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What Solyaris Music is?
How could I define my music? That’s an
embarrassing question and I always in doubt when people ask it me. I
generally say “I compose ambient music using slide guitars” as a very general
simplification, indeed I’m perplex defining my music as “ambient” because
this imply many misunderstandings; for example the “ambient music”
definition report people immediately to Brian Eno’s
conceptions that I really feel far from me.
Someone defined my works “shimmering ambient” or
“light ambient”, maybe to differentiate these from dark-ambient and much
“static” drone music. I appreciate the “shimmering” definition, in facts my
music is pretty “dynamic” in opposite of the static of much so called
ambient music; with “dynamic” I refer to some time-traversing evolutive paths that start form an initial
“consciousness status”, ending in a final one usually different; I mean
that it’s important for me that music could act as a “stalker-instrument”
that bring you away from the initial context (physical or psychological),
achieving some (not foreseen) unpredictable “final-status” (that I hope
will be something “better” or profound in a spiritual sense… this is my
final aim that motivate me to realize music). By the way, I define “timescapes” this soundscapes-based
music that I compose with the aim to design atemporal
paths (in the sense that transcend time concept) … difficult maybe … but
the only ascensional way I can see as true and
uncontrived.
Coming back to listeners’ definitions, I basically
presume that “shimmering” is referring also to my use of (slide) guitars
mostly in the high frequency spectrum. Some other people refer to my
music as “space music”, and some others agree that my music is not ambient,
but many state that what I realize is not drone music, is not space music,
is not psychedelic music … so, what my music is?! Maybe I’d joking define
it “solaristic music” as tribute to Andrei Tarkovkij, the immense Russian movie director!
“Ascension and Revelation” CDR presentation
and tracks “explanation”:
My new CDR consists in a single long suite (1 hour
and 17 minutes) occupying pretty all CD media length, subdivided in seven
tracks cross faded together. In facts there are not really different
pieces, but just some evolution of initial seeds that evolve becoming
“plural” till final vast coral multitude “drones”. All in all it’s very
slow motion music that evolve from a state to a successive one without
discontinuity, with very slow and smooth cross-fades, passing through
dramatics/tenses peaks but finally reaching a resolution in relaxed (but
hyperkinetic?!) blissful atmosphere (at least this have been my intention).
You could see the composition with the metaphor of
walking (climbing? flying?) in a mountain path that made your soul (and
body) lighter and lighter as soon you achieve the summit, when and where
you finally could clearly “view” what there is this behind: the vision of a
beyond world …(please read the dedication at the end of this letter).
I enjoyed myself subdividing this single
composition in two “virtual” parts: “Ascension” (first three tracks) and
“Revelation” last four tracks. The initial “Following Shining Filaments”
introduce the “seeds” (guitar-alaps improvisation
licks) that will become a tense waterfall of hyper-overdubbed guitar
waterfalls wall of textures in “Fire Birds Climbing Shimmering
Waterfall” in a style that I explored in my previous work “Cellardoor”, even if here the layering of sound is
really exaggerated producing often an “aliasing-vertigo” that engulf
myself!. Third cloudy-chunk, “Felsenmeer Endless Labyrint” is performed on my classical guitar (I sold
this instrument to my great friend Roberto, now death, almost 20 years ago
… and his wife now very kindly gave back to me); piece result in a real
mess of phrases that nothing resolve … that’s why they recall the temporary
resignation to be inside that labyrinth of sharp sad stones (Felsenmeer mean “sea of stones”). The second
part, “Revelation”, start with “Carried Away by Inorganic Beings”, a piece
based on looped slide guitar performances that broke the agitation of first
part, now going back to calm profound slow winds atmosphere, that evolve in
successive “Achieving Sky True through Vertigo Vortexes” where the
scenario become rough and vortexes bring up and up in an “ecstatic
hyper-tension” ?! that finally resolve in “Talking Stones Levitation Path”
where all tensions are went and serene detuned polyphonic bass drones
remains as “carrier” of the final ascent: “One Love Collective Ascension”
achieving a summit of estatic (but hyper dynamic)
blissful peace …
   
   
Who could love and who could hate ““Ascension and
Revelation”:
I know my music and especially this last work is
not for everyone; unfortunately occasional listener, nowadays used to
listen only few minutes long pieces, probably will reject a music that
evolve in 78 minutes of continuum soundscapes
without silences or breaks …but the real reason some people hate or almost
“reject” listening my music is because my music is not “easy listening”,
indeed requiring an introspective concentration, a meditation willing, etc.
that scare?! On the other hand, I fair also many “experienced” drone-music
listeners could judge my music too much anxious and kinetic and not
“relaxing” or “calm”.
