Artist: Barber Mouse feat. Samuel
Album: Plays Subsonica
Genre: Post-Bop, Contemporary Jazz
Label: Auand
Released: 2012
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
01. Colpo di pistola (3:49)
02. Amantide (2:54)
03. Incantevole (5:31)
04. Abitudine (5:49)
05. Disco Labirinto (B) (6:00)
06. Disco Labirinto (A) (2:56)
07. Non identificato (4:47)
08. Eva Eva (8:11)
09. Come se (4:08)
10. Salto nel vuoto (1:42)
11. Strade (6:48)
12. Momenti di noia (14:44)
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Personnel:
Samuel Romano - vocals
Fabrizio Rat - prepared piano
Stefano Risso - prepared double bass
Mattia Barbieri - drums, objects
Subsonica's music, acoustic instruments transformed to produce sounds that seem electronic, a desire to experiment with sounds and songs. Barber Mouse chose one of the most interesting Italian bands of his generation, Subsonica, and developed a repertoire that straddles pop and rock, stimulating a trio of improvisers—Fabrizio Rat (piano), Stefano Risso (double bass), and Mattia Barbieri (drums)—with a penchant for experimentation and timbral exploration.
The result—twelve pieces excavated, carved, reconstructed, sometimes delicately modeled on an already perfect melody, like that of "Incantevole"—first won over Samuel Romano of Subsonica, whose voice surfaces, hides, and resurfaces across eight tracks. A confirmation and a reshuffle of the cards, with a participation that for the first time sees him tackling the world of avant-garde: the Turin-born singer openly puts himself on the line, putting the finishing touch on this album, the 26th in the Auand Records production. This work is also the first since the tenth anniversary celebration—celebrated with a festival in New York—of Marco Valente's label, a milestone recently awarded with the PIMI (Italian Independent Music Award).
"Barber Mouse Plays Subsonica" has a strong electronic undertone, but its foundation is acoustic. The instruments—equipped with a generous amount of DIY objects—divert the sound into unexpected paths, deforming and altering it. The impression of hearing an electronic trio is the result of a clever interplay of experimentation and combinations of materials. The effect is that harsh and warm flavor heard in "Amantide" and "Abitudine." "Disco Labirinto (B)" has a contemporary, empty, and alienating feel, while "Colpo di pistola" becomes recognizable only after a revisitation that's initially nervous, then caressing, and finally returns to the energetic original melody. The piano carries "Come se" with heavy chords and full-bodied bass, allowing the final track, "Momenti di noia," to wander across wide spaces, while "Non identifcato" entrusts the lead to the double bass and the interplay of disguised instruments.
"We like to work on improvisation and timbre research," says Barber Mouse, "but within a melodic and rhythmic structure that's close to the listeners." A project that, while not sacrificing elegant stylistic flourishes (like the sophisticated and complex arrangement on "Eva Eva"), takes the time to play with familiar and recognizable sound material with imagination and good taste.