GREY ORIGIN

Remember this name: Alessandro di Benedetti.

Here is a Roman musician/artist of the very highest caliber, became known for his long career with Italian RPI group Mad Crayon, having released 4 albums in 28 years, not exactly the most prolific source of material. On the other hand, Inner Prospekt remains the realm for his solo creativity and as such has offered since 2014, a whopping twelve absolutely original and fascinating releases that have taken me by storm. I am happy to report that I have all 12 of his works and very happy to be so blessed. Starting with the "Dreaming of Tony Banks", now there is a title that shows credentials, the keyboards maestro gets to generate whatever comes to his mind, disregarding protocol or obligation, but nevertheless incorporating heavy doses of electronic, ambient, symphonic, jazz and classical to his progressive muse. Mostly instrumental but occasionally infusing some vocals, the listener is taking on a personal tour, a panorama of cinematic arrangements that aim towards establishing a limitless mood, never boring or stagnant, molding his propensity to blend various levels of synthesizers with dreamy e-piano, occasional blasts of mellotron and shifting drum patters that keep paying homage to the groove. Technically dazzling in his playing, there is also a playfulness that shines through that is probably what hooked me so fully, as the spirit is one of contemplative fun.

His latest release "Grey Origin" follows on the heels of the masterful "Canvas Two" (2021) release, an album that has rung the bell, way up there, as the hammer hits the launchpad. In typical Inner Prospekt style, the "Entrance" (3:20) lays down the rules, stirring e-piano modulations on a funky beat, flush with jazzy colorations and as a bonus, a ripping fretless bass rumble. This continues on the epic "The Machinery", a 10 minute 45 second behemoth that astounds. As Alessandro states on his site:" he focused more on contrasts and moods. He uses drums that sound like the 70s and a slightly detuned upright piano, causing trouble and discomfort throughout this repertoire sprinkled with female choirs, vocalizations and sound effects, like ghosts, give this music a disturbing and destabilizing effect". Indeed, the bopping bass solo does it for me. Spectacular kick ass music. The sneaky "Brain Sausage" has another bass lead, with a shuffling marshaling beat, gliding along like a breeze. Electro-jazz that keeps the pot stirring and intensively setting down more pleasure markers. This is in stark contrast to the initially placid "Gymnectomie", flush with classical influence a la Eric Satie, ponderous piano etude that explodes into a more forceful arrangement, a trippy drum and synth chill leads the way, like driving a fast car on a nocturnal autostrada, beaming headlights the only succor. Once parked, the jazzy shuffle begins anew with that devilish bass craftily carving away (Alessandro probably found out about my bass fetish), the final stretch all this is combined to rev the engine up and head out on the highway, as the choirs kick in. Fascinatingly delicious.

The eerie "Le Docteur" has bubbling synths as if in a laboratory (see the cover art) , a mad doctor at work on some hapless android patient , doom expressed in the form of clanging sounds and shrugging beats , as if some scene from a Bond movie. A hint of childlike carnival sounds, and the majestic theme marches on, hallucinating choir vocals not withstanding, gearing up to a bombastic finale. Bravo. "Cavie" has famed Spanish guitarist Rafael Pacha on board, with who Alessandro had collaborated on the magnificent medieval-tinged The Guildmaster project. Once again, the powerful bass bruises unashamed, charging forward like the spirit of Mick Karn (a bass guitar legend of the highest order) before collapsing into a serene pool of melancholia which finally leads to the exotic and quixotic guitar solo. Imagine a jazzy melange of Santana and Japan without any vocals, surging into the blazing sunset. Pure finesse.

The magnificent "Special Waste" is the other colossus here weighing in at just over 10 minutes and once more, highlights the recipe for sonic success. A brief piano intro, spiced with atmospheric drones, slashing synths and a fretless groove, the pace is a contrast of blurry confusion and yet there is structure and definition. The extended breathing sequence is pure Sci-fi glory, where the ominously rising polyrhythmic beat, the theme drowning in sorrow and the melodic shifts come and go, only to return, finished off by a fretless rip and some cool e-piano meanderings, what a recipe for pleasure! Well, this is bliss.

