subinterior.bandcamp.com

KONAU - Void Spreading Veins

DYSKINESIA / SUBINTERIOR "Final Muzik CD-Singles Club 07-2014"

DYSKINESIA / SUBINTERIOR 
"Final Muzik CD-Singles Club 07-2014" Split CD EP. 
Post-everything project Dyskinesia (ambient, post-rock, instrumental guitar industrial, post black metal...) contributes to the series with some reborn tracks: new body, new sound. 
Subinterior: this is the some of the best dark ambient music around, no more words needed! 
Limited to 70 copies, cardboard sleeve. 

www.finalmuzik.com 

"Krtrima Sprha" (Kalpamantra) 

Digital Album - 75 Artists
[ Kalpamantra/Bandcamp ]

HALL OF MIRRORS - "Altered Nights" 

2xCD Malignant 2012

(Nimh & Andrea Marutti, with New Risen Throne, K11, Vestigial, Andrea Freschi, Andrea Ferraris) [ Reviews & Samples ]

DISCOGRAPHY

:: RELEASES ::

"The Meeting" | 2010 [ 2xLP - Denovali / Murkhouse ]

"Mesmerize" | 2008 [ CDR - Afe Records - afe108lcd ]

"The Chrysalis Secret" | 2006 [ CDR - Afe Records - afe068lcd ]

"Outfall + Insomnie" | 2005 [ CDR - Silentes - 20050903 ]

"Obstacles" | 2005 [ CDR - Deserted Factory - DF021 ]

"Insomnie" | 2003 [ Private release CDR ]

"Outfall" | 2003 [ Private release CDR ]


:: COMPILATIONS ::

"Krtrima Sprha" (Kalpamantra)
Digital Album - 75 Artists
[ Kalpamantra/Bandcamp ]


"Strange Attractor" (Kaos-ex-machina KEMn100 2009)
Compilation includes work by: Darkness And Silence, New Risen Throne, Deadhorsemort, Subinterior, Inner Vision Laboratory, Stereocaine, Svart1, Krzysztof Stanislawski, Roto Visage, Wach, CrepusculaR, TSIMDZ, Dream Of Nothing, Pharmakustik, Luciftias, In Cognitus, Lord Kula, Aurea Hora, Experimental Subjekt
[ FREE DOWNLOAD ]


"The Beast - New Aeon Symbols IV" (CDR 2008 Quartier23)
ED. BLACK Limited edition - Black disc comes in an etched metal-box.
Tracks by: Venus Mourning Dress, Absynth, Atop, Venus Mourning Dress, Mani Deum, Mort Douce, Natural Faith Project, Subinterior, Malachia, The Victim's Shudder, Manifesto, Verbotene Reinheit, Kreuzer.


"No Abiding Places" (CDR 2006 - Afe Records afe030lcd)
Tracks by: aal, Amon, Bad Sector, Bestia Centauri, Canaan, Etere-o, Moan, Non Ethos, Ornament, Subinterior, Subterranean Source and True Colour Of Blood.


"Catzenjammer" (CDR 2005 - TIBProd.)
A compilation series of 4 cdr’s featuring more than 60 different
experimental/electronic/noise-related artists.


"Beyond the Darkness" (CDR 2005 - Oltre il Suono)
Tracks by: New Risen Throne, Nefelheim, Never Known, Nimh, Cria Cuervos, Subinterior, Ornament, Normality/Edge, Raffaele Serra, Opium, Alio Die & Michele Brieda, Luca Formentini.


:: COLLABORATIONS ::

SUBINTERIOR / DYSKINESIA "CD-Singles Club 07-2014" Split CD EP [ Final Muzik ]

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG + ANDREIJ - "Kether" [ Invitation à la mort ]

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG - "Winter meeting" [ Cold Current Prod. ]

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG - "Spring meeting" [ Cold Current Prod. ]

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG - "Summer meeting" [ Cold Current Prod. ]

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG - "Fall meeting" [ Cold Current Prod. ]


:: SIDE PROJECTS ::

KONAU "Speech from the shadows" - (Kon061 Eibon Records)

Drummer in NERONOIA "Il rumore delle cose " - (Ner076 Eibon Records)

Drummer in NERONOIA "Un mondo in me" - (Ner065 Eibon Records)

Drummer in CANAAN "Of prisoners, wandering souls & cruel fears" - (Can086 Eibon Records)

Drummer in CANAAN "Contro.Luce" - (Can083 Eibon Records)

Drummer in CANAAN "The unsaid words" - (Can060 Eibon Records)

Drummer in CANAAN "A calling to weakness" - (Can036 Eibon Records)

Drummer in WELTSCHMERZ "Capitale de la douleur" - (Wel031 Eibon Records)

Dark ambient/industrial project COMA DIVINE "#10110" - (ep cd-r)

BANDCAMP  -  MYSPACE  -  SOUNDCLOUD  -  WEBSITE

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG - ''THE MEETING''

SUBINTERIOR + SELAXON LUTBERG ''THE MEETING''
[ 2xLP - Denovali / Murkhouse ]

200 pieces on a clear/grey vinyl mix, 300 pieces on black. Heavy printed discobags and heavyweight gatefold covers

A stunning 4-part collaborative series between these 2 Italian ambient artists, released together in one glorious 2xLP set!
Originally released on Selaxon Lutberg's own label, Cold Current Productions, each part is dedicated to a season
and was released separately on 3" CD-R in an edition of only 50 copies!
We just thought this was too good to be heard by so few people and limited to the CD-R format, though.
Beginning with Winter Meeting and going through the seasons in order to end with Fall Meeting, each part will be given one side of 12" vinyl.
The mood on each part is slightly different, reflective of the mood or feel of its respective season, ranging from cold, icy textures to warm, soothing ambience.
SAMPLES HERE

:: Reviews - "The Meeting" ::

( Audiodrome.it - Fabrizio Garau )
La Denovali, etichetta innovativa nell’approccio commerciale ma non solo, pubblica in doppio lp quanto apparso su cd-r 3’’ per la Cold Current di Andrea Penso/Selaxon Lutberg, cioè il frutto di una collaborazione in quattro episodi tra quest’ultimo e Andrea Freschi/Subinterior, con tema – nell’ordine d’uscita - inverno, primavera, estate, autunno.
Selaxon Lutberg è un progetto molto promettente, collocato all’interno contesto elettronico/sperimentale italiano, nel quale è alla fin fine un nuovo venuto, dotato di uno stile molto particolare, che fa pensare a una specie di intimismo in musica. Subinterior è il volto dark ambient del batterista dei Canaan e si distingue da quello da Selaxon Lutberg per un'essenzialità addirittura superiore e una parentela nel sound con nomi eccellenti quali Caul e Amon. Il lavoro congiunto di questi due ottimi amici è quasi sempre proficuo, esclusi alcuni momenti troppo didascalici (campionare il vento per l’inverno e il frinire dei grilli per l’estate è un po’ troppo new age). Tanti, invece, i frangenti memorabili: il vuoto sconfortante di “Last Day”, il pulsare sommesso e i frammenti malinconici di chitarra in “Spring Meeting”, il finale tristissimo e sgocciolante di “Summer Meeting”, la pace di “Il Sole Muore E Noi Con Lui”, traccia nella quale ancora una volta la chitarra processata e/o dilatata gioca un ruolo chiave, così come nell’inquietante “Lost Dialogue”. Dark ambient austero e vecchia maniera, guitar-ambient fragile e – azzardando – post-rock ridotto a scheletro qui trovano il loro punto d’incontro.
Nota a margine: tutto è stato masterizzato nuovamente da Andrea Marutti (Amon) nel 2009, per poi essere racchiuso da un artwork tanto brumoso quanto fantastico, prova tangibile di una passione insensata per la musica.

( Asice.net - Maurice )
Subinterior and Selaxon Lutberg are two Italian ambient artists and they released 'The Meeting' in four 3" CD-R pieces in an edition of 50 copies between 2007 and 2009. Each disc was dedicated to a season and since Denovali Records decided this music should be heard by more people they release it now on 500 double vinyl albums.
Beginning with 'Winter Meeting' and going through the seasons in order to end with 'Fall Meeting', the mood on each part is slightly different. The music is a reflection of every respective season, ranging from cold, icy textures to warm, soothing ambiance. Of course the ‘Winter Meeting’ is cold; sometimes it even seems you hear crunching ice. With ‘Spring Meeting’ the record slowly awakes, as if daylight overcomes the darkness. In ‘Prayer behind the Sun’ (one of my favorite tracks) bells are ringing and the sound at the background marks the last eruptions of a springtime storm. The desire for the summer was never so big.
‘Summer Meeting’ starts off with the sound of footsteps on a pebble path before it turned into thunder. Hereafter nature is always covering up and what’s next is the equivalent of animals that become alive again and flowers that began to arouse. Slowly the sun is shining with enormous proportions and the song “July” shows how the crickets are making noises in the field. The way how the ambience has been built up on this side of the vinyl is amazing. “Fall Meeting” automatically stands for a colder temperature and a wet atmosphere. Leaves are falling from the trees and the colors in nature become red and brown. People are getting in a melancholic mood and this is expressed with the “Lost Dialogue” track; the absolutely highlight of the record. Closing song “October” calls off winter again and makes it full circle.
An hour and a quarter of ambient is enough to travel away from this planet and so did I with Selaxon Lutberg and Subinterior. The atmosphere slowly changed due to the input of different sounds making this record never long-winded.
The vinyl is packaged in a luxurious gatefold with a beautiful picture of mountains and the inside is covered with a lake between the mountains. Each side of an insert is displaying one season. Especially the picture of a tree on the ‘Fall Meeting’ and ‘Spring Meeting’ inserts are way beyond average photography. This record label absolutely knows how to package their releases. In the US this album is available by Murkhouse Recordings.

( Disagreement.net )
Originally released as four separate and extremely limited 3-inch CD-Rs, the two Italian ambient musicians Subinterior and Selaxon Lutberg decided to treat each of the four seasons with three songs each. Published on Lutberg’s own label Cold Current Productions, these collaborative efforts are of course hard to get. To make this interesting oeuvre available to a wider audience, Denovali Records decided to release the collection of EPs as a double vinyl record, fittingly titled The Meeting.
Every season gets its own vinyl side, starting with winter. A cursory examination reveals brooding ambient sounds full of gloomy, droning synthesizer sounds enveloped in a reverb heavy production, giving the impression as if the sonic elaborations are happening all around you. The artists intended to give every season its own distinct atmosphere, but once into spring, we hardly get pretty melodies and joyous eruptions. In fact the artists prefer to retain a sombre mood, and although from summer onwards get occasional atmospheric guitars in the mix, the basic recipe never changes drastically.
The tracks follow some kind of nomenclature, with every part containing one piece named after the season, one after a month from that season and finally one with just a regular title. The question is if all of this is any good. This is certainly not the kind of music most people are used to. There are no discernible rhythms, but rather a flow of sounds that envelops the listener in a hypnotic trance. The Meeting is probably best when listened to under headphones, or late at night in the darkness of your bedroom, but certainly not the soundtrack for a car drive. Fans of ambient electronica who don’t mind a certain oppressive touch might discover many wondrous elements.


