FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS

By 2007, FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS returned to its trio formation, consisting of original members Raffaele Serra and Stefano Musso and inviting Tommaso Cimò a.k.a. ZEIT, to this " Synapse-Shaihulud" release.

As more or less forwarned by their 2006´s two-disc project, this release adds up to the trio performance, the magnificence of extraordinary "studio engineering", which of course has been present in all their releases, but on this one, it is an integral part of its music direction. It certainly reminds me of Brian Eno in this regard, in its "studio engineering minimalism" to call it somehow.

"Synapse-Shaihulud", continues these "Spirits" into their journey of contemporary electronic "cosmic" music, which by way of expression, distances itself from the possible "ambient" tagging, and in all form, could actually be considered Progressive Electronics in its purest form.

A four track record, two "long" tracks and two shorter ones. Track one "Aardwolf" a 20 minutes composition,is another 5000 Spirits "masterpiece", which in its process, travels into a all kind of musical figures, from past to present, electronic music wise speaking. Well worth the price of the album, but of course there is more. The second song "Mnomquah", the shorter of this cd, is a clear example of the studio engineering, I mentioned above.

Track 3 "From These Ashes", also a multi-figure 9 and a half minutes song, opposite to it sisters, is the slow paced one, rich in nostalgic moments without losing its basic electronic timbres among its minimally charged "ambient" environment.

Track 4, "Lulungomeena" the last track, is a 20 minutes song, which is closer to ZEIT's electronic language, than the "Spirits" themselves. A well achieved but quiet long piece, considering the melody lines, which although interesting, run for too long. In its approximation in the use of rhythm "pulses" , which never were really that present in their previous efforts, it is easily the most recognizable, yet not entirely the astounding piece of the project, in direct proportion to the rest of the compositions.

Anyway, ****4 "essential" PA stars. The journey continues.

The cosmos and the mechanical are the "spirits" within this 2006, FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS "Quantum Consciousness". A quantum leap, music wise, in comparisson to their 1990's first two releases.

Raffaele Serra and Stefano Musso aka Alio Die, release 7 years later, this the first part of a two parts project that same year. An unparalleled adventure into the past and future of the famous 70's "cosmic music" electronics, shamelessly but WITHOUT ripping off nobody's language. They already have their OWN and it is more than perfectly woven, and it shows without question, in this highly modern and unique approach to yesteryear's electronic music canons.

It is industrial, as it is the heavens, as it is the pitch black cosmos or its multicolored stars. It is human yet monstrous. It is the droning "noise/ambient" music like Fripp & Eno's 1973, "No Pussyfooting" or their 1975 "Evening Star", in its level of experimentation and way ahead creativity, to kind of construct a referential, if so, let's say to polished new territories without avoiding the "pure electronics" experimentation side of that era.

It is prog/electronics, but way above the already stated (and over-stated) "Berlin School´s" electronic languages. It is humanly poetic, among non-human elements. The structured and emotional, yet detached, melody lines, conjure a memorable an intimate experience all way through, non stop, FLAWLESS!

5***** "Taking Progressive Electronics into the future" PA stars.

After Claudio Dondo's early departure from FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS, soon after their first release, Raffaele Serra and Stefano Musso (Alio Die) took charge of all the "spirits" of the project and played between both all electronics, synths and effects for this "Mesmeric Revelation", 1999 project.

This second release starts off with what I call an "electronic environmental symphony" that lasts around 30 minutes +-, with inner sections quiet well defined as they are perfectly blended with each other's movements and different scopes, that travel through pure cosmic electronic music across mid-western canons and slight multinational details. Never sticking to a single musical figure, the effect in fact is as rich as it is "mesmeric".

The following four compositions, which by the way are named "untitled" as the first, aside from being shorter in time (5 to 7 minutes +-), are closer to the placid electronic ambients, which both musicians have worked with in their solo releases.

Spacious, invisible like, slow paced enticing musical structures, alongside some "unearthly" musical territories, which in fact are too demanding to actually work out as "ambient music" in its strict form, due to their uncompromising songwriting, which can turn to be bright as obscure in a single song without notice, yet totally friendly if you let yourself in.

****4.5 "Essential" PA stars.

FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS, a secret quiet well hidden in PA's archives, is by far one of my best findings in my recent search for "obscure" (meaning unavailable or really hard to find, although this band is available in I-Tunes), Italian Prog/electronic albums. From the moment I played this 1995 " A Tapestry For Sourcerers", I immediately detected the unique and yet almost invisible touch of the talented Stefano Musso aka Alio Die.

Five Thousand Spirits is a music project/entity and in this, their first release, feautures the collaboration between Stefano Musso, Raffaele Serra, and Claudio Dondo (Runes Order), who abandoned the project after this release.

Runes Order's knowledgeable followers will also feel at home, but for any new comer, this is "virgin" territory and to be honest one of the best "prog/electronic" BANDS, I have heard in ages.

Sublime interactions between, vibrant, cosmic, highly creative and emotinally charged atmospheres, fusioned with both intelligent and experimental song writing, enhanced by a flawless performance of an almost all-electronic ensemble, consiting exactly as follows: Raffaele Serra playing synth, harmonium and samplers, Claudio Dondo on synth and electronics and Stefano Muso's samplers.

Trend setting, original as unique, rich in its musical ideas which never cease in offering all kind of creative and enchanting or obscure yet detached envirnonments, underlined strongly with masterful melody lines that simply sound and are GENIAL!

*****5 "MASTERWORK" PA stars!