1000 AUTUNNI

Italian keyboard specialist Paolo Ske Botta'also of FRENCH TV and YUGEN'has composed and performed some wonderful avant-prog songs with the help of several of Europe's AltrOck Productions premier avant-garde musicians--including YUGEN and KURAI members Francesco Zago (the mastermind!), Mattia Sign', Valerio Cipollone, Favio Ciro Ceriani, and Maurizio Fasoli (also of NICHELODEON), Nicolas Nikolopoulos (CICCADA), and Strasbourg's CAMEMBERT members Pierre Wawrzyniak and Fabrice Toussaint, ) This music is so difficult to describe, change for change, layer by layer, instrument by instrument because THERE ARE SO MANY! Changes, layers, themes, melodies, and instruments. Not quite as wildly discordant as YUGEN or UNIVERS ZERO, there are many more melodious and harmonious parts to SKE's music--complete with many of the unpredictable twists and turns of avant compostions.

1. 'Fraguglie' (9/10) KING CRIMSON meets BILL BRUFORD's Earthworks meets ERIS PLUVIA meets CICCADA meets MILES DAVIS meets RUSH meets BRAND X meets KITARO'This song has it all!!

2. 'Denti' (8/10) has slower, heavier, almost cinematic feel to it. The presentation of specific and repeated melody lines makes this song feel nearly symphonic. A song with teeth!

3. 'Carta e burro' (9/10) ('paper and butter'?) is a fairly simple, almost nursery rhyme-like song which interweaves the wordless vocals of Roberta Pagani as an added instrument. The song has a lot in common, sound-wise, with Bill Bruford's early EARTHWORKS albums (sans batterie!)

4. 'Scrupoli' (7/10)

5. 'Delta' (10/10) begins with an absolutely gorgeous foundation of arpeggios and melody lines by the woodwinds. The second section--almost an interlude--includes children playground noises in the background over which guitar arpeggios play'very Toby Driver-ish'for a while.

6. 'Scogli 1' (7/10) tuned percussion, electric piano (and, later, other synths), bassoon and electric guitar dance around one another in an avant-KING CRIMSON exercise in polyphonic arpeggio weaving. Reminds me of a classical etude.

7. 'Sotto sotto' (10/10) feels like a slowed down continuation of 'Scogli 1'--making it quite beautiful--including some beautiful Robert Fripp-like guitar sounds and riffs'in a kind of AFTER CRYING masterpiece.

8. 'Mummia' (7/10) brings the listener back into the realm of cinematic soundscapes. It is replete with tension and up- and down- tempo sections. Not my favorite but perfect for a mummy movie'and the song closest to 'mainstream' symphonic (or neo-) prog.

9. 'Scogli 2' (8/10) the second 'rock' or 'stumbling block'--though, IMO, rather more like an 'tude or variation'from the X-Files soundtracks.

10. 'La nefazia di multaulti' (6/10) is another song that tries to use the vocal talents of Roberta Pagani--but this time it doesn't work. Roberta is often off-key and her melody lines are too often following another instrument (usually synth) note for note, making her presence redundant. Plus, the song seems to lack vision and focus. IMO, this is the weakest song on the album despite some breathtakingly beautiful passages (3:45-4:45). The vocals are kind of like a failed version of Burt Bacharach's soundtrack to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

11. 'Scogli 3' (7/10) opening piano arpeggios usher the listener into the best of the three Scogli variations. Organ emerges to take over the center section before woodwinds take us out'and into the album's finale,

12. 'Rassegnati' (8/10) an at-times almost eclectic/heavy prog (think KING CRIMSON on its raw side) end to the album--and what an album it is!

I've been listening to it now for more than two months. This is one for the ages! Melody and technique; harmony with dissonance. 4.8 Stars!