( Metallized.it - Renato Zampieri )
E' un mattino bigio, sulla montagna più alta. La nebbia, ancora adagiata sull'erba dei pascoli, sembra non essere intenzionata ad alzarsi, e così serpeggia lenta e silenziosa creando un sentiero umido, grigio ed uniforme.
La primavera è alle porte, sulla montagna più alta. La rugiada cristallizza nell'aria come una cortina di turgide perle, sussurrando ai prati la novità in arrivo: la morta natura sta per rinascere, più forte eppure più malinconica di prima.
Ho voluto cominciare la narrazione sensoriale del nuovo progetto di Andrea Penso (aka Selaxon Lutberg) ed Andrea Freschi (aka Subinterior) esattamente dal centro, ovvero dall'immagine mentale che mi ha suggerito l'ascolto di Prayer Behind The Sun, un pezzo che riassume bene gli intenti di The Meeting, la nuova proposta discografica della Denovali Records. Da questo preciso punto -la sesta traccia del platter, basata come le due precedenti sul tema della primavera- possiamo muoverci in due direzioni: o risalire verso l'inizio ed avvertire la sensazione progressiva di freddo mortale provocata dalle tracce ispirate all'inverno (culminanti nell'incipit cadaverico di Last Day), oppure scendere verso il calore del'estate, finendo con i primi, gravi accenni di autunno (October). Fin qui tutto bene, e da un punto di vista concettuale The Meeting fila liscio come l'olio dall'inizio alla fine; i problemi, seppur lievi, cominciano quando si analizzano nel dettaglio le scelte compositive adottate dal duo. Premetto che ritengo superfluo citare la band di appartenenza di Freschi, perchè potrebbe portare a dei paragoni azzardati o forzati, ma per onor di cronaca lo accenno: stiamo parlando del batterista dei celebri Canaan. Detto ciò, trovo giusto sottolineare come il progetto The Meeting sia stato creato non per essere la costola di qualcuno, ma per vivere in completa autonomia... almeno apparentemente.
Entrare nel mood del disco è molto semplice, ma forse la strada per entrarci è stata agevolata fin troppo: era davvero necessario campionare vento, acqua e grilli per suggerire le stagioni di appartenenza? Qualche ostacolo concettuale in più, qualche sfida acustica sarebbe stata gradita. L'informale, tecnica su cui fondamentalmente si basa l'ambient dark di questo progetto, a mio avviso sarebbe potuto diventare maggiormente pregnante con l'inserimento di qualche elemento materico più spiccato, atto a "staccare" mentalmente dal piattume del synth puro: è vero, in Fall Meeting ad esempio il materismo si avverte più che in altri episodi, e credo che sviluppare questo aspetto sarebbe risultato vincente. Apprezzabilissimo anche l'utilizzo liquido e dolce delle chitarre in Il Sole Muore E Noi Con Lui, il quale dona al pezzo un sapore post-rock inedito quanto -purtroppo- unico.
L'incontro di Selaxon Lutberg con Subinterior a conti fatti risulta vincente, e quindi sprono il duo a continuare su questa strada. Il margine di miglioramento è evidente ma ciò nonostante mi auguro di ritrovarli presto nel mio stereo con un nuovo, emozionante prodotto.


( Music-scan.com - Arne )
Ambient-Soundscapes haben bisweilen das Problem, ein Stück weit zufällig oder strukturlos zu wirken. Bei den Klang-Tüftlern Subinterior + Selaxon Lutberg ist das nicht der Fall. Die beiden italienischen Ambient-Acts wählen für „The Meeting“ einen Ansatz, der das verwehrt und ihnen gleichzeitig alle Freiheiten zur Ausgestaltung des Konzeptes lässt. Die Südeuropäer setzen einen Jahreszeiten-Zyklus und vertonen Winter, Frühling, Sommer und Herbst. Was zwischen 2007 und 2009 zunächst als auf 50 Stück limitierte CD-R Kleinstpressung erschienen ist, wird von Denovali nun auf eine größere Vinyl-Bühne gehoben. Doch auch die 500 Einheiten der Nachpressung dürften schnell vergriffen sein. Subinterior + Selaxon Lutberg bringen ausgewiesene Kreativität und ausreichend Findungsreichtum mit, um es zu rechtfertigen, ihre Platte zu erwerben. Gefallen findet man automatisch, denn die Italiener stellen allein auf die sich entwickelnde Atmosphäre und intuitiv gegebene Identifikation ab. Denovali bemüht Vergleiche zu Sigur Ros, Arvo Pärt, Boards Of Canada, Kammarheit und Raison D’erte, und die kommen schon hin. „The Meeting“ ist ein unglaublich schlichtes und dennoch Detail-verliebtes Release, das auf Ästhetik und einem übergeordneten Musik-Verständnis basiert. Obwohl nicht viel passiert und die Input-Seite überschaubar bestückt bleibt, entstehen in den Köpfen der Hörer starke Bilder und große Wirkung. Es ist das vielfach beschworene Kopfkino, das man durchlebt und erlebt, wenn man sich mit den Sounds von Subinterior + Selaxon Lutberg auseinander setzt. Zwischen frostig-steriler Winter-Kälte und sonnig-wohligem Sommer-Leichtsinn entstehen im Ambient-Kontext wandelbare, treffende Klangwelten, die die Essenz der jeweils vertonten Jahreszeit darstellen.


( Noiz.wordpress.com )
When I find out that Denovali were kind enough to send us their latest release, I was expecting a promo-CD or just a download link. The last thing I did expect was the heavy cardboard box containing this amazing double 12” vinyl release. ‘The Meeting’ is the collaboration of two very talented Italian ambient musicians ‘Suninterior’ and ‘Selaxon Lutberg’. Originally released on Selaxon Lutberg’s own label, Cold Current Productions, each part is dedicated to a season and was released separately on 3? CD-R in an edition of only 50 copies. Now Denovali is releasing it once more in a double vinyl edition and it comes in 200 pieces on a clear/grey vinyl mix, 300 pieces on black. Heavy printed disco-bags and heavyweight gate fold covers. The music itself is brilliant. The concept of the season’s passing creates a perfect basis for the structure of each track. The textures used in each one reflect the mood of each season. From blissful ambience mixed with mellow field recordings to darker & more ominous tunes. There is a constant flow from season to season & a never lost continuity. Their music is dreamy, it can push your imagination forward and the atmosphere of this ambient masterpiece is great. This is not music for everyone, it is difficult to understand it and really minimal to call it simple as music. This is an experiment of composition. It is not just music, maybe it is not music at all and at the same time it could be one step forward from music. This is evolution, this can ease my ears. These tracks are close to Nadja’s and Tribes of Neurot similar releases. From cold to warm… from an icy texture to a hot music structure. “The Meeting” tends to evoke a feelings of solitude, melancholy, confinement, and isolation… steady pulse and immobile drones, stasis and slow transformations… Close your eyes and spend this year with these 2 Italians experimentalists.


( Onfirepromotion.com - Alex G. )
Musik fängt im Kopf an und genau dort endet sie auch, selbst wenn es vordergründig und auf den ersten Blick gar keine Musik ist. Ambient ist definitiv eine Sache, mit der sich nicht jeder anfreunden kann. Es fordert einfach zu viel von seinem Hörer ab, als das man sich einfach nur beschallen lassen könnte, in der Hoffnung, auch nur im Ansatz zu verstehen, um was es geht. Viel mehr erfordert es vollste Konzentration und die Möglichkeit, sich komplett auf das Gehörte einzulassen, es aufzusaugen und darüber nachzudenken. Wenn wir ehrlich sind, ist Ambient für viele nicht mehr, als eine Aneinanderreihung von Geräuschen, ohne Struktur, ohne jeglichen Sinn und vielleicht sogar ohne zwingendes Können. Das aber doch viel mehr dahinter stecken kann beweisen zwei Acts aus Italien: SELAXON LUTBERG und SUBINTERIOR.
"The Meeting" beschreibt ein ganzes Jahr und die dazugehörigen Jahreszeiten. Das ganze ist in vier Meetings, beginnend mit Winter, übergehend zum Frühling und Sommer und endend mit dem Herbst unterteilt. Jede Jahreszeit hat ihren eigenen Charakter und so haben es auch die Stücke, die sich mit ihnen beschäftigen. Tatsächlich stellt sich „The Meeting“ als eine gesamte Soundlandschaft dar, in der vordergründig nicht viel passiert. Melodien? Fehlanzeige. Packende Instrumentierung? Fehlanzeige, zumindest größtenteils. Dynamik? Schon eher, aber nur bis zu einem gewissen Grad. Was ist es dann, was einen an dieser Doppel-LP so dermaßen fasziniert? Die Antwort ist einfacher als man denken mag. Es ist die alles überschattende und stets anwesende Atmosphäre, die von diesem Gesamtwerk ausgeht. Ob das nun der Regenfall mit dazugehörigem pfeifenden Wind im Winterteil ist, der bedrohlicher nicht hätte ausfallen können, oder doch eher die etwas „versöhnlicheren“ Töne zu den schöneren Jahreszeiten, ist völlig egal. Man ist gefangen und will sich eigentlich gar nicht befreien. Die Kraft des Minimalistischen ist allgegenwärtig und zeigt sich an bestimmten Stellen mal mehr, mal weniger intensiv. So wird man beispielsweise während „Prayer Behind The Sun“ durch ein vom Wind gespieltes Glockenspiel, welches immer intensiver und durch andere fast fremdartige Geräusche bereichert wird, aus der Trance gerissen und in angsterfüllte Schutzhaltung versetzt. So schnell wie das Glockenspiel aufgetaucht ist, verschwindet es auch schon wieder und nur der Wind und ein diffuses im Hintergrund agierendes Grollen bestimmen die Szenerie.
Meist sind es nur einzelne Elemente, wie Schritte auf dem Kies, die das Kopfkino auslösen und den Streifen, der abläuft bestimmen. Zu weiten Stellen könnte man tatsächlich meinen, dass hier ein Film der Marke David Lynch vertont wurde, denn genau so abstrakt wie die Storylines seiner gedanklichen Auswüchse sind, gestalten sich auch die einzelnen Stücke auf dieser Doppel-LP. Im Sommer findet dann auch die erste Instrumentierung statt. Während man nach dem dazugehörigen Treffen noch im Dunkeln tappt, ertönt während „Il Sole Muore E Noi Con Lui“ eine Gitarre, die immer wieder die gleiche hypnotische Melodie spielt, dann im Nichts verschwindet und urplötzlich wieder auftaucht, als wäre sie nie fort gewesen. Im Allgemeinen gestaltet sich der sommerliche Part eine Spur intensiver, als der Rest. Dadurch wird man ein wenig aus der Dunkelheit, die bislang vorherrschte entführt, bis man sich im konstanten Grillengezirpe einer lauen Nacht wieder findet. Allzu lange sollte man diese musikalischen Temperaturen aber nicht genießen, denn es ist klar, das die noch fehlende Jahreszeit, der Herbst, folgen muss. Hier steigert sich das Werk in seiner Bedrohlichkeit letzten Endes bis ins Unermessliche.
Für Leute, die dem Ambient tatsächlich etwas abgewinnen können, ist „The Meeting“ ein absolutes Muss und wird über kurz oder lang als Referenzwerk der neueren Zeit dieses Genres eingehen. Es gibt nicht viel in diesem Bereich, zumindest meiner Kenntnis nach, was eine solche atmosphärische Dichte aufweisen kann und über die gesamte Spielzeit zu überzeugen weiß, ohne auch nur einen Hauch von Langeweile aufkommen zu lassen. Klar ist aber auch, dass man sich sehr viel selber dazu denken und die Platte im Kopf weiter gestalten muss. Die Klänge wollen mit Bildern gefüllt werden, das sollte aber, sofern man sich darauf einlässt, kein großes Problem darstellen. Wer sich nun die, mit einem absolut tollem Artwork ausgestattete, LP zulegen möchte, sollte sich beeilen, denn die Auflage ist sehr stark begrenzt (insgesamt 500 Stück).


