Italian producer and master synthesist Guido Zen has mesmerised my mind with his incredibly rich tapestry of sound since he appeared on the scene as Abul Mogard. I’m pretty sure I’ve covered all of his releases here. He’s got a particular sonic aesthetic that I tried at replicating in my own compositions – something soft and slow-burning is rising and evolving into a velvety, faint and fuzzy vibration, perfectly sculpted to hold it all in one place. If there were just a bit too much reverb it all would be blurry, and if not enough, it would be just dry. And yet, in the hands of Guido, the frequency spectrum is dense and alive, “shaking kosmische synth fantasies into post-industrial ambience and blissful shoegaze memories.” His most recent release with Rafael Anton Irisarri, for which I premiered “Place of Forever“, was a fantastic example of all of the above, plus an amazing showcase of what a collaborative production may bring to the fans, combining Raf’s distorted layers of bowed guitar with a myriad of perfectly saturated effects. But on to “Sulle barcane”…
On June 21st, Guido returns with yet another collaboration, this time with Berlin-based Dutch-Italian composer and sound designer Aimée Portioli, known as Grand River. Released via Caterina Barbieri‘s light-years imprint, this new work, which Guido admitted to me has taken him into new territories, is indeed yet another captivating dimension of a multi-faceted composition that truly unites both artists as one. Here, we are gifted with Aimée’s strong sense of sensual organic soundscapes that develop into nearly overpowering tide crests, static washes, and serene expense, all carried by the widescreen cinematic tension and resolve in the hands of the fictitious synth factory worker.
“Sulle barcane” is the longest track on the album, drawing you in slowly like a deep breath. Initially, it was even longer, but we shortened it significantly during the album’s final stages. When the world’s noise fades to a whisper and emptiness takes over, time feels like it stops. We wanted to create a vast, open space for the imagination to fill with reflection, contemplation, and abstract thoughts.
— Grand River and Abul Mogard
Once again, the full album is out this Friday, June 21st, 2024, available as a digital release and vinyl, which you can grab directly from the label’s Bandcamp. A truly enjoyable journey, which I hope you’ll explore. I highly recommend that you turn up the volume a bit beyond your usual setting…
