Il Giardino Onirico

[Michael Baryshnikov]

Hello All!

Залит Il_Giardino_Onirico/(2019)_Apofenia

Новое имя на сервере - представители современного РПИ.
Типичные представители римской школы РПИ - мелодичные, психоделичные,
спейсовые, без особой оригинальности.
Однако, это не говорит о том, что музыка неинтересна, как раз то, что они
"впитали в себя" много хорошего со стороны, как раз и привлекает внимание и
слух.
Никакого АОРа, всё концептуально, динамично и разнообразно-красиво.
Да, апофения - это одна из форм шизофрении, кстати.
ВЕСЬМА РЕКОМЕНДУЮ!

===
(c) Il Giardino Onirico biography, PA
Founded in Civita Castellana, Italy in 2008

IL GIARDINO ONIRICO (The Onirical Garden) are hailing from Civita Castellana,
situated north of Rome. The band formed in September 2008 when keyboard player
Emanuele 'Vastitas' Telli, guitarist Stefano Avigliana, Ettore Mazzarini (bass)
and drummer Massimo Moscatelli combined their individual strength. The members'
musical background is really wide and varied as each musician has preferences
for different genres and experiences while playing in other bands.

This line up started to develop the first composition named 'Complesso K' which
is a shifting suite filled with a variety of visions. In 2009 they were awarded
as the winners of the Salefino Rock emerging band music contest. At the same
time prog enthusiast Dario Hakim joined the band and inserted himself as the
generator of sound effects and ambient textures.

After the release of 'Complesso K' IL GIARDINO ONIRICO started composing new
material and Marco Marini, poet, painter and photographer joined the band
contributing with his narrative voice. This completed line up then was ready to
record the full length debut 'Perigeo', which saw the light of day in 2012, an
ambitious heavy-edged progressive rock album which is suitable in order to
reach for many fans worldwide.
===

(c) Review by rdtprog, PA

There have been 7 years between the release of their latest album and the new
one. The band had the contribution of Alessandro Corvaglia and Jenni Sorrenti
to sing on some tracks and 2 sax players. The songs have been carefully
re-arranged re-recorded many times until the band was completely satisfied with
the final product. The music is full of long instrumental sections and songs
even though they wanted to tell stories about life, dreams, and nightmares. The
first song starts with an ambient intro followed by a metal riff with keys in
the background and gaining in intensity where the guitar takes his spot. There
some repetitive and addictive drums part with a world music and space
atmosphere. They stretch out the song to the limit here. This is a big
instrumental opener. "Alétheia" is another impressive instrumental song
with some beautiful choir arrangements that take you to another world. "Mushin"
is another long song showing the talent of singer Jenni Sorrenti ending like a
firework with electronic effects."Apogeo" starts again in an ambient intro
before every musician reunites into a full orchestra with another short
metallic guitar part and a rhythm change that has that Haken vibe. That song is
the most complex of the album, another instrumental with some great guitar/keys
interplay. "Un Nodo All'anima" has two sides. One is a lighter atmosphere with
some flamenco style of music and the second is a heavier section with some
electric guitar. The two keyboards players in this song display some incredible
playing and the vocals are really spot on. The last and longest track display a
flourish ending to a beautiful album that every prog rock fan should listen to.
===

(c) Review by andrea, PA

"Apofenia" is the third studio album by Il giardino Onirico and was released in
2019 on the independent label Lizard Records with a line up featuring Stefano
Avigliana (guitars), Dariush Hakim (keyboards), Ettore Mazzarini (bass),
Massimo Moscatelli (drums, percussion) and Emanuele Telli (keyboards) plus the
guests Alessandro Corvaglia (vocals - from La Maschera di Cera, Delirium),
Jenny Sorrenti (vocals - from Saint Just), Jenna 'Sharm' Holdway (vocals),
David Morucci (sax), Claudio Braccio (sax) and the choir Fuori dal Coro. In my
opinion, this is a mature and refined work, enriched by the contribute of many
prestigious guests, full of inventiveness and fresh ideas combined with vintage
sounds and psychedelic flights that the colourful art work by Marco Marini
tries to describe on the cover and booklet. The title refers to the tendency to
perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things...

The long, hypnotic opener 'Onironauta' (Oneironaut) is a beautiful instrumental
track where the band "resolved to go with bold entreaty whither no man had gone
before, and dare the icy deserts through the dark to where unknown Kadath,
veiled in cloud and crowned with unimagined stars, holds secret and nocturnal
the onyx castle of the Great Ones", like Randolph Carter, the protagonist of
H.P. Lovecraft novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. To be honest, I don't
know if the work of the American writer was a source of inspiration for the
band, but in my opinion the dark, mysterious atmosphere of this piece perfectly
fits the subject matter...

The excellent 'Scivolosa simmetria' (Slippery symmetry) features the vocals of
Alessandro Corvaglia and tells in music and poetical words of a haunting,
obsessive desire that turns into stone, a thought that becomes a prison between
dream and reality, delirium and magic. It starts by a frenzied instrumental
passage, then the vocals evoke fiery dances upon coloured petals and magic
symphonies as the protagonist tries to escape from the dangerous vortex of an
ecstatic, suggestive dream that could lead to death...

'Alétheia' is a long, dreamy instrumental track that starts softly and
evolves in a crescendo of psychedelic fantasies and Latin echoes, with a good
sax and electric guitar work. After a sudden stop in the middle, there's a
second part that veers to calmer musical landscapes. The title refers to a
philosophical term that means truth or disclosure but also factuality or
reality...

The title of the following 'Mushin' refers to a mental state that is achieved
when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear or ego during combat
or everyday life and features the guest vocalist Jenny Sorrenti. It's an
ethereal, reflective piece sung in English with a slow pace, a spacey
atmosphere and a touch of electronica that deals with spiritual issues like
time, love and inner knowledge...

'Apogeo' (Apogee) is another track with a strong spacey atmosphere that in the
first part could recall Pink Floyd while in the middle section, with a good sax
work, is more aggressive and closer to King Crimson. The last part is a
wonderful crescendo where the rhythm seems to take off for the outer space...
In fact, the title refers to the point in the orbit of a heavenly body at which
it is farthest from the earth...

'Un nodo all'anima' (A knot in the soul) starts by an acoustic guitar arpeggio
and the soaring vocals of Alessandro Corvaglia in the forefront. It's a
beautiful piece that goes through many changes in rhythm and atmosphere with
hermetic lyrics evoking dreams to hold, time spent running after appearances
and the desperate need to connect mind and soul to avoid the blades of a
deceitful destiny that could hurt you. Mediterranean influences, powerful
melodies, flamenco sketches and heavier passages are blended with gusto and
personality... A wonderful track!

The long, mysterious 'Lacrime di stelle' (Star tears) ends the album with a
melancholic mood and mystic, Oriental flavours. Here the voice of the guest
Jenna 'Sharm' Holdway is used just as a charming instrument to add colours to
the musical canvas and put a spell on you in a starry night filled with
memories and lunar visions...

On the whole, a magnificent work full of nuances and excellent pieces!
===

Enjoy!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.