( Rottinghill.at - Tim )
Dies ist das erste Review auf RottingHill zu einer reinen Ambient Scheibe und das von Künstlern, die tatsächlich aus diesem musikalischen Umfeld stammen. Also keine ehemaligen Black Metal Vertreter, denen das Genre zu langweilig wurde, und daraufhin mit wenigen Keyboardtasten versucht haben, drittklassigen Ambient zu produzieren. Im Gegenteil. Die beiden italienischen Künstler haben mit dieser Zusammenarbeit ein handfestes Stück Ambient abgeliefert, das mit Hilfe von Gitarrenklängen, die durch viele, viele Effekte in die Länge gezogen werden, lang anhaltenden, sphärischen Tönen, Field Recording und vielem mehr, erschaffen wurde.
Aber bevor ihr jetzt weiter lest, solltet ihr euch darüber im klaren sein, was "richtiger" Ambient denn überhaupt ist. Manch einer bestreitet ja sogar, dass es sich hierbei um Musik handelt. Deshalb möchte ich noch kurz eine generelle Einführung in dieses Genre geben. Ambient baut auf Klanglandschaften und den daraus resultierenden Atmosphären auf. Dabei haben die Songs meist einen sehr langsamen Aufbau und selten soetwas wie einen Spannungsbogen. Abwechslung entsteht nur durch die Änderung der Klangfarbe und gelegentlichen Percussion-, Melodie-, und Sampler-Einsätzen. Man könnte diese Richtung vielleicht als die naturalistischste Form der Musik beschreiben, denn man hat beim Hören oft das Gefühl, dass sich die Künstler zum Großteil aus der Musik raushalten und sie ihren eigenen Weg gehen lässt. Das soll nicht heißen, dass die Interpreten den PC anstellen und das wars. Viel mehr ist es die Aufgabe von ihnen, die Musik eben so wirken zu lassen. Wie ein Fluss, dessen Fortbestehen und Laufrichtung sie zu bestimmen haben.
Dass einige Menschen Ambient die Bezeichnung Musik absprechen, liegt wohl daran, dass kein Songaufbau im ursprünglichen Sinne vorhanden ist und selten bis nie ein Rythmusinstrument den Takt vorgiebt. Das ist aber auch gar nicht nötig, um das zu erreichen, was Ambient erzeugen will. Ich rede von unterbewussten Stimmungsänderungen und Einfluss auf das Gemüt, sowie die Bilder, die sich der Hörer zu der Musik im Kopf ausmalt. Den Hörern werden bei dieser Musik also unglaublich viele Interpretationsmöglichkeiten freigestellt, mit denen manche vielleicht auch einfach überfordert sind.
Und bei mir hat "The Meeting" ziemlich viel ausgelöst. Die Scheibe ist in vier Teile aufgeteilt: "Winter Meeting", "Spring Meeting", "Summer Meeting" und "Fall Meeting". Warum die Jahreszeiten in dieser Reihenfolge interpretiert werden, erschließt sich mir bisher allerdings nicht. Die Musik an sich dafür umso mehr. Der Winter überzeugt mit einer kalten, grauen Klanglandschaft, die von plätschernden Regen begleitet ist. Im Frühling geht es dann etwas minimalistischer zur Sache, wobei oft nur, eindimensionale Klänge zu hören sind. Der Song "Prayer Behind The Sun" leutet dann im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes (hier wird mit Percussion gearbeitet) den Sommer ein, welcher langsam anbricht und mit dem Plätschern eines Baches die aufkommende Lebenslust symbolisiert. Dies findet dann im Song "I Sole Muore e noi con Lui", der neben "Winter Meeting" mein Favorit des Albums ist, seinen Höhepunkt, wobei hier sogar richtige Gitarrenmelodien ihren Platz finden und sich ruhig durch das Stück ziehen. Der Juli zieht dann die Brücke zum Herbst, welcher interessanter Weise gerade am Anfang mit dem Frühling zu vergleichen ist, also eine sehr minimalistische Vertonung. Hierbei sind dem Hörer übrigens einige interessante Interpretationsansätze gegeben. An einigen Stellen wirkt die Klanglandschaft auf mich allerdings ein wenig fade beziehungsweise nichtssagend, was zwar eher selten auftritt, aber doch als Schwachpunkt bezeichnet werden kann, wobei es bei dieser Musik sowieso schwierig ist, sie nach den typischen Kriterien zu bewerten. Demenstprechend fällt es mir schwer, Punkte zu vergeben. So bin ich einfach der empirische Beweis, dass die Musik mit ihren Klanglandschaften viel in mir ausgelöst hat, sowohl Bilder, als auch Denkansätze zu der Musik. Auch ist die Musik eine wunderbare Klangkulisse für den Hintergrund zum Arbeiten, Lesen oder Essen. Empfehlen kann ich diese LP (ja, das Album ist nur als überaus edle Doppel-LP erhältlich, nachdem die urpsrüngliche, stark limitierte CDr Version schnell vergriffen war) also schlussendlich doch und so kommt es zu der guten Punktevergabe. In Relation zu mir bekannten anderen Vertretern des Genres, die wohl auch zu den bekanntesten Vertretern gehören, wie "Biosphere" oder "Matthias Grassow", muss man dennoch Abstriche machen und so vergebe ich guten Gewissens sieben Punkte, die eher nach oben tendieren.


( TheSilentBallet.com - Mohammed Ashraf )
Some of the best albums of recent years have been a result of collaborations between artists, most notably Isis and Aereogramme’s trip In the Fishtank and Aidan Baker and Tim Hecker’s Fantasma Parastasie. The Meeting is the collaboration between Italian ambient artists Andrea Freschi (aka Subinterior) and Andrea Penso (aka Selaxon Lutberg) that gathers their attempts to capture the different moods and atmospheres of the four seasons and puts them into one beautiful package.
Heavily layered with drones and processed soundscapes, and with a few instances of simple guitar work added to the mix every now and then, The Meeting is quite able to capture the essence of winter and fall, but the formula falls short when it comes to the duo's interpretations of summer and spring. This isn’t an album that is easily listened to in one sitting, even though the twelve tracks are offered in that manner. Each season's three-track suite was initially released independently on 3" CD-Rs, and thus the album format doesn’t quite serve its purpose correctly when taken in straight through. Each group must be given a few listens on its own to fully absorb its mood.
- Part I: Winter
Undoubtedly the best of the lot, this group has an impeccable ambiance. Freschi and Penso fully capture the gloomy slowness of the winter. They play as a soundtrack to a rainy day, one that fits perfectly during the rainiest day this Cairo-based journalist has endured in a long time. Freschi’s field recordings along with Penso’s drones could play in the background along with the stormiest of weather, and no one would feel it was out of place or conflicting with what was going on behind her closed windows.
- Part II: Spring
This side of the album starts quite promisingly with “Springmeeting,” which also involves the first introduction of guitars in the mix. The track shows a clear departure from the darker mood on offer in the first part; however, don’t take that “clear” part too literally, since the music remains quite heavily droned and far from cheerful. Don’t expect chirping birds and blossoming flowers just yet. This is precisely why spring isn’t as strong as winter. There is a change in mood in the first track, but the next two tracks don’t maintain the increase in energy, leading to the saddest spring anyone’s ever endured. A nod to ubiquitous changes in temperature due to global warming perhaps?
- Part III: Summer
By far the weakest of the collection, this group represents a summer that could only be some sort of polar summer, with highs of five degrees Celsius at most. The drones relentlessly continue, and things get a bit boring as we get to the final track, “July.” At a little over four minutes, this track seems to last forever. The vibrancy of summer is nonexistent, and the soundscapes become somewhat repetitive, thereby leading to the biggest drop in what could’ve been a successful compilation of songs.
- Part IV: Fall
This is where the duo gets back into form. It seems that Freschi and Penso are most comfortable interpreting the colder temperatures; and, as it was displayed with winter, they pull autumn off quite nicely. Crackling leaves and scarlet landscapes begin to unfold with each passing minute, and the atmosphere is perfectly in line with that serene fall weather.
After listening to each artist’s work separately, it is obvious that this collaboration has certainly come to the benefit of both, and one could actually pinpoint each artist’s contribution. They are both “ambient” artists, but each has a distinct element that he brings to this effort, making it fuller and more enjoyable. Maybe a few tweaks here and there would’ve helped. For instance, if one tries playing different tracks from different seasons simultaneously, the result is surprisingly good! Certainly if Selaxon Lutberg and Subinterior are ever to collaborate in the future, one might expect an even more fulfilling listen. Also, kudos to Denovali for the packaging of this album, which is simply brilliant.


( Rockfreaks.net - DR )
Somewhere in Italy, between 2007 and 2009, two ambient artists by the names of Subinterior and Selaxon Lutberg decided to collaborate. The result is this, "The Meeting". It has four "sides", if you will, each representing a season, and each containing three songs dedicated to the feeling of those seasons. It was later picked up by Denovali Records, who presumably decided music such as this deserved to be heard by a wider audience. (Of course, you'd think they just don't care considering how little effort they had put into the promo copies of this album: the song titles were wrong, there was no album artwork or information about either band, in fact, they'd only bothered to credit Subinterior's contribution to this).
Subinterior & Selaxon Lutberg are not lacking in ambition. This makes for an interesting listen, and their ambient nature only fuels the flame of curiosity. But at the same time, this album is so "out there" to the point that it seems strange. It lasts for an hour and a quarter, so please bring your enduring disposition. It begins with the years end in "Winter Meeting" (and proceed chronologically in order to finish with the Fall). Running water, whistling winds and a dark, sombre atmosphere create the opening track. Minus the water and the whistles, that's pretty much what the entire album sounds like: suspenseful, sombre, but never really going anywhere, not helped by how little there is going on. "Prayer Behind The Sun" has the dark resonance that could easily be a score from a horror film, the sheer chill-factor it gives makes it worth a listen. "Summer Meeting" opens with footsteps on gravel (very summery!) before giving a thunder-esque rumble that eases into more water. "Il Sole Sta Per Morire E Noi Con Lui" is the shortest song, and the best. It starts with sullen guitars, which eventually fade into the background, as an uplifting, yet melancholic, hum resounds.
In conclusion, the fact they parade their songs as supposedly capturing the atmosphere of season doesn't help, because they just do not do that. "The Meeting" is one of the most challenging records you will ever listen to because if you don't have the patience of a saint, you might just give up before forming any sort of emotional attachment. This type of "music" toes a fine line between being brilliant and being boring. It would make a great soundtrack, where its function would be to add a bit of gloom underneath of all that's going on at the forefront of people's attentions. Yes, they create mood well, but it's still boring.

HALL OF MIRRORS "Forgotten Realm"

Second "chapter" in the "Hall of Mirrors" saga, a project that hides the fervid minds of Giuseppe Verticchio/Nimh and Andrea Marutti/Amon.
On this release they're supported by Andrea Freschi (Subinterior, Konau...) and Andrea Ferraris (Ur, Sil Muir...),
who gave their contribute with additional sound sources. Another long and fascinating journey among the ruins of lost and ancient civilizations,
among desolate landscapes forgotten by time... To enrich the already busy electronic stratifications,
among slowly evolving ambient sonorities and occasional parts of more sharp and "rough" elements of a Post-Industrial nature,
we also find suggestive sound of reverberating flutes and dilated electric guitar parts,
ending with delicate melodic arpeggios and evocative rhythmic accents of a vague cinematic taste.
The adventure goes on... (Silentes press release)

Artist: Hall of Mirrors
Title: Forgotten Realm
Label: Silentes [sme0927]
Format: CD in jewel case
Tracks: 5
Playing time: 70:40
File under: Experimental / Dark Ambient
Release date: December 2009

Track list:
01. The Crossing 17:55
02. Gates of Namathur 13:50
03. Decadent Splendour 12:53
04. Among the Ruins 12:05
04. The Fortress 13:55

MySpace

SUBINTERIOR "MESMERIZE"

Title: Mesmerize ( Afe Records afe108lcd )
Format: CD-R ltd. to 150 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 5 - Playing time: 46:05 - Release date: October 2008
File under: Dark Ambient



"Mesmerize" is Andrea Freschi's fifth full-lenght work. Once again it was created with almost no samples and keyboards as most of the sounds included consists of field-recordings manipulated by computer technology and softwares.
The result falls into the dark ambient / experimental musical territory, althought the overall effect is aurally dynamic, as usually happens with Subinterior's releases.
"Mesmerize" basically follows on from the previous Subinterior release, "The Chrysalis Secret", showcasing his ability at creating deep and obscure atmospheres without falling into cheap clichés.
The album spreads over five tracks and has a dense start with "The White Space", which becomes more minimal and then is filled with mysterious noises resembling an haunted aviary.
"The Dominant Colour" is a short number built on layers of windy and metallic drones from which a disturbing voice suddendly emerges.
"Azuria"'s undercurrents follow on with their subliminal microevents and effected metallic chimes, before turning into a shifting simple melody which ends up in mild distortion.
"Instant Forever" continues the journey with a sort of percussive loop that fades into a sustained drone later filled with distorted sonic scoriae of undefined nature.
The title track, being the longest on the album, slowly evolves from an unsettling crowded inception into a basic drone number via backward effects. The last section of the track is enriched by an evocative reversed/bowed melody, which closes the disc as a real mesmerizing treatment.


Samples: HERE

1. The White Space 8:13
2. The Dominant Color 5:08
3. Azuria 7:30
4. Instant Forever 9:59
5. Mesmerize 15:05

Website

:: Reviews - "Mesmerize" ::

( Musiquemachine - Roger Batty )
Subinterior is the dark-ambient project of Italian percussionist and sound smith Andrea Freschi (Canaan, Konau, Weltschmerz). "Mesmerize" is the project's seventh full-length album and it offers up five tracks of deep and ominous blacked ambience to get lost in.
To make the album's dark, often vast and chilling sonic waters Andrea uses a mixture of processed guitar matter and field recordings to build the tracks often active but tar black shifts and strokes.
The tracks go from echoed and deep black textural reverb nd gloomy ebb, onto sinister and slowed beatless industrial scrape that drift into subterranean drone expanses. Onto oscillating and twisting black/discordant guitar shapes that grimly blossom into deep, black 'n' bassy fields of dread filled rumbles.
Yet for it the music's dark tone, Freschi ever so often circles out this rich glowing ebb of slight weary harmonic hope which gives a nice counterbalance to the tracks dark pitch and in some ways make the dread filled and darkness feel more potent and chilling.
In a field such as black ambient where it's difficult to often sound fresh and inventive, Freschi mangers both in spades. Subinterior mangers to be creative, often surprising in its dark ebbs and folds yet it still mangers to nicely capture that feeling of ageless dread and timeless blackness very well.


