CIVITATES BARBARIAE

This directly comes from the Barbagia region in Sardinia. A wild and beautiful part of that island, which is ruled by mainland Italy. Just like it is with neighbour Corsica (France), there is a long tradition in struggling for independence. Grounded in the constant need of defense against diverse seafaring powers arriving from all around the Mediterranean Sea in the old days. And so Sardinia is wellknown due to the specific Nuraghi for example, small tiny fortifications, which you can still find everywhere around, more or less well preserved. Many towns are high up in the mountains, time consuming to reach in most cases, even a dangerous undertaking in earlier times. According to that the residents are proud of and still intensively maintaining their own cultural identity and dialect. Named after the ancient Nuragic people living way back in the Bronze and Iron ages ILIENSES is a music project deeply connected with the traditional folk music of this region.

Certainly not the first, but what makes it particularly interesting for me is the unique approach to combine ancient folk roots with a modern twist by using progressive rock signatures, preferably due to proper jazz fusion elements. Supported by several guest musicians studied bass player Mauro Medde and Natascia Talloru have initiated this entity, the latter is responsible for the vocals respectively narrations. The album is running with a length of about forty minutes, concipated just like a soundtrack for a movie. You ideally should hear this in one go. A rather cinematic experience so to say. The opening title track immediately gives an impression about the ritualistic being. We can hear the Sardinia typical deep throated singing, accompanied by tumborro percussion. It reminds me of diverse festivities, often taking place with parades similar to carnival while presenting several rituals.

Over the course they continue to reveal more traditional instruments like campanacci, pipes, horns, bells and triangles. A Ferru Frittu is one album highlight for sure, completes the transition into the modern with Medde's funky bass and a strong jazzy behaviour due to the piano and Fabio Perra's drumming. Ex Voto comes very dark mooded, where Lumerras and Arrastu even evolve into a rather heavy, aggressive behaviour. The variety of the closing track Barbagia finally serves the cherry on the cake. Mystic narrations and tools, the swirrling jazz fusion, basso (bassu) tenore styled pastoral singing, the unusual stakkato piano and melancholic ambient synthesizer layers. I'm thrilled due to this eclectic symbiosis of quite diverse influences and ingredients. ILIENSES are creating an incomparable atmosphere on 'Civitates Barbariae'. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.