BTF NEWSLETTER December 16th 2009

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PROGRESSIVE   NEW At present, Ainur rank among the most important authors of Tolkien-inspired musical productions, as their CDs are aimed at transposing J. R. R. Tolkien's work, The Silmarillion, into music. After their first two works, "From Ancient Times" (2006) and "Children of Hùrin" (2007), both produced by Beppe Crovella and Electromantic Music, here comes "Lay of Leithian". The CD will be wholly devoted to one of th greatest epics by J. R. R. Tolkine, written entirely in verse form and unfortunately never completed: The tale of Beren and Luthien. The composers, Luca and Marco Catalano, Gianluca Castelli, Alessandro Armuschio, Simoe Del Savio, Vilma Collo ed Elena Richetta always adopt an orchestra-like approahc, with the juxtaposition of classical instrument and moder electrical instruments, touching on various genres and different musical sonorities n order to re-create the whole mythology and cosmogony of J. R. R. Tolkien. Over time, in addition to the permanent line-up of 19 members, Ainur's CDs have featured several guest performes such as the Orchesta I Musici di San Carlo conducted by Edoardo Narbona; Alessandro Cammilli from the Teatro Regio of Turin, Alan Brunetta, Ferdinando Catalano and many others. Ainur like to describe their work as a concept work, a series of concept albums forming one great project devoted to The Silmarillion. Gli Ainur sono attualmente una delle più importanti realtà musicali del panorama tolkieniano mondiale: i loro dischi infatti sono incentrati sulla trasposizione musicale de “Il Silmarillion” di J.R.R.Tolkien. Dopo i primi due lavori, From Ancient Times (2006) e Children of Húrin (2007), esce Lay of Leithian. Il disco è completamente dedicato ad uno dei più grandi poemi epici scritti da J.R.R.Tolkien interamente in forma di poesia e purtroppo mai completato: Il racconto di Beren & Luthien. I compositori Luca e Marco Catalano, Gianluca Castelli, Alessandro Armuschio, Simone Del Savio, Vilma Collo e Elena Richetta utilizzano sempre una scrittura di tipo orchestrale avvicinando gli strumenti classici ai moderni strumenti elettrici affrontando di volta in volta generi e sonorità diversi per ricreare il complesso mitologico e cosmogonico di J.R.R.Tolkien. Oltre ad una formazione stabile di 19 elementi si sono accostati nel tempo diversi ospiti fra cui l’Orchestra I Musici di San Grato diretta da Edoardo Narbona, Alessandro Cammilli del Teatro Regio di Torino, Alan Brunetta, Ferdinando Catalano e molti altri. Amano definire il loro lavoro come un Concept Work, un insieme di album concept che formano un’unica grande opera concettuale dedicata a Il Silmarillion.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Totalmente autoprodotta ed orgogliosamente artigianale, "Azetium A Otto Piste" è la prima opera creativa dell'Architrave Indipendente, complesso del barese composto da cinque ragazzi di età compresa tra i 17 e i 22 anni, che hanno voluto esprimere, attraverso il linguaggio musicale (ma anche strettamente sonoro), letterario (liriche, citazioni e didascalie), grafico (copertina, foto, disegni) e concettuale - il disagio sociale ed ecologico vissuto quotidianamente nel proprio territorio: l'esasperazione della viticoltura iperintensificata, tanto diffusa nelle zone a sud di Bari da non lasciare più spazio ad altre tipologie di coltura; il forte tasso d'inquinamento, dovuto perlopiù ad un uso improprio (per non dire esagerato) delle macchine agricole e dei fitofarmaci antiparassitari; non per ultimo, l'inesorabile declino culturale a cui sono sottoposti tutti coloro che sono costretti a vivere in un ambiente tanto occludente. Per mettere in luce questo disagio, i nostri si sono serviti di un confronto diretto coi loro precursori: gli umili e laboriosi abitanti dell'antica civiltà precristiana di Azezio, descritta da Plinio come un potente snodo commerciale con tutti i popoli del mediterraneo e quindi simbolo di una notevole apertura mentale. "Azetium A Otto Piste" è una rappresentazione sonora completamente analogica, pertanto assolutamente