Artist.......: Elio Martusciello
Album........: Unoccupied areas
Label........: ReR
Genre........: Electronic
Catnr........: n/a
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Apr-09-2006
str.date.....: Apr-12-2005
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. a@traversio it 08:18
02. dispositivo di superficie 10:16
03. ibidem 10:31
04. proiezioni 12:30
05. hommage α pierre schaeffer etude aux chemins 05:12
de fer
Runtime 46:47 min
Size 71,3 MB
Release Notes:
Though I'm quite familiar with the recorded work of
"improvising group" Ossatura, of which Martusciello
is a member (check their two CDs released on ReR),
this is the first time I've listened to Elio
Martusciello as a solo artist, and I'm quite glad I
can say that Unoccupied Areas was for me a very
pleasant surprise. The five electroacoustic
compositions featured here are so clearly thought-
out (and so assuredly performed) as to make this CD
required listening for... well, almost anybody -
provided, that is, that their concept of what
"music" is entails the notion of "organised sound".
The five tracks are quite varied (their source
being listed on the CD booklet), but all share an
attitude that could maybe be defined as working on
a wide canvas with just the right amount of
elements - just check what can be achieved by using
only the "almost white noise" with panning that
appears at about 3' 15" on Ibidem. I assume
Martusciello's influences will be apparent to those
familiar with the history of this particular
language - as an obvious example, check Hommage A
Pierre Schaeffer - Etude Aux Chemins De Fer, the
track that closes the album. But I also seemed to
detect a pinch of Frank Zappa circa Lumpy Gravy,
especially on the tracks Dispositivo Di Superficie
and Ibidem (and let's not forget the subtle use of
humour that one can find on some of the tracks).
Clear developments, creative use of timbres, a very
good ear for rhythm... All tracks have quite a lot
to offer. The first track was the one I liked the
least, but here I have to confess I have a problem
with vocal sounds used as source material. The
track changes and develops a whole lot, however,
eventually getting to a point that's impossible to
foresee. The same is also true of Proiezioni, which
uses mostly sounds of projectors and the like as
raw materials (I hope I'm not being too
anthropomorphic if I say that the sound that
appears at the end of the track - an empty spool? -
to me sounded like applause). And most of the time
the music has no problem in transcending the most
easily recognizable materials (is it really Lux
Aeterna at about 3' 35" on Dispositivo Di
Superficie?).
In closing, I'd like to add that Unoccupied Areas
could easily work as an antidote against a lot of
stuff that nowadays poses as "modern electronic
music".
On connait Elio Martusciello dans le groupe
Ossatura et le collectif Bowindo. Bricoleur de
cordes et d'Θlectroniques, il est Θgalement
compositeur de musique concrΦte. Ce CD nous
prΘsente des piΦces composΘes entre 1993 et 1998
autant marquΘes par les grands noms comme ceux de
Pierre Schaeffer ou Francis Dhomont que par les
musiques Θlectroniques plus actuelles."