sabato 22 settembre 2018

SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" reviews: DARKER MAGAZINE

Колдуны звука в космосе

Исполнитель: Sigillum S
Альбом: The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications
Стиль: experimental, industrial
Дата выхода: 2018
Лейбл: Transmutation Ltd
Sigillum S

Если хотите сказать банальность об их творчестве, то можно так и заявить: «Sigillum S – итальянские колдуны»… Тем не менее, от этой формулировки никуда не деться: то, что творит этот проект со звуком иначе описать почти невозможно. Правда, если в ранних записях их больше заметен интерес к оккультизму, то сейчас даже название гордо провозглашает «Неотразимое искусство космической колонизации и последующих мутаций». Впрочем, и космические мотивы в их творчестве прописались уже довольно давно – но на передний план вышли, кажется, только теперь.
Релиз получился на диво мощным и разнообразным: первый же трек захватывает внимание мощной стеной многослойного шума, в глубинах которого постоянно что-то происходит. Его сменяют ударные, напоминающие биение сердца и непонятное, мистическое пение – и на все это снова наплывает волна сложного, подрагивающего шума….
Вторая композиция и вовсе напоминает, скорее, экстремальную версию IDM – ритмы, звуковые ландшафты, как говорится, «излишней простотой не страдают». Следом вступает вещь под названием «Genetically-Engineered Insects» - почти эмбиентный, напоминающий олд-скульных классиков электронной музыки и синтезаторной мелодики. Кажется, он способен «зайти» даже тем, кто industrial и нойз не переносит в принципе, но на досуге может послушать, скажем, Жана Мишеля Жарра времен его лучших работ. Впрочем, простота этого трека обманчива и по мере его развития звук становится все насыщеннее. Любопытно, что здесь появляется и вокал – ну, или точнее, голос, шепчущий пару фраз на заднем плане.
Дав слушателям расслабиться, группа тут же начинает рисовать принципиально иную картину, обратившись, скорее уж, к арсеналу power electronics – мощные ритмы, «лазерные» звуковые эффекты, чумовая синтезаторная подложка.
Словно вспомнив, что группу часто называли «ритуальным индастриэлом», следующую композицию итальянские музыканты строят вокруг поистине гипнотической, шаманской ритм-секции, но, судя по общему звучанию, это уже и правда ритуалы даже не индустриальной, а именно космической эры – этакое камлание на звездной станции, где-то на последних пределах изученного пространства… И, чтобы окончательно выбить почву из-под ног слушателя и отправить его летать, вступает практически джазовый саксофон… И так далее, и тому подобное: через невероятные трасмутации, от нео-классики до космического эмбиента, но каждый раз оставаясь собой, группа продолжает свое аудио-путешествие по космосу, способное, кажется, вызвать галлюцинации одним своим звучанием...
Словом, у релиза есть, разве что, один недостаток – если его можно назвать таковым: плотность, разнообразие и качество этой музыкальной ткани таково, что прослушать альбом целиком, подряд – дело не самое простое, восприятие оказывается здорово перегружено… Как минимум, первые несколько раз. Но возвращаться к этой записи, тем не менее, хочется снова и снова… это один из самых умных и достойных релизов последнего времени, который напрочь не пытается шокировать и удивлять показными «фокусами», но все сильнее захватывает внимание с каждым новым воспроизведением.
В аккаунте музыкантов на bandcamp можно не только прослушать этот релиз, но и купить его на физическом носителе, в самых разных вариантах: компакт-дикс, 180-граммовый винил и даже… кассета в металлической коробке. Причем, что интересно, именно эта версия, похоже, раскупается активнее всего.
Новый альбом Sigillum S это всегда событие и, пока еще, неудачных и слабых релизов у них просто не было, так что в списке потенциальных лучших альбомов года появился еще один пункт.


SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" reviews: THE NEW NOISE




SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" reviews : FREQ

Sigillum S – The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications

Sigillum S - The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation ImplicationsI must admit, after experiencing Autunna Et Sa Rose and Julie’s Haircut, I have been looking with fresh eyes towards our Italian brethren, and the latest surprise to wash over from those shores for me is Sigillum S. Having started back in the eighties and embracing a multimedia existence, the three main protagonists have released the best part of thirty albums. How I have managed to miss them over all these years is amazing, but there is no overlooking their latest opus.
With the extraordinary title The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but had the idea that it might be a suite of similar-sounding themes dealing with distance and the wrench of leaving home. There is a little bit of theory about how genetic mutation could help the colonisation of other planets, which is interesting in itself — but I wasn’t quite prepared for the barrage of different styles spread across the nine tracks contained herein.
the way that the tracks are sequenced prevents anybody from becoming comfortable
Electronic manipulation is their stock in trade, but various beats of increasing ferocity don’t allow the album to slip into ambient territory; in fact, this is very far from ambient, with nods to slowed-down techno and even to EBM in places to really shake up the listener. It demands that you listen, and I think the way that the tracks are sequenced prevents anybody from becoming comfortable.
the distant scree of metal on metal and distorted incomprehensible voices
Opener “Occult Storage For Pan​-​Dronic Glossalia” (what a title!) has this most fantastic throbbing sensation, as if heavy motors suspended in space were shunting objects into place, the distant scree of metal on metal and distorted incomprehensible voices giving some sense of work going on way above us in some recently visited corner of the universe. The introduction of a slow beat gives a strangely Eastern feel, with feedback and distortion overwhelming the senses. The slowed down vocalising is like some sort of call to prayer, one that is unrecognisable to us, but seems somehow to relay the same meaning as if it were coming from an Arabic mosque.
The electronics are vicious on “Wrong Proto-matter Gravitation”, their cut and thrust being harsh and destabilizing. There is a mystery and an awkwardness to the way the beats are compiled like some convoluted, slowed-down, post-industrial techno. It all sounds as if it is taking place at a remove, like we are in a vacuum or submerged somewhere, but it is beautifully and painstakingly constructed, the ethereal tick of a Geiger counter running over the top of the morass.
builds a little like a prog-house anthem for the alienated and then just vanishes, disappearing out into the vastness
One of the things I like about this album is the juxtaposition they have managed to produce between the familiar and the alien. The clever, interlocking runs on what sounds like a Bontempi organ are allied to drifting background drones on “Genetically Engineered Insects”, the whispered vocals insinuating themselves as the sparse beats drop in and out. It builds a little like a prog-house anthem for the alienated and then just vanishes, disappearing out into the vastness, to be followed up by something that brings to mind the likes of Nitzer Ebb‘s mid-’80s body music rhythms. What I wasn’t expecting were the mournful piano loops and echoing chants of “Immortality”, which is an excellent volte-face. Needling electronics stuttering in the foreground don’t allow the track to be particularly comfortable, but is an unexpected change of vibe that sits quite well with the creeping dread of “Deep Void Plantations”.
As the album draws to a close, things take a turn for the noisy again. Wild feedback and exhaust emissions; brooding, clashing industrial menace; it all gives the impression that, although the premise is fine, living in a colony way off on some distant sphere, the reality will be harsh and uncontrollable. With emptiness all around, there is still a sense of menace around each corner. Who knows what other things may exist outside of our reality in this place, and how will the mutation implications affect our interaction with them? You can but listen to uncover the answers — but will that just cause more questions?
-Mr Olivetti-

SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" reviews : POPMATTERS

https://www.popmatters.com/sigillum-s-irresistible-art-2597504358.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4


Sigillum S Produce One of the Best Dark Experimental Albums of the Year

                                     

Italian audio collective Sigillum S are probably not nearly as well known as they ought to be, for The Irresistible Art of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications is one of the finest dark electronic albums of the year.



The Irresistible Art of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications
Sigillum S
Transmutation
14 September 2018


Sigillum S are an Italian audio collective that have been around in shifting forms since the mid-'80s, producing a range of experimental, ritualistic, noise and dark electronic music. Their latest, The Irresistible Art of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications, reveals a group of artists whose creative vision, after more than three decades, is as strong as ever, both musically and conceptually.
Musically the album is a triumph, drawing together the best of their vintage sound with new technologies. It opens with that distant drone and layered, fuzzy noise that's so evocative of '80s experimental noise bands, and the album retains much of what was best from that era (noisy drone, ethereal gongs, and chimes, samples deployed sparingly). Yet it combines the simple technology of that period with the immense capacity of today's electronics, progressing through glitchy, computer-generated noise and pounding drum 'n' bass beats stitched together with gorgeous orchestral ambiance.
Conceptually, too, the album is ambitious. The thing about ambient, experimental albums is that regardless of what aural soundscape they're supposed to represent, the listener is free to paint over it with their own imagined sound fantasies.
In the case of The Irresistible Art of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications, the vision presented by the artists is that of a future galaxy where humans have been shaped and reshaped by their interstellar explorations. It's a place where where zero-gravity evolution combines with cell mutations, radiation, and bioengineering to produce new beings; where humanity's destiny is shaped by the co-evolution of our planetary cohabitants (viruses, insects, bioengineered crops); and of course where our own humanity is re-envisioned through our engagement with worlds inhabited by alien species.



