I 17 Pygmies hanno ormai attraversato quasi trent’anni di musica mantenendo intatta una certa aura di mistero, nati da una costola del più noto progetto madre post-punk sperimentale Savage Republic; fra i diversi gruppi art-rock e dream pop legati all’ondata new wave anni ottanta i 17 Pygmies, formati dal chitarrista Philip Drucker (ovvero Jackson Del Rey), avevano creato con i loro primi lavori, il primo EP “Hativka” del 1983 e “Jedda By The Sea” uscito l’anno successivo, un loro particolare stile in bilico fra post punk, neo psichedelica e musica folk-etnica, uno stile che si rivelerà successivamente come una fonte d’ispirazione per quello che comunemente viene definito oggi come post-rock… Questo nuovo CD dei 17 Pygmies rappresenta la prima parte di un’ambiziosa trilogia ispirata in parte dal recente arresto dell’austronauta Lisa Nowak per tentato rapimento ed omicidio della rivale in amore, nonché capitano USAF, Colleen Shipman, e concepita come una trasposizione fantascientifica dell’omonima novella (o meglio, “Libro de Calisto y Melibea y de la puta vieja Celestina”) scritta da Fernando De Rojas nel 1499, una storia di amore, intrighi e morte, che in questo adattamento vede il capitano Mora e la sua compagna-scienziata Isabel vestire i panni originari di Callisto e Melibea… dunque, tradimento e amore fra le stelle! La musica di questo strano cd vuole essere a suo modo un tributo al classico cinema di sci-fi degli anni cinquanta e sessanta, e in buona parte ci riesce bene anche se per certi versi sembra più un tributo ai… Pink Floyd! In diversi brani, intitolati come capitoli di un romanzo (“Celestina I”, “Celestina II” ecc…) appare evidente l’atteggiamento “Floydiano” del gruppo, dalle parti di “Ummagumma” fino a “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, con qualche interessante richiamo ai primi Tangerine Dream ed un bel gusto per le orchestrazioni sinfoniche ed un’intrigante vena decadente e malinconica dal sapore vagamente noir che sembra voler ammiccare anche alle colonne sonore di Angelo Badalamenti…. Lo spirito e l’attitudine è comunque quello del progressive rock psichedelico più underground e genuino, filtrato da un impatto sonoro piuttosto contemporaneo ed un’espressività non lontana da quanto è stato fatto da gruppi come G.Y.B.E.; una delle migliori caratteristiche dei 17 Pygmies sta inoltre nella scrittura melodica accattivante, che pure nei momenti apparentemente meno “originali” (i tanti passaggi alla “Breathe”, giusto per capirci) non manca di farci venire la pelle d’oca per l’elevata intensità romantica, forse talvolta un po’ sofferta e decadente, più spesso in piena estasi celestiale e cosmica, grazie anche e soprattutto alla profonda voce di Meg Maryatt. Nonostante gli ovvi ed abbondanti riferimenti agli anni Sessanta-Settanta “Celestina II” non è dunque un disco revivalistico, da buoni figli del post-punk anni ottanta i 17 Pygmies sono poco interessati agli assoli strumentali, qui prediligono una struttura sinfonica ed orchestrale dall’incedere maestoso ed oppiaceo, fino a sfiorare più volte la musica ambientale… la sezione ritmica rimane in linea con i classici 4/4 alla Nick Mason e non mancano le aperture tribali ed etniche ad alto tasso d’acidità. Con l’ascolto del CD forse si potrebbe pensare inizialmente che “Celestina” non fa del dinamismo musicale la caratteristica principale, con un po’ di cinismo potremmo anche sostenere che la musica dei 17 Pygmies sia composta da due-tre buone idee dilatate all’infinito: però l’intensità e la carica visionaria di questo disco è per me irresistibile e credo che potrà essere lo stesso anche per voi!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:The 17 Pygmies have been through almost three decades of music, keeping up a certain aura of mystery, born as an offshoot of the famous mother's post-punk experimental project, Savage Republic, among the different groups, art-rock and dream pop related to the wave Eighties New Wave the 17 Pygmies, formed by guitarist Philip Drucker (ie Jackson Del Rey), had created their first works, the first EP "Hativka" 1983 and "Jedda By The Sea" released the following year, a their particular style somewhere between post-punk, neo-psychedelic folk and ethnic music, a style that will be revealed later as a source of inspiration for what is commonly referred to today as post-rock ... This new CD is the first of the 17 Pygmies part of an ambitious trilogy, inspired in part by the recent arrest of Lisa Nowak dell'austronauta for attempted kidnapping and murder of a rival in love, and USAF Captain Colleen Shipman, and designed as a transposition of the homonymous novel science fiction (or rather, "Paper de Calisto y de la puta vieja y Melibea Celestina ") written by Fernando de Rojas in 1499, a story of love, intrigue and death in this adaptation Mora sees the captain and his partner Isabel scientist-original take on the role of CallistoMelibea ... and then, betrayal and love among the stars! The music on this CD is intended to be funny in its own way a tribute to the classic sci-fi cinema of the fifties and sixties, and largely succeeds well even though in some ways seems more a tribute to Pink Floyd ...! In several songs, titled as chapters of a novel ("The Celestina", "Celestine II" etc. ...) it is clear the attitude of "Floyd" the group, the