Three shorter pieces to lay this patience -laden patient to bed (or gurney) , the quirky Igor-esque "L'Assistant" , a synthesized mood piece with wide swaths of cloudy electronics, a forlorn voice in the distant horizon, playing the somber piano. "The Plague" is perhaps even more sinister, a rattlesnake shaking its tail not faraway, tough goose- stepping binary beat and that slinky e-piano doing serious damage. The virus enters the system via the violin synth and the unforgiving disease spreads uncontrolled. This is truly genius stuff. A finale "Ex It" is as contemplative as it can get, a lounge lizard piano shuffling a smoke gets in your eyes melody, a world where fatigue, stress and surrender seem to coalesce, perfectly capturing our last 2 years in a doom-filled cocoon of sound.

A sure fire masterpiece.

Easiest 5 Foggy Foundations

Keyboard texturist and compositional genius Alessendro Di Benedetti--of MAD CRAYON and SAMURAI OF PROG fame--is back with yet another collection of solo songs--this time of songs that have not been offered to/coopted by other bands. Alé's intentions are to just let all of his creative juices flow and be witnessed, sans prog definition or wildly complex constructs or time signatures.

1. "En Trance" (3:20) part BILL EVANS part JONN SERRIE, then turning more sinister before finishing with a 21st Century Ryuichi SAKAMOTO/FENNESZ touch. Beautiful soundtrack music. (9.25/10)

2. "The Machinery" (10:44) VANGELIS Fender Rhodes but then female fretless bass, vocalise, and odd percussive noises join in before everything turns modern downtempo/trip hop in the fifth minute. Like the Blade Runner soundtrack, there is quite a beautiful though unsettling mood being set here. The bass play gets quite exciting in the final third. Nice journey. Thanks, Alessandro. (18.25/20)

3. "Brain Sausage" (4:16) eerie "radio" noises open this one before a smooth jazz keyboard foundation is laid out with bass, rim shots & hi-hat, bass, and keys matching pace and melody in a jazzy weave. Then, at the end of the second minute there is a "reset" pause before all instruments settle into a more cohesive background landscape to support the airy female vocalise and quiet electric piano tinkling. Nice. (9/10)

4. "Gymnoectomie" (6:29) For the first minute, this sounds like a Satie piece turned sideways and inside out. Then, at 1:15, there is a barrage of industrial sounds woven together, preceding a racing track. Not what one would expect (but perhaps exactly what Eric Satie would have done with 21st Cent. technology). The cello and Irene Pappas-like alto female vocalise are wonderful. (9/10)

5. "Le Docteur" (4:13) opening with some Robin Guthrie-like guitar-based textures, a rhythm section and Vangelis- like Fender Rhodes play join in and establish a slowed down French film soundtrack. The interlude in the middle sounds like something from a creepy Danny Elfman soundtrack. The fullness of the final 45 seconds sounds a bit like some slowed down Tangerine Dream. (8.75/10)

6. "Cavie" (6:22) more odd combinations of sounds open this one before steady drums, spacious piano chords and muted rhythm guitar strumming support a nice fretless bass display. Drums and guitar shift into stronger dynamics before an empty Fender Rhodes solo in the third minute spaces everything out. When everybody rejoins its now an electric guitar who commands the lead, not the fretless bass. Fullness is achieved around 3:45, but it's not quite as satisfying as the stuff that came before. (I prefer Alessandro's fretless bass to guest Rafael Pacha's guitar.) The final 1:15 moves back into eery and spacious motifs. I really liked the drum work on this one! (8.5/10)

7. "Special Waste" (10:03) very nuanced, often exciting, multi-dimensional soundtrack music. Sometimes its relazing, pleasing, soothing, sometimes its smooth STEELY DAN-like and other times it slides into the tension of the suspense/horror genre. (17.75/20)

8. "L'Assistant" (2:52) weird noises open this one before Son of Vangelis, master of l'orchestre faux, takes over. (5/5)

9. "The Plague" (3:57) perhaps Alessandro's music has a little influence coming from the Ghost in the Machine-era Police as that's what the drums, subtle keyboard and guitar textures of this song feel like to me. Then there feels like a little nod to either Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, or Enigma. (8.5/10)

10. "Ex It" (2:43) slightly out of tune and treated piano solo played in a kind of LYLE MAYS/PAT METHENY way. (Think "In Her Family".) Gorgeous. (5/5)

Total Time 54:59

This all would make outstanding (and memorable) soundtrack music--especially for more cerebral or mysterious/eerie content. Alessandro definitely makes music that his more enjoyable/pleasurable to listen to than 98% of the other artists I hear out there.

B+/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of proggy instrumental soundtrack music.