( :Ritual: Magazine - Lorenzo Becciani )
Sagome oscure attorno a noi
Andrea Freschi, batterista di Canaan e Neronoia, nonché protagonista di una collaborazione con Selaxon Lutberg, realizza un trip affascinante, tra field recordings e campionamenti di chitarra. ‘Mesmerize’ sviluppa le linee base del precedente ‘The Chrysalis Secret’ mostrando una sostanziale evoluzione delle coordinate tracciate, in “adolescenza creativa”, dai dischi di Lustmord e Amon. In cinque atti, dilatati ed austeri, l’album riesce nell’intento di fare riflettere l’ascoltatore sul ruolo dell’elettronica sperimentale e sugli incubi che, da qualche tempo, l’affliggono. Anche se ‘The White Space’ e ‘Instant Forever’ catturano l’attenzione più di altre tracce, non si evince mai un cifrario dogmatico da seguire in maniera maniacale. Al contrario, riverbero e delay, che accompagnano lo scorrere dei brani, danno un senso di profonda comunione e tingono di rosso fuoco le figure che si materializzano nella nostra mente, compiendo un miracolo di semplicità.


( Gothtronic.com - Fabian )
Though I now the name of this project for some years, I never had the pleasure of listening to his work. I did however bought Konau’s only release ‘Speech From The Shadows’ some years ago, which is a joint project of Subinterior and New Risen Throne. That release was really brilliant. It had a great pitch-black atmosphere to it and is an album which gets my highest recommendation!
To be on subject again, Subinterior hails from Italy and is the project of Andrea Freschi. The first releases were made around 2003, and according to Discogs, this is reads like his tenth release, though according to Freschi it’s his fifth full-length release. What’s amazing with this release, and also with the release by Konau, is gets better and better with each listen. This first time you listen to it, it sucks you in right away, but the more you listen to it, the more you notice how good and special it really is. I mean, there is a lot of dark-ambient projects out there, and a lot of good ones, but it sometimes takes its time to get to the really excellent and original ones. This project belongs to the latter category. On ‘Mesmerize’ there are five long tracks to be discovered. It all begins with ‘The White Space’, which is a combination of deep drones and dark factory-like noises, or “haunted aviary”, as is mentioned on his site. Also with the use of vocoded vocal effects, it makes for an interesting listen. ‘The Dominant Color’ continues with the dark industrial factory passages and noises. At the end the song is getting pretty scary, as there are some demonic voices to be heard. ‘Azuria’ is more of a quiet drone with a somewhat dark angelic touch. Then comes ‘Instant Forever’, which is terrific! Somewhat reminds me of Raison d’Etre’s darker material, like ‘The Empty Hollow Unfolds’. The song is basically one long and dark drone, which gets some static sounds halfway through. Really hypnotizing. Its listening pleasure is far greater than my description. The album closes with ‘Mesmerize’, which is with just above 15 minutes also the longest piece, starts of with some metallic-like sounds. It also feels as if you’re in some kind of disturbing hallway in an abandoned hospital or penitentiary. Then the song turns into a deep drone, which climaxes into a melodic structure.
This is a great drone/ambient album, which gets better every time. It had the same effect on me as the album by Konau; the first time you listen to it you think it’s very good, but maybe not overtly special, it then sticks into your brain and won’t let go. Then the only thing left to do is listen to it over and over again! This is what great music does to you, highly recommended! (9)


( Blowupmagazine.com - Paolo Bertoni )
"Secondo metodologie già applicate nei quattro album precedenti e in più miti formati Subinterior anche in "Mesmerize" edifica ottima dark ambient esclusivamente con field recordings e mimetizzate chitarre. Abile Andrea Freschi a rimanere sempre al confine con l'oscurità senza scampo, evocando vasti spazi abbandonati più che angusti e tetri cunicoli, pur se ogni brano, ad eccezione della conciliante "Azuria" e soprattutto "The Dominant Color" e "Instant Forever", serba bei momenti di più congestionante tensione." (7/8)


( Audiodrome.it - Fabrizio Garau )
Mesmerize, avvolto nello splendido artwork di Mauro Berchi, si compone di field recordings e campionamenti di chitarra (chiaramente percepibili nella title-track), opportunamente manipolati, dilatati, estesi all’infinito. L’impianto è minimale e austero, l’atmosfera è cupa ma non oppressiva, spesso si ha la sensazione di trovarsi in immensi spazi vuoti. Il disco, dunque, pur mantenendo una sua impronta, si muove in territori non molto lontani da quelli di Caul e di Andrea Marutti (del resto questa è un’edizione Afe Records). Le reminescenze lustmordiane esistono, ma sono molto limitate, perché sembra non esserci mai il desiderio di far vedere troppo sangue, ma più di “suggerire”. Intendiamoci, non ci sono rivoluzioni copernicane in Mesmerize, che è di sicuro un disco di genere, ma di quelli che vanno ascoltati più volte e lasciati crescere dentro, osservando come viene plasmata ogni singola sorgente sonora.


( Chaindlk.com - Andrea Ferraris )
Have you ever tasted this guy from Milan? No? If you're into dark ambient I highly recommend you to give him a try since as I've said a couple of weeks ago for Harvest Reed (aka Luasa Raelon), even if the world is so over-packed of dark ambient wishy-washy projects there's still a bunch of good artist able to put out interesting material. The comparison with Luasa Raelon is just functional for good taste sake, infact differently from Reed this guy (some of you may know for the fact he pays duty in Canaan and Konau) put together releases which are dark ambient to the bone but his atmospheres are less heavy and every here and there he's put some alienating melodies that made the whole sup easier to be digested. If compared to his previous work on Afe I find it more melodic and way more ethereal due to the fact you have less field recordings and more melodies coming in and out just to say bye. Ok, this' an interesting point of this album, infact Subinterior introduced more and more guitar samples (ambient style - drones) but first he didn't fall in the "droooooooooonnnees-caaaaan-bbeeee-sssooooo-looooong" category, second: he adopted fade in and out damn smartly he pulls the melodic carpet from under your feet so elegantly you hardly have the time to realize it. The five episodes in which this release can be divided can be easily listened as a continuum, infact this dropping in and out of sounds and short litanies during the whole length turns the work into a very discrete and catchy listening.


( Darkroom-Magazine.it - Michele Viali )
Torna a farsi sentire il giovane progetto di Andrea Freschi, ancora una volta prodotto dalla mano esperta di Andrea Marutti della Afe Records ed arricchito da un bell'artwork fuori formato curato da Mauro Berchi. Le affinità con le lande più oscure si sentono già dal titolo, che cita la curiosa pratica curativa di Mesmer, per esplodere poi nelle cinque lunghe tracce del disco. Partendo da field recordings e campioni di chitarra opportunamente lavorati tramite software, Andrea struttura un lavoro dark ambient legato da una parte ai classici del genere, dall'altra ad una ristretta cerchia italica nata in tempi recenti e capitanata da nomi come Selaxon Lutberg o lo stesso Marutti. Le atmosfere generate riescono a volte a colpire nel segno: un pezzo come "The Dominant Color" ti fa sentire intrappolato in un tubo da cui filtrano rumori e voci luciferine, il drone monocorde che taglia buona parte di "Instant Forever" trasmette il folle gelo dell'ossessione. Per contro altri passaggi risultano meno comunicativi, seppur eseguiti secondo i canoni stilistici più oscuri, divisi tra drones tenui e rumori di sottofondo che scadono nel riflessivo. Solo la chiusa finale di "Mesmerize" riesce ad imporsi come potenziale colonna sonora per un film horror, grazie ai tetri passaggi che ne segnano i minuti di avvio. Di base l'album non aggiunge nulla al gran filone dark ambient, ma ne va solo a ripercorrere alcune tematiche ed alcune modalità esecutive. Non mancano però quei momenti incisivi che, pur non innovando, rendono il lavoro valido almeno per chi segue il genere in questione. Solo 150 le copie prodotte.

SUBINTERIOR "The Chrysalis Secret"

"The Chrysalis Secret" | 2006 [ CDR - Afe Records - afe068lcd ]




"The Chrysalis Secret" is Andrea Freschi's fourth work and comes after the self-released "Outfall" and "Insomnie" (both recently re-issued as a full-lenght disc by Silentes), and "Obstacles", which was released in Japan by Deserted Factory.
The album clearly showcases Subinterior's skills at creating good dark atmospheres and it's another step forward in his music career.
It's impressive that, as usual, almost no synthesizers and samples were used during the creative process: the equipment used to create "The Chrysalis Secret" simply consists of a mini-disc recorder that was mainly used to capture sounds and noises created by millers, lapping wheel, lathes, industrial refrigeration plants, safety doors and other unusual "instruments"...
These recordings were massively processed and assembled using computer technology and softwares, and turned into the finished work.
"The Chrysalis Secret" is a long evocative track divided in three parts. The journey begins with a sort of repeated bell-like sound which is soon backed by an unsettling and obsessive echoed pad.
Along the road we encounter deep drones - both of a windy and metallic nature - and abstract textures keep on overlapping themselves creating slow but ever changing atmospheres, like an infinite serie of reflections created by subtly different distorting mirrors.
Low frequencies make room for more recognizible sounds of what seem to be flowing water and animals. We can even imagine (...or are they really there?) a few piano notes at some point...
Sometimes the music seems to stop and drones turn into a minimalistic affaire, but suddendly melodies emerge from the background filling the air with colours for a while, just before turning back to black again.
Intertwined with some isolationist passages, "The Chrysalis Secret" offers many abstract moments and more complex sections of aural psychedelia. We can't help to recommend it, even to our most demanding listeners.

Website

:: Reviews - "The Chrysalis Secret" ::

( Aural Pressure - ANM - August 2006 )
"The Chrysalis Secret" marks the fourth (or fifth release if you include the "Outfall + Insomnie") double header) from noted Milan artist Andrea Freschi. This multi-talented artist creates music by capturing every day sounds and field recordings onto his mini-disc recorder and then processes them through his computer at home on suitable music software. On this latest release he has taken the atmospheres produced by Millers, lapping wheels, lathes, industrial refrigeration plants, safety doors and other unusual sources for his inspiration. The results fall (as you would petty much expect them to) into the dark ambient / experimental musical spheres. The overall effect though is aurally dynamic to say the least.
"The Chrysalis Secret" basically follows on from the previous Subinterior releases, namely "Obstacles" [read review here] and "Outfall + Insomnie" [read review here], which I also had the immense pleasure in reviewing. Everything said on those two reviews still holds true for this latest release. No bad thing it must be noted by the way.
The music spread over the 3 tracks confirming my assertions to the creative forces bestowed upon the artist. The three pieces have a dark isolationist feel about them. Even the noises generated by clanking metal - sounding more akin to the light tolling of bells - appear fraught with an unknown aspect. These fairly intense and heady atmospheres are stamped forcibly throughout, creating a moving and thought provoking style of music that, in the end, is highly unusual though remaining very approachable at the same time. Of course this method of experimentation with sound is nothing new. There have been many artists, past and present, who have worked with manipulating natural sound sources to create this new wave of music. The line between success and failure being very thin and divided more on how the listener actually perceives the end result. Andrea Freschi's experimental leanings, for they can be called no less, has a more general mass appeal as he doesn‚t alienate the listener by introducing facets which intrude on the soundscapes he has created. Instead he strives to create an ambience at one with the audience. A dark ambience that totally envelops and captivates and which holds so many hidden surprises. And this is why you should reach out and try this for yourself.
If only it was that easy. For AFE Records have sadly released this as a limited edition 100 copies only.
I have nothing more to add on that subject. Read into my silence what you will. All I can add is that if you get the opportunity to own a copy of "The Chrysalis Secret" then please do so. It may not be the greatest release ever but the time spent with this pays its own dividends.
Experimental dark ambient music has never sounded so good.