share of "Ummagumma" to "The Dark Side Of The Moon" , with some interesting reminder of the early Tangerine Dream and a fine taste for the symphony orchestras and an intriguing vein with a vaguely decadent and melancholy noir that seems to beckon even the soundtracks of Angelo Badalamenti .... The spirit and attitude is still that of the progressive psychedelic rock underground and the most genuine, unfiltered sound of an impact rather than contemporary and expressiveness, not far from what has been done by groups like jibe, one of the best features is also in the 17 Pygmieswrite catchy melodies, even though at times apparently less "original" (the many steps to "Breathe", to understand) does not fail to come to us goose bumps for high-intensity romantic, perhaps sometimes a little 'and painful decadent, most often in full ecstasy of celestial and cosmic, and especially thanks to the deep voice of Meg Maryatt. Despite the obvious and abundant references to the sixties-seventies "Celestine II" is therefore not a revivalist hard, like good children of the post-punk eighties the 17 Pygmies are less interested in the instrumental solos, here prefer a structure from symphonic and orchestral ' majestic gait and opiate, to touch up several times the background music ... the rhythm section remains in line with the classic 4 / 4 to Nick Mason, and there are tribal and ethnic openings with a high level of acidity. By listening to the CD, perhaps you might initially think that "Celestina" is not the main feature of dynamic music, with a little 'cynicism could also be argued that music is made up of 17 Pygmies 2:00 to 3:00 dilated to good ideas' infinite, however, the intensity of this visionary and charging hard for me irresistible and I think will be the same for you too!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:The 17 Pygmies have been through almost three decades of music, keeping up a certain aura of mystery, born as an offshoot of the famous mother's post-punk experimental project, Savage Republic, among the different groups, art-rock and dream pop related to the wave Eighties New Wave the 17 Pygmies, formed by guitarist Philip Drucker (ie Jackson Del Rey), had created their first works, the first EP "Hativka" 1983 and "Jedda By The Sea" released the following year, a their particular style somewhere between post-punk, neo-psychedelic folk and ethnic music, a style that will be revealed later as a source of inspiration for what is commonly referred to today as post-rock ... This new CD is the first of the 17 Pygmies part of an ambitious trilogy, inspired in part by the recent arrest of Lisa Nowak dell'austronauta for attempted kidnapping and murder of a rival in love, and USAF Captain Colleen Shipman, and designed as a transposition of the homonymous novel science fiction (or rather, "Paper de Calisto y de la puta vieja y Melibea Celestina ") written by Fernando de Rojas in 1499, a story of love, intrigue and death in this adaptation Mora sees the captain and his partner Isabel scientist-original take on the role of CallistoMelibea ... and then, betrayal and love among the stars! The music on this CD is intended to be funny in its own way a tribute to the classic sci-fi cinema of the fifties and sixties, and largely succeeds well even though in some ways seems more a tribute to Pink Floyd ...! In several songs, titled as chapters of a novel ("The Celestina", "Celestine II" etc. ...) it is clear the attitude of "Floyd" the group, the share of "Ummagumma" to "The Dark Side Of The Moon" , with some interesting reminder of the early Tangerine Dream and a fine taste for the symphony orchestras and an intriguing vein with a vaguely decadent and melancholy noir that seems to beckon even the soundtracks of Angelo Badalamenti .... The spirit and attitude is still that of the progressive psychedelic rock underground and the most genuine, unfiltered sound of an impact rather than contemporary and expressiveness, not far from what has been done by groups like jibe, one of the best features is also in the 17 Pygmieswrite catchy melodies, even though at times apparently less "original" (the many steps to "Breathe", to understand) does not fail to come to us goose bumps for high-intensity romantic, perhaps sometimes a little 'and painful decadent, most often in full ecstasy of celestial and cosmic, and especially thanks to the deep voice of Meg Maryatt. Despite the obvious and abundant references to the sixties-seventies "Celestine II" is therefore not a revivalist hard, like good children of the post-punk eighties the 17 Pygmies are less interested in the instrumental solos, here prefer a structure from symphonic and orchestral ' majestic gait and opiate, to touch up several times the background music ... the rhythm section remains in line with the classic 4 / 4 to Nick Mason, and there are tribal and ethnic openings with a high level of acidity. By listening to the CD, perhaps you might initially think that "Celestina" is not the main feature of dynamic music, with a little 'cynicism could also be argued that music is made up of 17 Pygmies 2:00 to 3:00 dilated to good ideas' infinite, however, the intensity of this visionary and charging hard for me irresistible and I think will be the same for you too!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment