Forme is a collaborative work by two of Italy’s most notorious Experimental / Industrial artists: Maurizio Bianchi aka M.B. (experimenting with sounds and noises for about forty-five years) and Raffaele Pezzella aka Sonologyst (a clever human organism with a multi-tentacled angle). Both known for their uncountable recordings, collaborations, assistances and more, finally gather, with their abstract and border-crossing yet innovative co-operation being released on Raffaele’s main label, Unexplained Sound Group. M.B. took care of, and I quote, ‘digitized equipment mixed with outdoor soundscapes / amorphous collages’, done at the beginning of this year, while Sonologyst performs ‘analog synths, processing, sampling, mix intersections’. The latter took care of the mastering too, while the first created the unique artwork (Policromie), i.e. a multi-colored palette like an aurora borealis but with more flashy shades.
Forme has become a seven-track album, although it must rather be seen as one total experience divided into seven individual yet coherent chapters. Clocking almost fifty-five minutes, the album has been pressed on compact-disc, and more specifically on a six-panel digipack with Matteo Mariano taking care of the layout. It’s a conceptual recording, focusing on both tradition and innovation. A musical ‘form’ reflects specific, sometimes predictable elements (‘in the articulation, melody, and rhythm of a composition’). Therefor, both artists translated this approach towards ‘a work pervaded by investigative exploration of the unknown electro-modulatory’, which will eventually lead into ‘an existential fulfillment that leads to formal irrationality’ (the parts written in italic script and in between parenthesis, like ‘abc’, are taken from the bio; it’s not my ingeniously defined finesse; all kudos go to the artists involved).
Forma Brumosa starts this auditory exploration, combining reverberating drones, electronic manipulated poundings, airy waves, oscillating noisescapes and rumbling basses. At first, it has a sense of sci-fi oriented and somehow psychedelic nature, yet soon a sense of aural investigation takes over the pseudo-dimensional trip. It’s quite mind-confusing, for futuristic elements and alienated components seem to mingle organically into this unphysical phantomesque appearance. It permanently changes and develops, with Musique Concrète, Electronics, Avantgarde and more experimental genres smoothly masterminded together. And that is somehow how Forme works. It’s a levitating experience, for modernistic visions and traditional approaches get meticulously assembled unto one post-mental (and therefor somewhat disturbing; but who is not to like some psychic confusion?) aural aesthetic.
The use of samples (broadcasted voices, found sounds and field-recorded elements), of strings (like these ambient-driven electric (four-string?) guitars in Forma Siderale), and of the addition of elements from Dark Ambient, Deep Drone and Post-Industrial (oh, do enjoy that intoxicating hymn Forma Anestatica, incorporating all three of these fine-tuned surpluses) enriches several fragments throughout this lengthy quest. Also worth mentioning is the collaboration of Luca Valisi (aka P.U.M.A.).
Another nice element is that the multi-layered collages actually come with a refreshing, illuminating and even volatile angle, going for both the more thick chapters (like the discordant yet transcendental epic Forma Tremolante) as well as the rather luscious ones. On top of it, as a listener, you cannot ignore, or avoid, the feeling that it all makes sense: it’s an in-depth psychological research, defined through sonic creativity, delving into one’s psyche, confronting you with questions of life’s opulence and, then again, the futility of life, of cosmic themes as well as the Inner Eye, of isolationism versus prosperity, and of comprehension against controversy.
These bright walls of noise (attention: not like in Noise Wall!) are diffuse and devious, accompanying the listener into knowledge, conception, questioning and acceptance. The balance of organic performing and manipulated sound-sculpting works amazingly well in this album’s case, yet then again one cannot forget the multi-experienced creators behind this collaboration, Maurizio and Raffaele…
https://unexplainedsoundsgroup.bandcamp.com/album/forme
https://sonologyst.bandcamp.com/album/forme
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/sonologyst
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/sonologyst-0
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/sonologyst-1
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/sonologyst-2
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/sonologyst-3