( Sensorium - Top Album - Michele Dicuonzo )
Questa nuova sortita di Subinterior (aka Andrea Freschi) rappresenta con tutta probabilità il tassello più rappresentativo di una carriera caratterizzata da una rara coerenza. Parte di un genere musicale di nicchia, definibile a grandi linee come dark ambient dalla spiccata attitudine industriale, la produzione del Nostro continua a migliorarsi col passare del tempo. In questo senso, l'evoluzione intrapresa nei solchi del nuovo "The Chrysalis Secret" é altamente significativa: tre lunghe tracce, una sorta di fascinoso concept album, che si distingue per ricercatezze timbriche e la volontà di avviluppare chi si pone all'ascolto in un universo alieno ma, per certi versi, familiare.
L'ipnotico, cupo minimalismo degli esordi si schiude tra questi solchi ad una vena creativa quantomai suggestiva: gli oltre undici primi di "Part Two" ne rappresentano un eccellente esempio, per tramite di strati sonici tenebrosamente evocativi e brillantemente dettagliati, addizionati di una produzione impeccabile. La mantrica "Part Three" é un'altra testimonianza dell'estro del Subinterior attuale, mentre il primo dei tre episodi seduce grazie alla dosata, misteriosa progressione di drones. Strutture musicali organiche, che si sviluppano nell'antro del silenzio e vivono di vita propria.
Davvero un ottimo lavoro, consigliato anche a coloro che non sono avvezzi agli abissi del genere.


( Kronic - A. Volpe )
I sussuri delle macchine.
Quarto lavoro per Subinterior, progetto solista di Andrea Freschi, già attivo con Canaan e Konau. “The Chrysalis Secret” dispiega la sua dark ambient in 3 lunghi brani. Composizioni dal taglio minimale che pigia l’acceleratore su contesti direttamente collegati alle atmosfere brulle e dense di disagio esistenziale.
Subinterior ha anche il pregio di assemblare il suo sound con contenuti interamente naturali, tutti i suoni vengono registrati da fonti esterne come celle frigorifere, porte di sicurezza e torni. Il tutto viene amplificato, filtrato e processato attraverso computers. Il risultato è una lavoro ostico, di difficile digestione ma non privo di momenti suggestivi e pregni di atmosfere concrete e definite. Il percorso è lento, pieno di drones, effetti, rumori nascosti privati della sua vita terrena.
Un crogiuolo di suoni a volte calmi, spesso ipnotici che sul piano superficiale può risultare noioso e soporifero, ma se preso nel verso giusto può regalare attimi di musica con il volto del cinema più inconsueto e surreale.(3,5/5)


( Chain DLK - E. Maggi - August 2006 )
I have always liked Andrea Freschi's thoroughly obscure, but increasingly elegant approach to dark ambient, and it was obvious that his skills were improving more and more. While his first two self-released cdrs ("Outfall" and "Insomnie", recently re-released on a single disc by Silentes) were, in perspective, still a bit rough, "Obstacles", released by Japanese Deserted Factory, was already a major step forward, but the improvement shown in "The Chrysalis Secret" is no less dramatic. Freschi is now dealing with consistingly longer pieces (14:02, 11:33 and 18:30), but most of all there's an even stronger sense of flow (i.e. while having different nuances, the tracks perfectly work as a continuum) and really improved recording and mastering. As always, Subinterior's soundscapes are based on slowly expanding drones, heavily altered (and mostly factory-originated) field recordings, and shades of melancholic music (possibly coming from a guitar or a piano). Freschi's recent collaborative cd with New Risen Throne, released under the Konau monicker by Eibon, was a very good dark ambient work, but I admit I prefer his new solo release for its hypnotic flow, a perfect sonic equivalent of a pitch-black, starless night. Wonderful packaging as well.(4/5)


( Lunar Hypnosis - JJM - August 2006 )
I’ve recently discovered that some of the darkest soundscapes imaginable can often times be found right outside your bedroom window when trying to sleep in the early hours of the morning. If you ever get bored try sticking a tape recorder in your window on a summer night and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll hear. You’ll hear ghostly ambiance, cars passing by in the distance, the faint voice of the wind, and all kinds of other sounds that sound like synthesized creations, yet they are a 100% real.
Andrea Freschi of Canaan & Konau fame must have discovered this as well as Subinterior features nearly no synthesizers or samples, but just a mini-disc recorder to capture the sounds of various organic sounds, and then assembled in the studio to form songs.
‘The Chrysalis Secret’ features just three long songs that clock in for over forty forty minutes of music and the result, surprisingly is one stunning dark ambient affair. This really brings me back to those nights going to bed at about two or three in the morning with the window opened trying to sleep, but just hearing this ethereal ambiance that kept me awake. Very dark and ominous, but somehow still beautiful and relaxing at the same time, I can’t recommend it enough.
If your into any sort of ambient experimental music than Subinterior is definitely a band to add to your list of bands to check out.( 9/10 )


( Oltre il Suono - Giuseppe Verticchio - 20 Maggio 2006 )
A breve distanza dall'uscita per Eibon di "Speech from the Shadows", straordinario CD realizzato a sigla Konau in collaborazione con New Risen Throne, Subinterior propone su Afe il suo nuovo lavoro solista, "The Chrysalis Secret", confermando ancora una volta l'estremo valore della propria proposta musicale, e il proprio ruolo "chiave" nell'ambito dell'attuale scena dark-ambient italiana. In "The Chrysalis Secret" appare sempre più evidente la maturata capacità di trovare un ideale punto di equilibrio tra il desiderio basilare di descrivere situazioni di impronta fondamentalmente oscura, statica e drone-based, e la necessità di ampliare e arricchire tali situazioni integrandole con elementi e interventi di moderata ma efficace e più emozionante "musicalità". Questo tipo di approccio, e le soluzioni che ne derivano, riescono sia a regalare alla musica di Subinterior un'impronta stilistica piuttosto "personale" e riconoscibile, sia a rendere la stessa proposta più articolata, interessante e meno "prevedibile", certamente più "arguta" a ambiziosa se confrontata con tanta altra musica dark-ambient in circolazione che, per quanto di buona fattura e piacevole da ascoltare, manca però spesso di particolare inventiva, risultando più "anonimamente" orientata (e "adagiata" aggiungerei...) a descrivere minimali variazioni di masse sonore su frequenze basse e ultrabasse al di sotto dei 150 Hz. Tutte molto curate, ricche di idee e ben realizzate le tre tracce che costituiscono il CD-R, seppure la mia decisa preferenza va alla più breve traccia centrale (Part Two), caratterizzata da sonorità e cambi di atmosfera particolarmente intriganti, fluidi e ben congegnati, cui segue, sempra nella mia personalissima lista delle preferenze, la lunga e "mastodontica" traccia conclusiva, anch'essa assolutamente straordinaria e ricca di ottime intuizioni, variazioni, cambi di scena... Assolutamente consigliato a chiunque.


( Taxi-Driver - Morgan - Agosto 2006 )
NB: Recensito in coppia con SUBINTERIOR/SELAXON LUTBERG 'Winter meeting' Coldcurrent prod. 2006

Subinterior è un eccellente artista italiano di dark ambient, con alle spalle già una consistente produzione tra albums e collaborazioni. In questi giorni mi vengono proposti due lavori che lo vedono coinvolto: due cdr che non posso esimermi dal recensire, nonostante uno di essi abbia ormai più di un anno di vita e nonostante il genere proposto non sia proprio tra i più gettonati in redazione. In fondo si tratta di musica estrema, non ci sono dubbi.
Il primo della lista è uno split recentissimo nato in collaborazione con un altro personaggio della scena suddetta, Andrea Penso, patron della Coldcurrent e spregiudicato isolazionista sotto lo pseudonimo Selaxon Lutberg. Il tema è l'inverno, la stagione in cui ha avuto luogo questo incontro musicale. Ce ne sarà uno per ogni stagione a venire. Il secondo cd, un full lenght su Afe records, è un inquietante concept sulla figura della crisalide.
Da un punto di vista strettamente tecnico i due lavori sono ineccepibili, in quanto sfoggiano una notevole qualità sonora, priva di sbavature o fruscii, e caratterizzata da bassi puliti, profondi e potenti.
Musicalmente parlando ci troviamo innanzi ad una proposta decisamente ispirata ai Raison d'Etre del capolavoro 'In sadness, silence...', vale a dire: cupi drones in lontananze siderali, effetti sonori e field recordings a tappeto, melodie rarefatte che si susseguono con grande lentezza e in assenza totale di ritmo (oserei dire di tempo). Rispetto al progetto di Peter Andersson manca la componente industrial-rumoristica, a favore di composizioni ancora più meditative e fluide. Ma non si tratta di una copia carbone del maestro svedese: l'artista milanese assembla superbamente queste componenti infarcendo qua e là con sinistri sintetizzatori una serie di suites talmente ben scritte da gettare persino sul concept del disco inquietanti interrogativi. E' proprio l'equilibrio formale il punto di forza di Subinterior: i brani sono estremamente coinvolgenti anche nella loro minimale staticità, proprio perchè composti cercando consapevolmente (e ottenendo) la massima resa espressiva che questa nicchia stilistica può offrire. I paesaggi variano inaspettatamente ma gradualmente, e sempre prima che la mente in ascolto possa estraniarsi totalmente per la ridondanza. In sostanza questa è musica molto 'varia', pur mantenendo in apparenza la monotonia di cui necessita il lato funzionale di una musica per ambienti. Un'atmosfera drammatica pervade i due lavori, che a tratti mi ricordano persino le Aghast (ma con un approccio più concreto). Pur non essendo un cultore, devo dire che si tratta del miglior dark ambient che mi sia capitato di sentire, un superamento qualitativo dei maestri del genere. Acquisto consigliato a tutti, neofiti compresi: un prodotto veramente underground ma dallo spessore incredibile.
A questo punto è auspicabile un ulteriore passo in avanti... oltre il muro che fa da confine tra i generi.


( Blow Up Magazine - Paolo Bertoni - Luglio 2006 )
Più orientato sulle evoluzioni post-industrial intrecciate con la tradizione ambient è "The Chrysalis Secret" di Subinterior, sigla di cui è titolare Andrea Freschi, batterista dei Canaan. Anche in questo caso un lavoro diviso in tre parti, da considerare come continuum, realizzato quasi esclusivamente con rumori imprigionati in un mini-disc, riprocessati e congiunti in una distesa ambientale che confinando alla prima battute tintinnii rituali, non di rado assume connotazioni marcatamente oscure di stampo Lustmord, allineandosi invece nei frangenti più neutri, in particolare in "Part 2", ai Nocturnal Emissions di fine '80.


( Frans de Waard on Vital Weekly 529)
The name Subinterior is something new to me, and it's one Andrea Freschi from Milan, Italy. He is the drummer of Canaan and a member of Konau. For his solo work he captures field recordings of millers, lapping wheels, lathes, industrial refrigeration plants, safety doors etc, which he puts together on his computer at home, creating highly ambient form of industrial music. Adding here and there a bit too much delay on the sounds, he creates a deep atmospheric work, which is quite alright. Not great, not new, and sometimes a bit too unfocussed but throughout a most enjoyable work along the lines of Lustmord circa "Heresy".

KONAU "Speech from the shadows"

"Hybrid" creature formed by SUBINTERIOR and NEW RISEN THRONE members. Disquieting & obscure dark ambient, with some amazing "melodic" structures scattered through the songs. The shadows are speaking....

