DÉNTROKIRTÒS

If a band instantly intrigues you with their sound, you know they're on to something. If the same band at the same time manages to surprise you with bits and pieces from music you are familiar with and like, that band should have secured a big and varied audience of prog fans.

Akt isn't quite there yet, but deserves to be - and what's even more important - have the potential to grow even better. Déntrokirtòs feels fresh, inventive, experimental and mature. And yet it is Akt's first album, something that makes the future very bright for this group.

Playing the sort of music that is more prone to be classified solely on subjective interpretation and refuses to bend to subgenre definition; eclectic is a natural home for this record. The many different layers and highly computer-processed music gives it all an experimental edge, with sonic landscapes that are lush and cold at the same time; spacey and futuristic are words that come to mind, but always in a digital and electronic way. Heavy sampling such as this brings in an element of surprise and mathematical precision to the music, with an amazing ability to pinpoint down to the level of singular notes, and Akt does this with great care and skill on Déntrokirtòs. One can of course have different points of view about whether that is a benefit or not, regardless of the technical and musical skill involved. I remain ambivalent, but in this case most of it just feels natural. The textures are exquisitely interwoven and there's rarely any dominant instrument (when they're all involved) in the mix, which gives the sound a great amount of tightness, very close to the rhythm section all the time.

So even if the pseudo-electronic soundscapes are dominating, there is a whole lot more to be found here. Tranquil acoustic piano and guitar parts that serve as a reminder of Italy's prog heydays in the '70s make repeated appearance, coupled with a vocal style (and sound for that matter) that is just distinctly Italian, sometimes delivered more like talking, as Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso's Francesco Di Giacomo occasionally does, and sometimes with a liberating laissez-faire craziness that just makes you happy.

'90s King Crimson have most definitely been an influence on guitarist Marco Brucale, and the opener Spazzadiluvi feature a guitar part that most likely serves as a tribute, but almost comes too close to pure imitation. It's that KC-ish, yes.

The bulk of the songs move from segment to segment fast and seamlessly, bringing the record an organic feel against all odds, one that is made stronger by recurring waltz-rhythms, accordion, dramatic tempo changes and an intriguing, often clever and trance-like use of instruments.

Déntrokirtòs is an album for people that like and people that dislike progressive electronic music, because Akt adds something extra to all songs, especially by combining the energy of rock music with the atmospheric, mood-inducing and enigmatic qualities of electronic in a way that captures the fun in the process of making music - the freedom of expression. The music on this record ranges from alluringly stripped to incredibly rich in a matter of seconds, and that's what you can always count on when it comes to Italian prog rock - fabulous dynamics.

4 stars.

//LinusW