the fore after 4 1/2 minutes and some good organ late. "La Stanza Di Mandelbrot Parte I" is spacey as sounds come and go. "La Stanza Di Mandelbrot Parte II" is more of the same really. "Cieli Sotteranei-Frattale" builds and we get some vocal melodies half way through. I like this. Silence 7 minutes in for over a minute. Then we get what sounds like music from a parade. That earlier soundscape with a spacey vibe takes over. Church bells end it.

So a good album that fans of mellow Psychedelic music should enjoy.

I hunted this new release with a vengeance, enthralled as I was by the previous 2008 Terra! , certainly one of the finest space/psychedelic albums I have ever heard. I am delighted to report that Subterranean Skies ("Cieli Sotterranei") is in the same fluid vein as its predecessor. All the main ingredients are there, powerful bass-fueled sonic landscapes with a strong Pink Floyd atmosphere (the band dedicates the album to the memory of Rick Wright), sizzling electronics, thoughtful percussives and Umberto Schirosi's howling guitar forays. The sound engineer is none other than Beppe Crovella of Arti + Mestieri fame, a prolific keyboardist and soundscaper on his own with Romantic Warriors, Secret Cinema, Mosaic and Tower among others. Needless to say, the sound quality here is pristine; the arrangements are cosmic introspections that cannot qualify as background music because of the constant changes and intense contrasts that abound within each track. The aquatic "Fratelli d'Italia" is a breathtaking plunge into synthesized seas of tranquility, echoing guitar arpeggios and sedate drum patter that never seem listless or tedious, a whistling synth flirting with a twangy fretboard as if in amorous fusion or a thunderclap suddenly announcing a lovely organ ramble, flickering piano by the bedside. The mood is sensuous and dreamy yet vibrant and earthy, the synth solo even has hints of the traditional 'Greensleeves', a ballsy maneuver that makes this such fun to listen to. Both the wild guitar and the humming organ burn together like phosphorescent bonfire, a total orgasmic experience. Ridiculously good music. "Ahimsa" starts off with sampled words from Mohandas Gandhi, arguably one of the few heroic figures of our history, followed by a startling piano lullaby expertly fingered by Marco Fiorin and marshaled by a solid drum beat, very much in a Floyd "Meddle"- era style that is exhilaratingly effortless and organic, showing clearly this bands ability to diversify and incorporate Eastern motifs into their spacecraft. Percussor extraordinaire Luca Galimberti is very adept at creating a modern /classical climate with his precise yet sparse drumming. The title track provides a darker subterranean ambiance, booming bass from Andrea Fiorin, resonating wildly off the stalactites and stalagmites of sound, rivulets of icy piano droplets pooling gently while cascades of string synths coalesce with sprinkling spurts of crystalline electric guitar. The drums now hammer proudly, hypnotic panacea reverberating with abandon leading to a gentle fade away. "Terra!" is perhaps the closest to being ear-friendly, a simply fantastic excursion into synthesized euphoria, with bulbous peaks and grandiose valleys, dragging a lush melody along as if some delicate kite caught in a serene breeze. Sweeping background choruses make this an enigmatic composition that is brought back to earth with a stylish lead guitar solo, all picking and plucking. Again, nothing sounds forced or contrived, as if flowing naturally from within the musicians' collective conscience.

Next up the epic 2 part "La Stanza di Mandelbrot". "The Mandelbrot set is a particular mathematical set of points whose boundary is a distinctive and easily recognizable two- dimensional fractal shape. The set is closely related to Julia sets (which include similarly complex shapes), and is named after the mathematician French-Polish ?American Benoît Mandelbrot, who studied and popularized it" (Wikipedia). The music reflects the complex geometric fractals and simple sequences embodied by the inspiration which provides the listener with a much more experimental approach than witnessed up to now. The composition becomes quite mathematically serious, measuring the sonic distances between Chaos, Form and Equilibrium. We are far from any Pinkish Floydisms, in fact perhaps closer to some of Eno's more abstract work but with way more commotion from the oblique synths, the mobile bass and the agitated guitar. Part 2 in particular gets very abstruse and well?. fractal, I guess. The bass suddenly starts carving out a melody and they start sounding like Mappe Nootiche again. Brooding, ominous, deranged and frenzied. I am so impressed, it's preposterous!

The finale is a reworking of the title cut, a sensational solid drum beat propelling the synthy melody along until the ringing guitar jangles enter the procession, pinging gently and most resolutely. The final four minutes are a collage of weird samples, colliding words, sounds and pleas, extremely psychotic and unnerving. A fine companion to Terra and a wondrous new Italian band that all you well-travelled space cadets need to hear to believe. What makes it so special, is the sheer modern element that makes all this chill/lounge/house crap look like yesterdays music. Yes, it's that good!

Get Terra first and then this one, you will not regret leaving this galaxy.