"Speech from the shadows" (CD Eibon Records)

Running time: 59'10''
I. Sadness embrace
II. Repentance (MP3)
III. Contemplation
IV. Speech from the shadows (MP3)
V. Deep
VI. Crawling darkness

MySpace
Website

:: Reviews - KONAU "Speech from the shadows" ::

( Auralpressure - ANM )
A meeting of minds that has produced an dark ambient masterpiece. That was my gut feeling after hearing this debut by Konau. The more I heard it the more that feeling of mine was proved correct. Konau is the combined talents of Subinterior and members from New Risen Throne. Although New Risen Throne, whose recordings I have in my collection, haven’t appeared in AP for review (if you don’t send them in they can’t be written up) Subinterior did enjoy a good review from yours truly so I know what I’m talking about. Which makes a change I suppose. Eibon Records also know a good thing when they hear it which is why they’ve had the sense to put this release out. The recordings I get from this label get my respect for their quality every time.
"Speech from the shadows" is six tracks lasting just under 52 minutes of the darkest of dark music. The haunting refrain of twisted shadows and cold dank cellars. Of water slowly dripping into murky pools reflected in the moonlight. A claustrophobic virtual musical extravaganza where candle lights flicker and small whips of smoke rise to the ceiling. Reverberating layered alien sounds punctuate the air as an all encompassing presence makes itself felt. Traversing down long deserted corridors to the sounds of monks chanting in the distance whilst something evil follows closely behind. Abandoned and forgotten about. A traveller lost in time and space. Ancient relics of the past finally uncovered by the elements. Voices not of this earth calling from a distance. Dead men walking. Lost souls haunting their surroundings. Disembodied voices and distant rumbles punctuate the fetid air. The absolute meaning of darkness worn like a mask of despair suffocating the wearer. Intimidati ng ethereal atmospheres run amok with gleeful abandon. The fertile imaginations of those who hear this will see their own visions that these tracks invoke.
Which is why this genre of music so inspires. It develops a unique picture to each individual who comes into contact with it. No two people will conjure up the same references as they bathe in the glorious sounds. Heard in the bright light of day is a totally different experience from hearing it sat in the pitch black through a set of headphones. There are of course many such recordings that have the same effect and this release by Konau joins that illustrious list. A serious contender for one of the records of the year… and its only April!! A must have for all you black hearts out there and a timeless classic which will take some surpassing.



( Chain DLK - Eugenio Maggi )
Konau is the joint project of two of the most remarkable Italian newcomers in the dark ambient field, namely Andrea Freschi (Subinterior, and member of Canaan and Weltschmerz as well) and Stielh (New Risen Throne), both of them with several remarkable cdr releases on their curricula (search the review archive). What else to expect from their collaboration than brooding, siderally obscure soundscapes? The musical aspect is kept to a minimum (just a suicidal melody in "Contemplation"), and the two choose to work on manipulated field recordings and expanded drones, with a few vocal samples adding an extra dose of despair here and there. I think the final result is a perfect balance of Subinterior's ghastly "concrete" compositions and New Risen Throne's solemn pitch-black ambient (for those who are familiar with his releases, the God Is Myth cdr is a good companion to this). The nice photographic layout dwells on religious imagery, but you can hardly find any earthly or otherwordly light here. Fans of projects like Svartsinn, Caul, Nordvargr or Megaptera will probably dive into this black hole with the utmost pleasure.



( Lunar Hypnosis - JJM - 19 April 2006 )
Konau is a new dark ambient project spearheaded by AF of Subinterior and Stielth from New Risen Throne. I was already familiar with New Risen Throne through their excellent split release with Cruel Harvest last year, but Subinterior I have never heard before, although apparently it’s Andrea the drummer from the band Canaan. So I didn’t really know what to expect, yet I can easily say after listening to this recording that you the listeners can expect some excellent dark ambient music from these two individuals.
‘Speech from the Shadows’ is a 50+ minute mixture of dark droning ambiance and field recordings that takes the listeners deep into the dim shadows of oblivion. Try and imagine yourself slowly descending and being totally possessed by the darkest aspects of life, slowing vanishing, whimpering, and eventually dying. Rain begins to pour down on you, thunder erupts, your blood boils, ghostly growls and distant voices enter your ears, this is the end… for you…
Perhaps either a perfect bond or a marriage made in Hell, Konau is stunning. These two gentlemen manage to take their listeners to the most desolate, deadliest, depressive, places you can imagine. Standout tracks like ‘Contemplation’ gives me the feeling of total seclusion perhaps in a cathedral of sorts whilst rain heavily pours down of me, while ‘Deep’ is downright grotesque; reminding me a lot of the early Current 93 experimental material. ‘Crawling Darkness’ creeps up on you, revealing nothing behind you when you look over your shoulder, just to be consumed by all that is malevolent in this world when you look forward and face your doom.
To call the Speech from the Shadows anything less than a masterpiece would be criminal, I’ll go the extra mile and simply call this one of the best dark atmospheric recordings I’ve ever heard.
(10/10)



( Kronic.it - Aldo Volpe)
Quando le ombre parlano...
Forse è l’alba di un periodo felice ma dopo le buone idee in vena di sicuri miglioramenti di Selaxon Lutberg e la sicurezza di Olhon, ecco che anche il Paese del sole si prende un meritato posto nel difficile mondo della dark ambient. Parliamo di Konau, ibrido progetto nato dall’unione di Subinterior e New Risen Throne.
Difficile. Così ho definito la dark ambient. E ritengo che sia un’affermazione più che veritiera. Per una semplice ma lampante questione. Prendere atmosfere, suoni e grafiche ed unirle con maestria attraverso un filo invisibile. Cercando di non tendere troppo il filo e nemmeno di dargli troppa carda. La giusta tensione per un risultato completo. Con la giusta quantità di dolcezza ambientale, una ruvidezza del sound più che necessaria ed una varietà strutturale e sonora che non porti il prodotto su livelli troppo noiosi. Un traguardo purtroppo facile da raggiungere in terra dark ambient. Non per Konau che attraverso drones, tempi dilatati, melodie stravolte e scolpite nella pietra muschiata ed un pacco ben calibrato di noise riesce ad assemblare un ottimo CD di debutto. “Contemplation” è un ottimo esempio a questo proposito, ruvidissima e graffiante nel suo tappeto noise, comunque abile nel suo contesto più melodico e delicato. L’abilità sta anche nel intrecciare diversi stili e sorrisi. Con “Deep” si aprono le porte dell’inferno, una tetra litania accompagnata da lugubri canti di corpi senza anime, seconda solo agli infernali vocalizzi della punizione divina di Diamanda Galas. Anche la conclusiva e lunga “Crawling Darkness” riesce ad oltrepassare il muro del piacere musicale, un lungo ed angosciante mantra con drones lenti e terrificanti e samples vocali per un tocco ancor più luciferino. Ottima ed esplicativa anche l’introduttiva “Sadness Brace”, horrorifica e minimale con tetri rintocchi all’inizio e coperta di field recordings con accenni melodici nel finale.
Un ottimo debutto. Una garanzia Eibon che non smette di crollare o mostrare segni di cedimento. Da provare.
(4/5)



( Guts of Darkness - Marco - 22 April 2006 )
En attendant le prochain album de New Risen Throne (sur un label de renom) vous pouvez sans hésitation vous précipiter sur celui de Konau, projet commun de Subinterior et New Risen Throne. Pas de surprise sur un éventuel changement de style certes, mais un aboutissement sonore évident pour les italiens qui réussissent ici le tour de force de réunir leur propre vision de la dark-ambient en y ajoutant un soupçon d'industriel façon Inade ('Repentance') ou Raison d'Être dernière époque ('Deep'). Un son pesant, les basses très présentes se fondent dans les nappes en un amalgame compact d'où émerge des élans mystiques à l'impact indéniable. Chaque titre se suffit à lui-même mais se veut la continuité du précédent, dans l'esprit des anciens travaux de Lustmord comme 'Heresy' ou 'The place where the black stars hang'. Konau a le mérite de s'éloigner du tout NRT ou du tout Subinterior, confrontant les deux univers avec une intelligence et une subtilité qui servent on ne peut mieux ce superbe album.
Attention, contenu hautement dépressif !
(5/6)


( Spirit of Metal - Svartolycka )
Konau n’est rien de moins qu’un (autre) obscur groupe de dark-ambiant dont le premier album arrive en notre verte contrée. Pas si sûr... Moi-même, j’eus le plus de mal possible pour remarquer l’objet chez mon disquaire favori. Et pourtant, à l’écoute détachée de cet album, ni une, ni deux, je sortis mon larfeuille, conscient de tomber (encore une fois, Peste !) sur un de ces disques excellent qui vous font plonger dans un monde en pleine déliquescence. Les néophytes n’y verront qu’un autre groupe de dark-ambiant. « Speech from the Shadows » contient à la lettre près tout ce qu’il faut pour passer une heure de cauchemar atmosphérique qui fait coller votre chemise à votre échine bien moite. Minimaliste par sa forme, assez proche des albums ambiants de Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (à la frontière de l'indus) , mais aussi de Raison d'Etre ("Deep"), Konau nous délivre avec ses six titres un album éthéré par la concordance de sons simples mais placés avec justesse dans la structure des titres. Des sonorités sèches qui s’étendent avec langueur pour mieux faire ressurgir une angoisse palpable, qui à plein volume ou au casque (c’est comme ça que j’écoute ces disques de ce genre) donne clairement à ressentir une angoisse sourde et viscérale qui atteint son apogée sur des morceaux d’une efficacité redoutable, si l’on accepte aussi que « Acceptation » est un titre raté… (pour ma part) Autre avantage de ce disque (et c’est pas des moindres), on se rend compte sur le livret qu’un illustre personnage de la scène dark-ambiant participe à ce projet. Son nom n’est pas inconnu de tout le monde. Stielh du fantastique groupe New Risen Throne (l’un des meilleurs en activité, mais référez vous aux chroniques de Nattskog à son sujet). Tous de suite, ça donne un cachet autre au disque. En effet, on peut percevoir cette ambiance désordonnée sur le devenir, un chaos venant de l’intérieur, sourd et pernicieux donnant à « voir » un paysage détruit... Cependant, Stielh n ‘est pas le seul auteur de l’album et c’est pour cela que Konau n’est pas New Risen Throne. Subinterior (du groupe du même nom) se calque sur son camarade et tous deux accouchent de ce disque, malsain, sombre d’où l’on sent sur la nuque une brise mortifère nous plongeant pieds et mains liées dans un champ de ruines ténébreux où il est impossible de voir l’horizon. Toute proportion gardée, certaine tonalité de « Speech from the Shadows » me fait penser au fantastique groupe belge Camisole, fin de citation… Excepté le troisième titre, on se demande même son utilité dans le disque, cet album de Konau est excellent à bien des égards, surtout pour sortir du moule dont plein de groupes s’immiscent. Aussi bien conseillé aux fans de New Risen Throne et Subinterior que de dark-ambient crépusculaire "Speech from the Shadows" vous fera passer une bonne soirée d’épouvante, tant son climat d’oppression froide et dédaigneuse est prenante.



( Oltre il Suono - Giuseppe Verticchio - 29 Marzo 2006 )
Primo straordinario e "abissale" CD in stile dark-ambient del progetto Konau, dietro il quale si celano Subinterior e New Risen Throne. Del primo abbiamo avuto occasione di parlare anche recentemente, a proposito della ristampa, ad opera di Silentes, di un CD-R contenente "Outfall" e "Insomnie", i primi due lavori di Subinterior originariamente usciti come autoproduzioni. New Risen Throne ha già all'attivo una nutrita discografia, e dopo numerosi CD-R, alcuni dei quali prodotti da etichette come Alarming Echo Beats, Deserted Factory e God is Myth, è approdato alla sua prima realizzazione su CD con "Shadows Over Humanity", uno split insieme a Cruel Harvest, uscito anch'esso per la statunitense God is Myth. Dall'incontro tra Subinterior e New Risen Throne nasce il progetto Konau, che vede in questa prima realizzazione, prodotta da Eibon, una perfetta sintesi dello stile e delle influenze dei sue artisti, un incredibile album di ispirata e raffinatissima dark-ambient, che non si limita ad esplorare nel profondo i territori delle basse frequenze, ma che si conforma in strutture fortemente articolate, finemente "scolpite" ed elaborate, grazie ad una accurata ed originale scelta dei suoni, ad un sapiente missaggio delle parti, alla presenza di efficaci elementi moderatamente melodici, ad un lavoro estremamente meticoloso per quanto riguarda la composizione, lo "studio" delle evoluzioni, i passaggi, le dinamiche, le pause, la scelta della sequenza dei brani... Dark ambient allo stato dell'arte, emozionante e di grande impatto, ma allo stesso momento estremamente misurata, fluida, perfettamente equilibrata. Musica molto oscura ed evocativa, inquietante, a tratti perfino tetra nelle atmosfere, ma mai eccessivamente "pesante", ridondante o ossessiva... Volendo esprimere, con molta difficoltà, delle preferenze tra i brani, segnalarei senz'altro il molto "cinematografico" "Contemplation", l'ottima title track "Speech from the Shadows", e ancora il fantastico brano di chiusura, "Crawling Darkness", che attraverso una straordinaria alternanza di atmosfere e suoni (drones oscuri, accordi ovattati di pads, confusi substrati sonori di indecifrabili rumori ambientali, distanti cori eterei, lugubri dialoghi di voci umane deformi, rumori metallici, profondi boati di tuonanti colpi percussivi di timpano, lievi tocchi melodici...) rappresenta nei suoi dieci minuti di durata la parte più incredibile, ma forse anche la più "lugubre" e scioccante dell'intero CD.



