Following my Sons of Viljems review, I received an Instagram message from Vasco Viviani of the EeeE label asking if I'd be up for covering this latest album by Danilo Ligato. Regarding EeeE (Ethical and Aesthetic Editions), it was started by Vasco after stints working at Pulver und Asche Records and Old Bicycle Records, there's also a sister label called DDDD which he started last year.
About the artist, he was born in Bellinzona, the capital city of southern Switzerland’s Ticino canton in 1980. Having graduated first from the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Brescia in 2009 and then the Brera Fine Arts Academy in Milan in 2014, he'd go onto put on a number of exhibitions before embarking on a music career. Prior to Vurga he released the Rizieri EP in 2021 and then the Fernweh tape in 2022. Knowing nothing about either label, (bar the fact that they put out a two track EP by the aforementioned Sons of Viljems) or artist, I was intrigued to give this album a shot seeing as I'm always up for a challenge.
'Faddhedrha' features dramatic chords with the track having an altogether haunting quality reminiscent of Jocelyn Pook's work on the Eyes Wide Shut soundtrack; particularly the masked ball sequence. Its a sound that manages to be meditative and harrowing in equal measure, setting up the album to come perfectly. Compared to its predecessor 'Cerasi' is a little subtler, with some absolutely beautiful strings and Gothic Darkwave ala Dead Can Dance. There is a soundtrack vibe too that give the whole affair a somewhat panoramic cinematic feel while by contrast 'Favali' is positively minimalist, stripped as it is to essentially just a piano. This goes to prove correct the odd adage less is more and is resultantly a decent number. 'Vrasci' is dreamy, recalling as it does, the numerous surreal moments from David Lynch's movies as well as the accompanying stellar work of collaborator the late, great Angelo Badalamenti (RIP). The perfect accompaniment to your nightmares.
'Griddi' employs the sounds of nature intermingling this with warm Ambient textures to make what is a truly relaxing meditative experience. Its not far removed from the type of experimentation Radiohead employed around the time of Kid A and Amnesiac. 'Campodorato' is deeply moving with wonderfully emotive playing and it appears like Ligato truly poured his heart and soul into it, parts reminding one of Jon Brion's work on the The Eternal Sunshine of the Sunshine Mind. 'Stidde' is darker with oriental flourishes and a little Hitchcockian with the sense of mystery that is evoked and this is a motif which is continued on 'L'Affascino', the addition of sparse Kraftwerk Autobahn style arrangements make it especially startling yet effective. Once again Krautrock plays a part, this time via the neo-classical Ambient strains of Popol Vuh on 'Veni Sonnu'. Its rich with a vibrational pull that manages to avoid the pitfalls of that genre by not indulging in hippy New Age noodling.
'Vurga' strays into latter period Talk Talk territory with its elegant brand of Post-Rock which as a fan of that band makes this track a guaranteed personal favourite and 'Nenta' rounds off the album with quality improvisational Free-Jazz (at least to my ears) ala Cecil Taylor that again, more than ticks my sonic boxes.
Ligato is clearly a very intelligent artist and I'm hopeful I've managed to do him justice with this review, despite moments when it felt like it went over my head. Nonetheless it didn't hamper my overall enjoyment of what is a well-constructed piece of work.
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