4 cavernous heavens

Italy is not just about RPI but also other neighborly genres such as Heavy Prog, Crossover, jazz-prog and even Canterbury but Space is also prime territory as witnessed by groups such as the masterful Sunscape (only 1 album in 1999 but what a whopper!) or Mary Newsletter. This is just another new kid on the cosmic block, a classy quartet where the bass is up front and center (kind of necessary in this genre to be succesful), the propellant of astral tapestries that alternately float, glide and whoosh. The platform is based on a solid grid of interweaving keyboard courtesy of the brothers Fiorin , Mario and Andrea, hard percussives pounding between bass rumbles, all providing the catalyst for guitarist Umberto Schirosi to flutter at ease from one screeching universe to another. While highly contemplative and soporific, the quality of the playing is masterful. After a dreamy opener ("Egitti"), the true nature of Nautical Maps is revealed on "Dub One", a pulsating adventure into starlit expanses, featuring swirling synths, marshalling drums and uninhibited guitar rampages that are an omen of things to come, all within a tight compositional context. This is exquisite when there is an actual melody to boot. "Ti Ricordi?" proves that Space/Psychedelic is not about senseless noodling or some hip silliness but rather a timeless focus on slow developing melodies and sonic dimensions with intense soloing (Schirosi really rips here) and the ability to evoke cerebral invocations in the listener's mind. The Eastern vibe previously mentioned by other reviewers enters the fray, mostly due to a sitar-like tone from the picky guitar, who uses this spice with gentle persuasion. "Paradossi" is the longest track at 9 minutes and highlights their style perfectly, an aural catapult that zooms forward unabated, setting down a breezy groove that recalls a distant Isle of Everywhere (a Gong classic) , a celestial rapture that conjures images of subtle power and forceful drama. The bass guided tempo is pursued on the gorgeous "Lacrime", featuring wailing swaths of fuzzy vocals and meaty rhythms, a cosmic cavalcade of the highest stature that will whoosh your mind into farflung space horizons. Garbled voices pinging and ponging recklessly, kept in line by that hypnotic bass furrow, it does not get any better than this. "Frontiere" seeks out more adventurous boundaries, perhaps a bit beyond the usual spatial romp but one has to only hook up with that nasty bass line and get back into the groove. This is perhaps more psychedelic what with all the vocal bellowing amid the snail-paced beat, very reflective, ponderous and yet febrile. Umberto then takes the spotlight for a sweet and extended solo that ushers in some interesting innovations, almost breezy (that wah-wah section is so yummy) winking at spaced out early period Steve Hillage. "Mura" is a slightly more tangible monument, reverting to more conformist space noodlings, still conducted by that devilish bass guitar , the binary drums pounding relentlessly with added effort from a sublime electric piano and zooming synths. There is a more experimental Floydian premise here; combined with some Eastern tones a la Gong or the Ozric lads. The brief "Satellite Centro" is sweetness incarnate, twangy guitar pickin' that just boggles the mind, crafty little devils, these Italians. The finale "E Le Stelle Siano Con Te" gets very reflective, sitar-like tones in the background, a slow-moving mirror pool of soothing sounds from the glorious piano and assorted percussives , showing immense creativity and musical variation.

A thoroughly impressive listen, this is Space the way it should be perceived = constantly adventurous . These lads are.

I feel sad for all those audiophiles who resort to ambient shoe gazing material to paint sonic landscapes in their living arrangement when there is so much expressive Space prog releases out there for the taking. This Mappe Nootiche album is ideal living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and den music! I can't wait to get their next one, as I can listen to this universal bliss forever. Space fans need this now, call Santa ASAP

5 ocean charts

Italian psychedelia with Oriental flavour blows in!

Yes as honestly I say, at first I could not realize Terra (The earth) should be in Rock Progressivo Italiano genre. Already in the beginning are exotically percussive and sitar-like synth sounds active, and the smooth and gentle keyboard and bass can take you to 'East Asia' I feel. Although I have heard that MAPPE NOOTICHE could be much influenced by not only RPI but also Krautrock or Space Rock, this Egitti style should be, in my opinion, nearly Indo-rock or Japanese-folk one. Indeed they may have various styles of progressive rock, but without pasta & pizza they can push their experimental and improvised sounds onto you. And what an impressive and comfortable stream they can shoot! OK to give yourself to the stream. Dance and twist to Dub One, a very rhythmical but heavily drowsy song. May be suitable for a junkie party - as a dreamy state of mind, as a trance can I express the song? The sharp-edged guitar solo under the mainstream sounds is more psychically fragrant. Even here Oriental percussion can act extremely and naturally. The next Ti Ricordi? (Do you remember?) is a slow ballad with guitars' kindness in strong contrast to the previous one. Depressive atmosphere and spacey air are the same, though. Dreamy and aesthetic keyboard solo can make you safe and sound - in spite of the darkness. Very interesting I feel that darkness and brightness can simultaneously live together in this album. Paradossi (Paradoxes) is, as the title says, paradoxically heavy and ground-rumbling. The bass repetition is hypnotic and the synth stardust is brilliant - with growling guitar solo. Without your intention you should clap your hands to this song - paradoxically. Your dream will go on - Lacrime (Tears) has quiet guitar and eccentric synth sounds in the first part, voices with special effects and danceable percussion are very comfortable in the middle, and again quiet atmosphere with the synth, whispers, guitars can come in the last. You may dream with teardrops - your tears sometimes drop quietly and sometimes flow like a fall - not you? As the next song Frontiere (Frontiers) should be, their voices and whispers can be one of the instruments here - make the songs more impressive and dreamful. They can use all instruments (including themselves :-P) effective for this spacey psychedelia. Interludio (Interlude) is a short and graceful piano anecdote, that may remind you the next heaviness and darkness. You bet! Mura (Boundaries) can get started with heavy and fluttering bass solo. A bit irritating and tentative keyboard sounds and steady drums together should be mysterious for you - can feel, as it is said, like a scene close to danger. However, you can realize all they shoot can be your pillows, your brainstorms...with builder and breaker of your mind. Hmm, how should I say, about this free'n'easy acoustic guitar and warping synth one in the song Satellite Centro (Satellite center)? With really strange comfort you will rush to the end... E Le Stelle Siano Con Te (And the stars are with you) is, I wanna say, exactly fit for the end of the work. Various instruments by them can make a sound shower and a sound chandelier, with Oriental spices. As I've emphasized before, Italian progressive rock has some Oriental flavour! (Overestimating? No, no, we 'Eastern' countries love Italy so much! :-D)

You can be more and more immersed into Terra (the earth), splendid time is guaranteed for all!