Fabio Orsi | Il Vento Disperderà la Schiuma
Boring Machines (LP/DL)
There’s a delicate, lightness of touch to the drones that shape this new release from Fabio Orsi. The Italian composer, who moved to Berlin many years ago, has decided to return to his native Puglia, and this new record reflects that relocation. Perhaps the move back to warmer climes was an influence on how this new material has come about, with sun-bleached washes of sound gently moving like the tide.
Two untitled pieces comprise this release, each taking a side of the LP. The sound sources of both sides are processed guitar, but it’s elongated with effects to such an extent that feels mysterious and oblique. Despite the lighter tones on “Side A”, there is a vague sense of melancholy here, and this becomes more apparent as the track unfolds throughout its twenty-minute duration. Layers upon layers are added, but it never feels dense or overcrowded and finally ends with most of these layers stripped away to leave singing feedback as its last moments.
On the flip side, “Side B” begins with a patient fade in that gradually opens up into a wide vista of tones. Similar in mood and execution as the first side, Orsi revels in the slow reveal. This is music that doesn’t rush the listener, and one that the listener can feel deeply immersed in, those long-drawn drones reverberating into infinity. This second piece adds some splashes of darker shades, but not in any oppressive way, more like an extra depth of emotion. The loops on this side of the record begin to take on an almost majestic quality, much in the vein of William Basinski.
Fabio Orsi has established himself as a master of deep, ambient loop-based music, and this release is no exception. This is music that feels optimistic, but hesitant in its unfolding; there is a beautiful sadness under those layers of guitar drone that reveal more with repeated listens.
toneshift.wordpress.com 