( Sensorium - Michele Dicuonzo )
La tenebrosa allenza tra Subinterior e New Risen Throne partorisce il cupissimo side-project Konau, autentica quintessenza delle attuali derive soniche dark ambient. Lo splendido e crepuscolare artwork introduce alla perfezione chi si pone all'ascolto nel tetro universo di "Speech From The Shadows", modulato per tramite di samples e field recordings. Minimalismo, rigore compositivo, ombroso misticismo ed un'oculata ricerca in sede di arrangiamento caratterizzano i sessanta primi dell'opera, che ibrida in guisa ideale i presupposti stilistici dei due protagonisti.
"Sadness Embrace" si rivela opener particolarmente evocativa, in guisa di dosato mantra a base di drones organici. La successiva "Repentance" si dilata in volute industriali prima di implodere in una trace prossima alle desolate ambientazioni delle "Abandoned Cities" del grande Harold Budd. "Contemplation" vibra di rovesci e tintinnii, flirtando con una raffinata ipnosi atmosferica, mentre la title-track, sapientemente articolata, esita tra echi gregoriani e più lugubri scenari à la Nordvargr. "Deep" é probabilmente la sortita più agghiacciante del lotto, compendio perfetto alla funerea "Crawling Darkness", che chiude i giochi di un lavoro davvero eccellente.
Perfetto per una serata consacrata alla meditazione a lume di candela, "Speech From The Shadows" rappresenta peraltro un'introduzione indovinata ai novizi di un genere scarsamente considerato dal 'grand public', ma in grado di regalare molteplici emozioni (brividi inclusi).


( Babylon Magazine - M. Monti / S. Moriconi )
Progetto italiano che rievoca echi lontani di Raison D'Etre ed altri gruppi della Cold Meat Ind. In pratica, scenari sonori, rumori distanti, samples e campionamenti rilassantemente distesi e dilatati. In qualche modo, può addirittura rimpiazzare il sound di un qualsiasi Silent Hill, se siete sprovvisti di audio dal vostro PC. Il sentimento arcano si sviscera dall'impercettibile anima lamentosa che rimbomba, sonora e subconscia, dentro ovattate stanze. Ombre arrugginite oscure dietro porte che sarebbe meglio non aprire. Scorci d'orrore (in)quieto che sarà solo la vostra precisa volontà a svelare. Nel giro del primo brano, "Sadness Embrace", la vostra stanza sarà coperta d'una coltre nebbiosa opalescente e costante. L'ambient(e) livido e remoto, verrà popolato da spiriti fluttuanti e semitrasparenti. Le percezioni vaghe vi faranno rimanere sempre a metà strada tra l'esplorazione e l'inquietudine interiore.
Un ottimo episodio per la psichica introspezione. La colonna sonora della perdizione sensoriale. Ed, anche, un ottimo preambolo per una qualsiasi partita a Silent Hill, o prima di un qualsiasi disco dei Blood Axis, di un qualsiasi limbo...

SUBINTERIOR "Outfall + Insomnie"

"Outfall + Insomnie" | 2005 [ CDR - Silentes - 20050903 ]




Subinterior project was born from the impulse to create tracks with the only use of samples and noises surrounding us. The equipment used to record the sounds consists in a mini-disc recorder utilised to capture atmospheres created by millers, lapping wheel, lathes, industrial refrigeration plants, safety doors and other unusual instruments. Everything is then processed through musical software.

Outfall
1 Metropolis 5:37
2 A Subtle Vapour 6:15
3 Feebleness 3:53
4 Outfall 5:01
5 Apocalyptic Light 4:40
6 Exoneration 5:21
Insomnie
7 Black Distortion 4:39
8 Il Guardiano Del Nulla 7:29
9 Repulse 4:48
10 Padrone Delle Ombre 7:43
11 Insanity 7:32
12 Penumbra 3:05
13 Close To The End 5:49

Website

:: Reviews - "Outfall+Insomnie" ::

- ANM - www.auralpressure.com
"Outfall + Insomnie" were two separate self releases from Subinterior way back in 2003. Three years is a long time in the musical spectrum. I’m assuming they were initially very limited releases. This latest joining of the recordings is limited to only 120 copies. I’ve just pulled my ‘what the fuck face’ in case any of you are interested. Limited edition releases get right up my nose for all the wrong reasons. Not so when the music is bad. Then I scream ‘don’t buy this shit at high decibels’ and ‘thank fuck so few of you will ever hear this crap’. But when the music is of the high quality as on display here then I really do start to wonder what goes through the minds of the artist / label concerned. Don’t they want anyone to buy their stuff? Where is their faith in the music they’ve taken time and effort to develop?
I’m getting too far ahead of myself here. Subinterior is the name by which Italian artist Andrea Freschi records under. He was at one time the drummer in Canaan & Weltschmerz and also records as Coma Divine. The music of Subinterior is made up of everyday sounds from the likes of machinery, buildings, water ,electricity etc…I’m guessing here about the sources….and heavily manipulated and processed through all manner of filters and other electronic gizmos to produce the 13 tracks of drone ambience for your delectation. Sometimes the sounds are so minimal that they barely register and on others the high / low bass frequencies rumble ominously. At times a high feeling of euphoria is experienced only for this to be replaced by a threatening disturbing wave of noise. The combinations of dark and light complimenting each other in unison.
Cards on the table time. Yes…this release is exceedingly enjoyable. There’s so much to try and pick out as the music floats and flows all around. Yes…it comes as highly recommended to anyone for whom the thought of abstract / obscure / minimal droning black ambience gets them going. No…it’s by any means original or earth shatteringly different to other artists working the same musical path. Yes…it’s criminal to have only so few copies available.

SUBINTERIOR "Obstacles"

"Obstacles" | 2005 [ CDR - Deserted Factory - DF021 ]




Recorded in 2004.
Limited, handnumbered edition of 100 copies only.
Comes in a regular jewel case.

Tracklist
1 Assestamenti 4:48
2 Electron Tube 8:15
3 The Corridor Of The Empty Rooms 4:59
4 Asynchronism 6:23
5 Circulation 8:41
6 Hurst 5:21

Website

:: Reviews - "Obstacles" ::

- Andrea Valeri - www.zeromagazine.it
Dietro il progetto Subinterior si cela, e chi è appassionato di sonorità ambient da catacomba lo sa già, Andrea Freschi, noto soprattutto per le collaborazioni con alcune delle più interessanti realtà italiane, Canaan e Weltschmerz.
Come già specificato, Obstacles, terzo lavoro di Subinterior uscito per la label nipponica Deserted Factory, tratta un ambient embrionale ed opprimente, sulla scia dei più grandi maestri del genere, colossi come Megaptera, Raison d'Etre, Lustmord, Atrium Carceri e Inade.
A tappeti di minimale atmosfera noctifera si alternano e si sovrappongono come cirri di bruma caliginosa, stratificazioni noise che procedono in maniera tenue, con percezioni minime, verso un abisso sospeso tra follia, demenza ed irrealtà sommersa oltre il reale ( Electron tube ).
Echi di lamiere, improvvise scudisciate di rumore, stravolgono un'apparente calma oscura che striscia e serpeggia in camere vuote ed asettiche ( The corridor of the empty rooms ).
Un soffocante concerto di clangori sussulta al centro di una fabbrica di inquietudine, dove meccanismi alieni agiscono indisturbati ed indifferenti ( Asynchronism ).
Sicuramente però, le due tracce più interessanti sono le conclusive Circulation e Hurst , in cui lamenti di voci sepolte e strazianti nenie di gracchianti scorie metalliche, uniti al consueto impasto dark ambient butterato di noise, creano una tensione palpabile, dando vita ad un seminale terrore che torreggia aldilà della musica. A dir poco claustrofobico!


- Roberto Michieletto - www.musicclub.it
È consigliato l’ascolto di ‘Obstacles’ in cuffia. È questo il primo suggerimento che vi posso dare al fine di apprezzare al meglio il nuovo lavoro (terzo dopo due auto-prodotti e il primo rilasciato via Deserted Factory) da Subinterior, progetto nato per mano di Andrea Freschi, già batterista con i Canaan di ‘A Calling To Weakness’ e con i Weltschmerz di ‘Capitale De La Douleur’ (per la cronaca: due ottimi dischi). L’album si dipana lungo sei brani composti con il solo utilizzo di campionamenti e rumori catturati e successivamente processati per mezzo di opportuni software. Al di là delle tecniche di registrazione/composizione quello che ci interessa è il fatto che l’obiettivo (dichiarato) di creare “obsessive and gloomy atmospheres” venga raggiunto. E in effetti così è, visto che le tematiche sviluppate sono di natura drone inquietante, noise industriali in bassa frequenza (pur se alcuni picchi vanno a lambire il power elettronico), dark ambient disturbata, riverberi metallici in movimento, distorsioni captate in profondità musicali tali da indurre alienazione mentale e una sorta di minimalismo strisciante. Il tutto viene poi avvolto da un senso di drammaticità e da un sentore di cataclisma imminente.


- Eugenio Maggi - www.chaindlk.org
Third cdr release from Andrea Freschi's solo project, and after the self-released "Outfall" (2003) and "Insomnie" (2004) it's also the first one to be released and distributed by a label, though on a limited run cdr. And, well, "Deserted Factory" could also be a good description for this work: deep cavernous drones juxtaposed or blended with reverberating machinery noises, truly bringing to mind a huge abandoned factory. Freschi uses pretty much the same palette as in his previous releases, but I really think he's dramatically improved the sound quality and mix, which obviously makes a huge difference in works like these. Electronics and software processing obviously play a major role, but there is no synth/keyboards abuse as in many ambient discs. A short, focused and monochrome (in a positive sense) work, "Obstacles" offers top-quality pieces of post-industrial ambie nt, like "The corridor of empty rooms" and "Asynchronism", which will hopefully give this now mature project the attention it deserves.


- Giuseppe Verticchio - www.oltreilsuono.com
Dopo due CD-R, usciti entrambi nel 2003 e realizzati come autoproduzione, con il nuovo "Obstacles" Subinterior vede finalmente il frutto del proprio lavoro "premiato" dall'etichetta giapponese "Deserted Factory", che ha scelto produrre, seppure sempre su supporto CD-R, questa sua nuova release. Sei brani, per una durata di poco inferiore ai 40 minuti, dominati ancora una volta da atmosfere oscure, drones, ampie parte di apparente immobilità, suoni tesi, lente progressioni, alle quali però si alternano e si contrappongono parti di maggiore impatto e drammaticità, e nelle quali si fa più marcata la radice industriale del suono proposto da Subinterior. Apre il CD-R "Assestamenti", traccia in cui compaiono efficaci onde di basse frequenze sulle quali, poco oltre, vanno a sovrapporsi reverberati rumorismi industriali. Segue quindi "Electron Tube", brano che ci proietta immediatamente lungo un tunnel di basse frequenze, squarciato qua e là da sibili e rumori metallici, nella cui parte finale compaiono morbidi ed evocativi accordi di pads. In "The Corridory of the Empty Rooms" drones statici e atmosfere a volte prossime al silenzio formano un substrato sonoro sul quale si alternano vari inserti rumoristici, ora più aggressivi e improvvisi, ora più "discreti", ora dall'impronta timbrica più bassa e profonda, ora più aspri, tesi, metallici e taglienti. "Asynchronism" "esplode" quindi in tutta la sua dinamica e a tratti quasi "epica" drammaticità. E' qui che movimenti ritmici circolari e rumorismi di evidente impronta industriale prendono il sopravvento sul magma sonoro, disegnando scenari di grande fascino e di grande, inquieta, notturna suggestione. Ritorno quindi ad atmosfere più tipicamente statiche e drone-based nel successivo "Circulation", brano che evolve al meglio soprattutto nel potente crescendo e nel successivo decadimento che ne caratterizzano gli ultimi minuti, laddove le masse sonore sono maggiormente ricche e stratificate, e i suoni più accuratamente scelti, miscelati e integrati. Chiude quindi il CD-R "Hurst", traccia in cui le "scariche"di suoni aspri e metallici che caratterizzano i minuti iniziali, tendono via via a lasciare spazio ad uno strato sonoro a base di drones elettronici, dissolvendosi completamente nell'ultima parte. Dall'ascolto di questo nuovo lavoro appare evidente come Subinterior stia continuando ad espandere in varie direzioni la propria ricerca sonora, raccogliendo continuamente nuovi elementi e nuove idee, e arricchendo attraverso l'utilizzo di esse la propria proposta musicale. L'artista ha già dimostrato di saper descrivere egregiamente atmosfere oscure di grande presa, e l'utilizzo di sonorità di impronta più spiccatamente industriale che caratterizzano "Obstacles" ampliano ulteriormente le possibilità di espressione e il raggio d'azione. Mi piacerebbe ancora, in una futura release, poter ritrovare, integrati a tali soluzioni, e utilizzati in forma anche un po' più ampia, quegli elementi discretamente melodici e più "musicali" che ho potuto cogliere, ad esempio, nel brano "Close to the End" del precedente CD-R "Insomnie". Credo che una ricerca in questo senso potrebbe davvero imprimere alla nuova musica di Subinterior una svolta decisiva, elevandone ulteriormente la "personalità" e la già indiscutibilmente elevata qualità artistica...