It's an ambitious dreamscape to interpret aurally, but thematically the vision works, and the album succeeds in spinning a dark, noisy, ambient soundtrack to accompany this next-millennial imagined existence. But often it's just as much fun to set aside the authors' fantasy, and allow your own brain to construct a vision to accompany the creatively imagined sound structures of works such as this.
With track titles like "Occult Storage for Pan-Dronic Glossolalia" and "Through the Endless Streams of Satellite Euphoria", the artists succeed in sharing a range of very specific imagery, but the tracks are so creatively constructed that it's probably better to let your mind wander and paint whatever scenes the cosmic dust delivers. Indeed, the album provides a seamless soundtrack for those wishing to take it as a fully conceptualized immersive experience, but there's adequate differentiation on the tracks to consider them in their own right too.

The first track, "Occult Storage for Pan-Dronic Glossolalia", opens with classic Sigillum: a vast mountain of noise, deep and distant drones, hoarse trumpets, a sensation of echoing valleys. The second track, "Wrong Proto-Matter Gravitation", speeds up both rhythm and harshness, adding a glitchy, harsh noise baseline that pounds out the beats ever more quickly and harshly.
"Genetically Engineered Insects" winds down the tempo, drawing on old-style synths to take the sound in a more mysterious direction. Whispered vocals and an ethereal chorus that is at once angelic and ghostly depict these imagined insects, but again it's possible to eschew the techno-visions and conjure images of ancient ruins; unexplored planets and mist-enshrouded temples.



"When Comets Become Organic Households" amps up the beats, in a glitchy drum 'n' bass style. The rhythm flows from inquisitive and questioning to dark and mysterious. Conceptually the track invokes a future when even shooting stars are colonized, and indeed there is something deeply evocative of comets inherent in the track. The glitchy beats conjure the protean sparks of a comet racing through the cosmic darkness, its plume showering passing planets in sparks. The climax of the track is superb: the scattered individual comet arcing overhead, conveyed through the fizzing and sparking of gorgeously distorted beats, erupts into dense, sped-up magnificence with each glitchy beat multiplied manifold: expanding into a sudden meteor shower pelting the atmosphere relentlessly.
After the storm, the calm. "Through the Endless Streams of Satellite Euphoria" opens ethereal and calm, gently mysterious, then rises with steady, ritualistic beats. The next track, "Immortality", builds on this, continuing in the same vein with more mysterious, mesmerizing rhythms.



"Deep Void Plantations" begins a turn in a different direction, introducing samples amid foggy background noise. It's a temporary aberration (a brief interlude of cosmic peace, offering stellar colonists a temporary space of bucolic calm, perhaps?); the final tracks "Let Ghosts and Floating Bodies Invade You" and "Celestial Heliocentric Cultures" bring things full circle. They close off the album with a renewed sense of mystery, of regrowth; a gentle pulsing beat builds underneath the noise, emerging into a steady rhythm -- new life, new experience, the cycle begins anew.
Music is there to be interpreted, and the mark of inspiration is reflected in the variability and diversity of possible imagined worlds. Sigillum S are masters of the trade, and bring all the power of their decades of dark electronic experimentation to the table with their newest release. The Italian audio collective is probably not nearly as well known as they ought to be, for this is one of the finest dark electronic albums of the year.

SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" reviews : CHAIN DLK

Sigillum S: The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications

The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications Sigillum S two years ago celebrated their 30th anniversary (one year later, because they started in 1985) by releasing three albums printed on CD, LP and tape. That moment was important for them not only because they raised the glasses to salute three decades of sonic terrorism and sound research, they also celebrated a new band member: Bruno Dorella. Bruno, owner of the label Bar La Muerte, is also member of the following bands: Bachi Da Pietra, Lava, OVO, Ronin and Wolfango. He started to play live with them but with the new album "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization and Its Mutation Implications", it's the first time that we have the chance to check how he helped Eraldo Bernocchi and Paolo Bandera to redefine their sound. As usual, the titles of the new album are recalling to me the works of people who had an impact on visual arts or culture in general: I mean people like Ballard, Burroughs, Cronenberg, etc. We have titles like "Occult Storage For Pan-Dronic Glossolalia", "Wrong Proto - Matter Gravitation", "Genetically-Engineered Insects", "When Comets Become Organic Households", "Through The Endless Streams Of Satellite Euphoria", etc. Musically Sigillum S always evolved and if on their beginning their music could have been defined as ritualistic and industrial, since early 00's they started to include into their music also elements of the sound that they had on their side projects. Eraldo played and collaborated with many people such as Mick Harris, Bill Laswell, Tony Wakeford, to name few and explored different genres from dub to guitar drone (as on his album under the Blackwood moniker). Paolo with Sshe Retina Stimulants, NG5361, Komplet his other projects and collaborations always explored the folders of noise electronic sounds. In my opinion, the album where they started to redefine their sound has been "23/20". It was featuring sound contributions from long time Sigillum S collaborators as well from artists they estimate. People like: Bill Laswell, Toshinori Kondo, Professor Shebab, SH Fernando and WordSound, Martino Nicoletti, Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, ZU, Xabier Iriondo, Ephel Duath, various members of Crisis , Mark Solotroff, Thomas Fehlmann, Gudrun Gut, Andrea Marutti, Claudio Agostoni and many others. Anyway, let's start to talk about the new album. On this one, we have a sort of orchestral sound effect as we have several kind of sound layers, as well as several influences and I hazard to say that we have also a sort of melodic structure that wasn't really used before. All these layers are dosed in the mix, creating the effect of a whole orchestra using unconventional sounds. The kind of rhythms, ambient sounds, noises, vocals may sound familiar, but they have been used in a different way. Take "Through The Endless Streams Of Satellite Euphoria", for example: we have a dub bass, synth treated bleeps, a semi dub drum (I might be wrong but this is one of the few times that Sigillum S are using a real drum) and then a trumpet like sound. The first time I listened to this track I immediately thought about 23 Skidoo and I don't remember I ever thought about them while listening to Sigillum S. Sigillum S have been ritualistic but they never been "funk" and this has been a great surprise. We have the tracks mostly based on drones and noise and we have the ones where rhythm has an important part and it could be a normal drum, a treated one mixed with synthetic beats, it doesn't matter, because the tracks evolve and change one from the other. This is another thing that I liked a lot: the variety of atmospheres and sounds. A perfect example of what I mean could be the closing track "Celestial Heliocentric Cultures", which is the one that I felt connected to the cover made by Petulia Mattioli, because it gives me the impression of being influenced by Tibetan music but played by a mutant which filtered it with industrial soundscapes. It's like the cover: a Tibetan monk walking on a metallic landscapes made by an unknown species. The album will be out on the 14th of September on CD, LP and tape. https://sigillum-s.bandcamp.com/album/the-irresistible-art-of-space-colonization-and-its-mutation-implications


SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" - reviews:THE WIRE



SIGILLUM S "The Irresistible Art Of Space Colonization And Its Mutation Implications" - reviews: RUMORE, BLOW UP, ROCKERILLA

Vittore Baroni on BLOW UP


Andrea Prevignano on RUMORE

Aldo Chimenti on ROCKERILLA


SIGILLUM S - Hangar 49, Berlin - December 6, 2018




venerdì 7 settembre 2018

DMITRY VASILYEV - R.I.P.

Dmitry Vasilyev was simply a beautiful person and, probably, the greatest expert in Italian unconventional / experimental / electronic / whatever music... ever: his VIVA ITALIA book / CD is without any doubt a perennial masterpiece !

On a personal level, he worked with Sigillum S on many projects through the years and, most recently, he had organized a SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS event with Simon Balestrazzi last March in Moscow... here below a few memories... a few weeks ago, as usual, he had acquired for distribution in Russia the single largest batch of copies of the new Sigillum S album too !
 
You were unique, my friend, and will never be forgotten.
 
R.I.P.




SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS / NORTHGATE / BLOCCONERO @ Ligera, Milano, 29/09/18


SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS @ Festival Oeuvre Bruitiste, Padiglione 14 (Collegno / Torino), 01/09/18 - pictures by Stefano Masselli











lunedì 3 settembre 2018

SIGILLUM S - Torino - Venerdì 16 Novembre 2018

Varvara Festival presenta SIGILLUM S + She spread sorrow + Alos
Power electronics / Noise / Ritual night lungo il fiume Po. TORINO
Venerdì 16 Novembre 2018


SELF ABUSE


Social Abuse - Post Panic Expertise
After months of secret work with some heretic friends, we are launching the virus. A digital and physical space where artists/creators can express their ideas via a label and a publishing company. Another label? yes. 
One that celebrates the DIY politic, that is against streaming, that supports the physical object, that avoids the banality and flatland of digital existence. How? Thanks to the sales of the clothing line we created. High quality shirts, jackets, hats, boots and patches. Mostly printed one by one on top quality cotton and bearing messages we hope will become dangerously contagious. 
This time EVERY PAIN MATTERS, we WELCOME THE WORST, we praise ALWAYS NEW SINS and remember that often MEMORIES ARE THE ENEMY.

SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS @ Festival Oeuvre Bruitiste, Padiglione 14 (Collegno / Torino), 01/09/18 - pictures

Pictures by Carmine Pizzuti











Pictures by Stefano Oflorenz










SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS @ Festival Oeuvre Bruitiste, Padiglione 14 (Collegno / Torino), 01/09/18 - video


Video by Carmine Pizzuti