Indeed I think music can’t be interesting if
didn’t explore “some” feeling traversing, passing through a sort of
hypnotic behaviors that allow to see beyond time and space (something I
just called “timescape”). All in all my way to
compose music is that ”report” a sort of
feelings evolution (the intuition of something beyond ?!) and specifically
I like these paths that bring the human being from an initial status
(probably chaotic) in a final one where the soul evolve in something
better, more free, more conscious of (one) love, almost with a temporary
resolution …the way to be happy (as human being). So, people will
enjoy my work are “deep listening” music lovers without (cultural,
technical …) prejudices, open to listen something uncontrived, that could
explore a possible new path of consciousness …
Technicalities:
The technique used for performances and
recordings/mixing/mastering this CDR is not really different from that one
I consolidated in my previous works (see “Mellow Stasis” and especially “Cellardoor” web pages for details). My use of
treated guitars is pretty particular but nowadays almost ordinary… I
process electric standard guitar, slide guitar and classical guitar (It’s
first time I record this instrument) with large amounts of delays and
looping (I used here a real-time loop pedal for first time). After the
performance sessions, I work at computer for mixing: I cross-fade many
overdubbed layers, reaching what someone called “a wall of sound”, anyway
very dense textures that often do not seem made by guitars; BTW, some
people insist that I use electronic synthesizers but that is absolutely not
true: my music start from the touch of a string and end with a
delay/reverberation/layering processing; that’s all. Please note that I use
computer as a simple multi-track editor, without any software
filtering-elaboration, with the exception of some small noise reduction.
Rethinking on melodic and harmonic (and rhythmic!)
constructions of “Ascension and Revelation”, one could say that my music is
“modal music” with an approach maybe similar to that used in Indian music;
I’m referring to the different” phases” of a classical Indian music (alap, etc.) composition, where for example the melodic
textures are based on some possible modal scales (that are not completely
tuned in tempered system). This could be partially true, even if I love a
lot Indian music paradigm. “Ascension and revelation” is built on melodic
interfacings around a basic tone (E), but a complete listening of the suite
reveals that indeed the initial basic tone evolve changing in “near” tonal
centers (through a continuum of detuning and drifting drones) … So another
time I can’t define this music as modal. Also in this work I used some
harmonic ambiguities (I – IV – V degree) that one could call bluesy in a
very general sense; by the way; I hate blues music clichés, but in facts I
– IV movements are “natural” for standard tunings guitar-based music … I
know, I have strange ideas and my music is often alien and surprising also
to myself! …
References to other musicians:
My music is inspired to music composed by musician
I love and In “Ascension and Revelation” I “copied” many techniques of
these musicians: just for start, the use of delays interlacing drones by
Carl Hultgren, the guitar-side of Windy &
Carl, the use of e-bowed slide guitar drones by Stars of The Lid
magnificent creativity, the use on contact-micro on classical guitar by
superb Cecile Schoot, in art Colleen, that I love
for her incredible use of looped classical guitar as harps clusters, some
hyper-reverberation cloudy atmospheres by Steve Roach and last but not
least, I could say that all my music is the tempt to reproduce some
magician of sound-sorcerer Robert Rich. I have to remember here also the
influence of music of my friend Stefano Musso, in
art Alio Die, a master of quiet drone music
inspired to Mother Earth creatures, Laraaji’s
music because his hypnotic use of delayed and overlapped zithers, and I
can’t remember Suso Saiz
for his “hypnotics” work!
Thanks and dedication:
A very special thanks to Marina Porcile (wife of Roberto Minniti,
my great friend, now death); she very kindly gave back to me recently “my
historical” classical guitar (I used in this composition) … this is a very
funny moving story: almost 20 years ago (I was teen-ager) I sold my first
instrument, just that classical guitar, to my friend Roberto (because some
economical problems at that time); afterward, this instrument became
the preferred of Roberto (a guitarist too), that years after never want to
resell me back the instrument … for any proposed price! So this “joking
issue” has been the symbol of our friendship. Quindi grazie Marina! Le
vostre figlie Licia e Gaia potranno sempre contare su di me per la musica
(per quel poco che posso) se mai ameranno liberamente la musica! Un
abbraccio.
Giorgio
Robino, Genova – Italia, 17 September 2006
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