genuina: non vi è un solo suono o vibrazione (di natura acustica o elettrica) che sia stata generata o processata nel dominio numerico/digitale, così come non vi è un solo suono che non corrisponda ad un evento fisico accaduto realmente. Come puntualizza il titolo, è stata registrata con un piccolo registratore FOSTEX a otto tracce su nastro da 1/4 di pollice. Il missaggio è stato poi eseguito con un ReVox A77 mkIV su nastro stereo ed infine pubblicato su supporto LP 33 giri grazie alle espertissime mani di Roberto Barbolini che ne ha curato il transfer in catena analogica per una assoluta fedeltà rispetto al nastro originale. Quarantotto minuti di suono puro, garantito Retroguardie Analogiche. Totally self-produced and gloriously handcrafted, "Azetium A Otto Piste" is the first creative work by architrave Indipendente, from Bari. The group comprises five young boys (aged between 17 and 22 years old) wanting to employ the musical (but also tightly sonic), literary (lyrics, quotations, captions), graphic (cover artwork, photos, drawings) and conceptual languages in order to express the social and ecological disease daily experienced in their own territory. This basically includes the massive use of iperintensified grape-cultivation techniques (extremely widespread in the area south of Bari - so that more ecological ways of cultivation have been abandoned), a strong amount of air pollution (mainly due to the abuse of farm machineries and insecticides), and last but not least the inexorable cultural decline oppressing the people who live in a such desolating background. In order to deal with this kind of discomfort, the boys just tried to make a direct comparison with their precursors - the humble and industrious villagers of the prechristian civilization of Azezio (described by Plinium as a powerful commercial centre, widely renowned to all mediterranean peoples as an emblem of considerable openness). "Azetium A Otto Piste" is a full analog sound depiction - therefore absolutely genuine: there is no sound or vibration (of acoustic or electric nature) generated or processed in the numeric/digital domain, as there is no sound that does not correspond to a real physical event. As the title clarifies, it was recorded with a small FOSTEX eight-track recorder on 1/4 of inch tape. The final mixdown was obtained with a ReVox A77 mkIV on stereo tape and finally published as LP 12" 33rpm (thanks to the skilled hands of Roberto Barbolini, who executed the transfer in full analog chain for the absolute fidelity to the original mixtape). 48 minutes of pure sound - guaranteed by Retroguardie Analogiche.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Special 35th anniversary release for one of the absolute masterpieces of Italian prog! Directly remastered by the band, for the first time ever we hear the exact original vinyl, as the previous CD releases always lacked over one minute of music of the “L’amico suicida” song. This reissue faithfully reproduces the original single sleeve, is limited to 500 copies, and was printed in Japan with audiophile techniques.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW "Fra l'assurdo e la ragione" (between absurd and reason) comes 35 long years after the namesake debut album of one of the most legendary Italian prog outfits ever! Featuring original band members Pilly Cossa, Baffo Banfi, Mauro Gnecchi, and blessed by the approval and contributes of singer/lyricist/flautist Claudio Canali - famous for having retired in a monastery, in strong contrast to the hateful verses he wrote when playing in the original Biglietto per L’Inferno line-up - this release is far more than a simple collection of newly recorded old tracks: the band's classics have been re-arranged - therefore the suffix ".folk" has been added to the band's name. Together with the collaboration of young talented north Italian folk musicians and a great female singer, Il Biglietto per L’Inferno transform their classics to a new, shining life. Also, apart from the classics, the CD also features one previously unreleased song composed by Claudio Canali!! Highly recommended!

