An intense and gloomy drone ambient album, loaded with electronics, soundscapes and eerie sounds, that’s what this collaboration between multi -instrumentalists Roberto Galati and Federico Mosconi delivers. In eight slowly crawling tracks, the duo take the listener on an aural exploration while maintaining a cold and murky atmosphere. They seem armed with an array of instruments. I heard cymbals, guitars, electronics and a heap of other equipment that I can’t really put my finger on. Yet, the result is fascinating, varied and is certainly a recommended item in today’s ambient and drone scene
Each track can easily stand on its own but – as always – I love the conceptual feel of the whole thing. Opener ‘Pietre’ is a brilliant piece of modern day ambient, slowly lingering through the speakers and seemingly also slowly calming down. New comes my favorite track, ‘Eclissi’, which has a haunting atmosphere, nudging towards the dark ambient scene. On other occasions, as in the narrative ‘Opale’, the duo seems to be influenced by classical music and field recordings. The drones on this tune are incredible, especially when played loud.
Yes, loud! People often seem to forget that loud ambient music can be amazing. In this case it’s mindblowing, or mind expanding, who knows. All I know is that ‘Penombra’ is loaded with hypnotic, almost psychedelic soundscapes and that it comes with some pleasant surprises. It has an organic feel and remains interesting throughout the entire thing. So yes, I can only recommend this one to all ambient fans out there, bright or dark. This is a mesmerizing piece of work, thus a must-have.
Krysalisound 