Cancer

Ragazzi

Written by: HES on 01/10/2014 17:24:19

"Ragazzi" seems dead set on topping my list of the weirdest albums I have ever had to review, but the combination of When Saints Go Machine's Nikolaj Vonsild and Chorus Grant's Kristian Finne Kristensen is weird the same way an exploration of the deepest sea is characterised by animals that seem weird to us because they are so inexplicably different from our regular fauna. Like neon colored, tentacled creatures without a real name or precedence the EP weaves itself in and out of genres and moods, graceful but new to my senses all together.

The combination of Vonsild and Kristensens vocally is probably the strongest suit of “Ragazzi”: Vonsild is frail, porous and high-pitched, whereas Kristensen is bassy and supporting. The outro of “Age Of Pinballs” is a great example of how both very distinct artists come together in a combo of low-pitched, eerily slowed down synths and spider-like guitars on top. Whereas some songs like aforementioned “Age Of Pinballs” are more straightforward in its composition, other songs like “Hunting Large Cats From A Helicopter” is comprised of so many intricate parts it probably took me a good ten listens to even get an overall impression.

This EP is not for people who don’t like surprises - that is basically all it is. But in my optics, the surprises are teasingly good and flirting with everything from jazz to electro. “FKA IP” starts in harmonic, Chorus Grant’ish, warm guitars but slowly transforms into When Saints Go Machine-synths, back to Grant and then into heavy Saints beats. Even though it schizophrenically feels like two separate songs, I don’t know which song I would like best and if they would even work apart. All of the songs have a more or less apparent mindfuck moment, but it’s so playfully intended, that I can’t help myself from being ever so entertained. The twists are continued in lines like: “They say that you are my enemy. But you’re my life saviour”.

I am however not completely sure if I could listen to an entire LP of this. The songs contain so overwhelmingly many impressions, it’s hard to even make it through one spin without a brain freeze. That doesn’t mean it’s not oh so beautifully strange in the glow of glimpses of predatory lights and ghostly strings of jellyfish. Every once in a while you just have to leave the deep sea to go up for a bit of air. But I will definitely take on another exploration.

8

Download: FKA IP, Age of Pinballs, Same Color as Digital Photography
For The Fans Of: Blaue Blume, When Saints Go Machine, Chorus Grant, Antony & The Johnsons
Listen: Facebook

Release date 16.06.2014
Tambourhinoceros

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