MONDO PROFONDO

Led by the British musician and composer Richard Willeman, Karda Estra is a group who definitely made an impression on me in terms of a first time exposure. Their latest record, Mondo Profondo most certainly isn't something you stumble upon everyday, as it is an album that is dense in layers, ominous in tone, and magical in mood. "On Those Cloudy Days, " the opener, rolls in some haunting mixes of jazz and chamber music, and the record's subsequent dive into the title track, "Mondo Profondo I," is full of analog goodness and some nice chanted vocals that remind me of a mix between Brazilian jazz and English Cantebury; Karda Estra certain is a musical presence to admire. "The Haunter of the Dark" instantly makes me think gothic horror (honestly, the choice of instruments and atmosphere here is frightening enough to make you soil yourself), while "Chronoclasm" had me imagining a sort of nightmarish version of The Snowgoose. It's not all scary though; there seems to be a big tendency towards Brazilian influences seamlessly merged with chamber music (of which "Radiance" would be a prime example) to create a sound that would seem to fit in a plethora of movie soundtracks. While Mondo Profondo, New Worlds has tons to offer, I found that it's an album that I need to take in chunks. Definitely something different, and while it really does just skirt the edges of prog, good music is still good music