- Michele Dicuonzo - www.sensorium.it
Terza sortita per il progetto Subinterior curato da Andrea Freschi (che, ricordiamo, é il batterista di Canaan e Weltschmerz), che vede la luce sull'etichetta nipponica Deserted Factory dopo i due demo autoprodotti "Outfall" e "Insomnie". Eravamo curiosi di apprendere la direzione intrapresa per questa release sulla lunga distanza, e dall'ascolto di "Obstacles" si evince soprattutto la rinnovata volontà di rarefazione e minimalismo sonico che da sempre alberga la proposta del nostro. Preso atto dell'evidenza, vale la pena di sottolineare la qualità delle sei lunghe tracce incluse nel dischetto: il senso di compiutezza dell'opera é ineccepibile in questa occasione, laddove Subinterior riesce a sintetizzare in guisa oltremodo efficace gli intendimenti alla base della sua scrittura: isolazionismo dark-ambientale venato di tessiture industriali davvero ispirato e suggestivo (notevole, in questo senso, l'artwork che accompagna il tomo).
L'opener "Assestamenti", nella sua dosata progressione di drones, rappresenta l'incipit ideale per le atmosfere gelide, ossessive e sibilanti proprie di "Obstacles". Eccellente la successiva "Electron Tube", sorta di sgranata autopsia di una nebulosa cosmica, graziata da un epilogo cupo e meditativo che mi ha ricordato l'Harold Budd di "Abandoned Cities". "The Corridory of the Empty Rooms" suona più minacciosa e sinistra, mentre "Asynchronism" introduce un vaporoso 'loop' che, al pari dell'altrettanto evocativa "Circulation", filtra qualche parvenza umana nel lisergico finale. In chiusura, "Hurst" dissolve gli ectoplasmi metallici introduttivi in un silente grumo elettrostatico.
Notturna ed onirica per vocazione, la proposta di Subinterior rimanda agli inquietanti affreschi elettronici dell'Aphew Twin più ambientale, cosi' come trascende gli scenari morbosamente tenebrosi di un Nordvargr. Ambientazioni risolutamente mentali, per certi versi ipnotiche, che, al pari di una presenza organica, si conformano all'ambiente circostante ostentando segnali di vita propria. Senza dubbio, il lavoro più riuscito e consapevole di Subinterior ad oggi.


- Mirko Lucentini - www.kronic.it
Esce per la giapponese Deserted Factory questo terzo lavoro (dopo due demo autoprodotti, `Outfall` e `Insomnie`) di Subinterior, progetto curato da Andrea Freschi, già batterista di Canaan e Weltschmerz. L`idea alla base del progetto é quella di creare musica esclusivamente attraverso la rielaborazione e l`uso di samples e rumori catturati nell`ambiente che ci circonda, per offrire all`ascoltatore atmosfere ossessive, cupe e claustrofobiche. Sicuramente questo `Obstacles`, nella sua integrità, suscita sensazioni di profondo disagio, e i quasi 40 minuti di dark-ambient isolazionista e solcato da trame industriali sono in grado di apportare una costante `tensione` nell`ascoltatore. Tuttavia, va detto che il lavoro risulta comunque eterogeneo, dal momento che alle parti `asfittiche`, di staticità o lenta progressione, vanno ad alternarsi momenti di maggior drammaticità in cui le onde di basse frequenze lasciano il posto a inserti rumoristici talvolta schizofrenici, talvolta più morbidi e `densi`. Così, ad esempio, all`opener `Assestamenti`, dalle atmosfere gelide e sibilanti, segue una `Electron tube` dall`esordio nichilistico ma dal finale progressivo ed evocativo, ad una `Asynchronism` dai toni nebulosi ed evocativi in cui voci distorte fendono l`atmosfera, si alterna `Hurst`, in cui i drones elettronici vanno a sostituirsi a `sferzate` acide e sintetiche.
Come per le altre uscite discografiche del genere, c`é una certa difficoltà ad immedesimarsi negli artisti i cui stati d`animo partoriscono questi lavori, ma è innegabile e piuttosto evidente la capacità di Subinterior nel suscitare emozioni di un certo spessore.


- ANM - www.auralpressure.com
Field recordings are the new black. It seems that no where on this planet has some artist not set up their recording equipment then taken the results home and processed and manipulated them into pieces of music. The end product is either very easy ambience on the ear or a shambles of experimental tomfoolery gone mad. My own musical collection already has CDs from deserted catholic schools, Indian market places, barbed wire, volcanoes, flour mills, seaside towns, birds, insects, books…the list is endless. If you can stick a microphone near it you can be assured someone somewhere will have produced a cd dedicated to it.
Subinterior (the artist who appeared as drummer on Canaan & Weltschmerz) has used everything from lathes to doors to wheels and beyond to tape his atmospheres before adding a bit of technical know how and jiggery pokey to create a recording which straddles all the ambient styles. Without the aid of proper (or what most people would regard as proper) instrumentation this experimental side to music should never be ignored. The soundscapes created here over the six tracks are just as varied and intense as anything released using conventional methods. Haunting and brooding, with a fine line in sub base like throbs, there is a brilliant sheen of black ambience that dominates and permeates the pieces. The slow build up of some of the sounds raises in intensity but never crosses the unmarked line into total noise whiteout, whilst others take on dreamlike floating forms creating ethereal dimensions. The very nature of procuring the sources for this music from such unusual places will put a lot of people off experiencing the Subinterior sound for themselves.
Mentioning the word ‘experimental’ is the kiss of death . So don’t think of "Obstacles" as experimental. Don’t even think about where the sounds utilised originated from. Instead open your mind and let Subinterior be your guide and host to music that will take you on a magical journey through the different foothills of ambient lands.


- Frans de Waard - VITAL WEEKLY
Although we don't get to hear who is behind Subinterior, he is also involved, as a drummer, in a band called Weltschmerz and one called Canaan, plus a dark ambient/industrial project Coma Divine. As Subinterior he works with field recordings, mostly of a nocturnal kind ( safety doors, lapping wheels, industrial refrigeration plants etc., which sound like recorded at night), which are then transformed through the use of software. The six resulting pieces are all quite alright within the realms of dark ambient with industrial touches. The metallic rumbling of someone trying to break down the fence around the factory area are embedded in stretched out fields of captured wind sounds and slowed down conveyer belts. In it's genre nothing new under the moon, but well executed. Seems like made to measure for a label with such a name.


- Tomasz Lewick - www.beastofprey.com
SUBINTERIOR jest wloskim projektem poruszajacym sie w klimatach mrocznego dark ambientu. "Obstacles" jest trzecim pelnym materialem tego projektu, wydanym przez niewielka firme Deserted Factory. Zapewne niewiele osób kojarzy ten projekt, poprzednie dwa krazki SUBINTERIOR byly wydane wlasnym sumptem przez sam projekt, tak wiec nie mialy wiekszej mozliwosci aby dotrzec do wiekszego grona odbiorców. W sklad "Obstacles" wchodzi szesc utworów, utrzymanych w klimacie bardzo mrocznego i psychodelicznego dark ambientu, z cala masa róznego rodzaju szumów i sprzezen. Muzyka jest dosc jednorodna, nie uslyszymy tu zadnych nowych rzeczy, a kazdy kawalek jest blizniaczo do siebie podobny. Momentami tylko, mozna znalezc nieco wiecej zimnych, industrialnych motywów. Trudno napisac zbyt wiele o muzyce tego projektu, wszyscy ci, którzy znaja dokonania na przyklad HERBST 9 doskonale wiedza o co chodzi. Muzyka jest przytlaczajaca i bardzo dobrze slucha sie jej wieczorem, przy zgaszonym swietle. Rewelacja to na pewno nie jest, ale mimo wszystko plytka wytwarza odpowiedni nastrój. Dla fanów mrocznych przestrzeni jest to krazek, który pewnie sie spodoba, ale ile razy mozna sluchac kopii HERBST 9... Reasumujac "Obstacles" jest albumem pelnym mroku i wielu niepokojacych motywów, które bardzo dobrze wprowadzaja umysl sluchacza w odmienne stany leku i strachu.


- Daniele - www.feindesland.de
Subinterior ist das Dark Ambient - Projekt von Andrea Freschi, der sein Können als Schlagzeuger schon auf "Calling the weakness" von Canaan (ein empfehlenswertes Album) und "Capitale de la douleur" von Weltschmerz unter Beweis stellen konnte. Weiterhin ist er Teil vom Dark Ambient/ Industrial - Projekt "Coma Divine", das derzeit leider auf Eis gelegt ist. Schon im Jahr 2003 wurden zwei eigenproduzierte CD-R unter Subinterior mit sehr gelungenen Covers veröffentlicht, was im Falle von "Obstacles" leider nicht der Fall ist, da ich keinerlei Bezug vom Cover zur Musik von diesem Projekt finden konnte. Das aktuelle Werk wurde von dem japanischen Label "Deserted Factory" veröffentlicht, aber auch dieses Mal liegt nur eine CD-R vor.
Herr Freschi erschafft Songs mit den Geräuschen und Klängen unserer Umwelt, die mit Hilfe eines Mini Disc Recorders aufgenommen werden. Somit stellte sich meine Wahl als zutreffend heraus, die CD auf eine MiniDisc aufzuzeichnen und mit meinem MD Recorder durch den Wald spazieren zu gehen. Wie so oft bei Dark Ambient, entfaltet das Album seine Vorzüge erst, wenn man es mit Kopfhörern hört. Daher bildete der Spaziergang einen sehr interessanten Kontrast, einerseits die Natur des Schwarzwaldes andererseits die mithilfe einer Software weiterverarbeiteten Klänge von u.a. Drehbänken, Reifen.
Auf meinem Spaziergang begleiten mich sechs Tracks, deren Gesamtlänge knapp 40 Minuten hat. Das Ziel des Projektes ist, durch das benutzten unüblicher "Instrumente" düstere Atmosphären zu erschaffen. Größtenteils gelingt es ihm tatsächlich, den Hörer mit einem eigenwilligen Klang zu überzeugen. Hervorheben möchte ich vor allem "The Corridor of the empty rooms", das eine sehr bedrückende Atmosphäre aufbaut, die ihm durch die minimale Nutzung seiner aufgenommen Geräusche gelingt.
Mein persönlicher Anspieltipp ist "Asynchronism", kein reiner Dark Ambient - Track, der einen Rhythmus aufzeigt und auch mit altem Industrial liebäugelt. Eine tatsächlich sehr bedrückende Atmosphäre, die man wohl nicht abends alleine im Wald hören sollte. Doch das Album zeigt auch einen Schwachpunkt mit "Electron tube", welches sich in seinem langsam Trackaufbau tatsächlich im Nichts verliert. Zwar baut es eine gewisse Leere auf, die aber bei mir keinerlei Empfinden, sondern ansatzweise Langeweile aufkommen lässt.
Insgesamt empfinde ich "Obstacles" gelungen, obwohl ich für die Länge des Albums ein ergreifenderes Album erwartet hätte. Gespannt kann man auf die neue Veröffentlichung sein, denn hat Freschi doch viele interessante Ideen verarbeitet und vor allem bleibt offen, ob das nächste Album nur Dark Ambient sein wird, oder mehr Einflüsse aus anderen elektronischen Bereichen haben wird, die ich persönlich wohl begrüßen würde.