PROGRESSIVE   NEW DAAL is an acronym comes from the union of the names DAvide and Alfio. It's a new musical project that could represent many things. It could represent the meeting of very different situations in the Italian avantgarde musical milieu, a symbiosis and an osmosys of distant ideas but at the same time very close, and so when they are put together work very well. It also could represent a particular idea of a meeting between North and Centre Italy, like breaking every national geographic barrier during these running times in which is strong the feeling about internal separatism. Even the crumbling of international barriers in an idealistic way, if we ever was in need of it when we have to do with artists of this high caliber. It represents a thing for sure, instead: the meeting of two ingenious and volcanic minds. That's because the names cited before belong to Davide Guidoni and Alfio Costa. Guidoni is roman. Drummer and percussionist, as well as very able graphic designer, you could have met him in important bands such as Gallant Farm and Taproban. Costa comes from the deep province of Bergamo. Keyboard player and fine craftsman of any electronic devices with black and white keys, he leads several projects which answers to the names of Tilion, Prowlers and Colossus Project. We are talking about people full of creativity that fills their art. A rich group of musicians helps the duo to complete this authoritative sonic raving, starting from Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, Maschera di Cera), Cristiano Roversi (Moongarden, Mangala Vallis) and Alessandro Papotto (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Periferia del Mondo) and passing by Vincenzo Zitello, Laura Mombrini (Prowlers) and the younger brother Flavio Costa (Prowlers, Tilion). Well, names with some value in the Italian progressive milieu. What comes up from the visceral union of these two visionary musicians is an explosive kaleidoscope of sounds, colours and hypnotic visions. Escapes toward the impossible dark and moon mind of Alfio Costa and the beated iron at white heat temps of Davide Guidoni, please listen to "Hoocaustica" and "Chimaira" above all, the last one inspired by a Valerio Massimo Manfredi's novel. In the beginning, from a primal mix between Tool and Balletto di Bronzo, where the dark atmospheres of Goblin-esque remindings in which Costa deepens his teeth leads the feelings, so the album brings to a path made of sound effects, percussive noises, to psychedelic and Floyd-ian ghosts so much they give a homage to 'em with an overwhelming cover of "A Saucerful of Secrets", dedicated to Rick Wright who died just while Guidoni and Costa were composing this album. Dissonances recalling free-jazz airs and sound experimentation inside the long "The Dance of the Drastic Navel's, Part 1" and the titletrack too, while anguish and nightmares made of sweating dreams pops up from "Brain Melody". The album is closed by the mellotron and mini-moog roundabout of "Val Glad Var Dag", a homage to Ragnarok that will be released in the next tribute to Swedish rock-bands by Musea Records. This first album by DAAL is like a fist in the stomach for the impact of its beauty. It wrongfoots and surprises for the ideas seem to pop-ups from the top-hats of this two musicians with the same ease a child would fill an empty paper with pastel colours. Per prima cosa vi segnaliamo una nostra nuova fantastica uscita: i DAAL con Disorganicorigami. Questo lavoro è il geniale parto di Davide Guidoni (già Gallandfarm e Taproban) e Alfio Costa (già Tillion, Prowlers e Colossus Project) a fare da prestigiosa cornice, moltissimi ospiti illustri arricchiscono questo progetto: da Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, Maschera di Cera), Cristiano Roversi (Moongarden, Mangala Vallis), e Alessandro Papotto (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Periferia del Mondo) per passare da Vincenzo Zitello, Laura Mombrini (Prowlers) e il fratello minore Flavio Costa (Prowlers, Tilion). Nomi non da poco negli ambienti progressive italiani...quindi da non perdere assolutamente!

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Più di 200 pagine piene di ricordi e di impressioni sul più importante progressive rock band italiana. Il tutto visto “dall’interno” da un appassionato Franz Di Cioccio. More than 200 pages fool of memories and impressions about the most successful italian progressive rock band. An deep insight a passionate Franz Di Cioccio. Written in italian.

ROCK   NEW Following the release of previous highly acclaimed "Decalogue of Modern Life", The Anglo-Italian Afterglow are back with their second album "Sorry.". The guys are Dave Timson, Mik Lennard, Alex Cherry and new Afterglow Albert Garew and they split their musical activity between Italy and UK since 2004. As you can see on the cd cover, the band are goin' to be mean to you all, and will dig you six feet under using their thick wall of sound. "Sorry." includes singles "Merry-go-round", "Guilty lover", "Clown", "Hand of a clock" and has been promoted with a tour spanning all over Europe throughout 2009. As the album is only digitally available worldwide, here in BTF shop you can (exclusively!) buy the special release prepared just for The Afterglow live events!