CLAUDIO MILANO (NICHELODEON) — Adython (with Erna Franssens) (review)

CLAUDIO MILANO (NICHELODEON) — Adython (with Erna Franssens) album cover

Album · 2012 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition

4/5 · 2012-03-12
octopus-4

Listening to Claudio Milano the first instinct is to compare his voice to that of Demetrio Stratos, not only because Area are one of his many collaborations, but specially because his experiments and researches on voice, even though on a different line, can remind to the experimental works of that unlucky singer.

The contact point is in the theathrical mood of works like this "Adython". This is a kind of music that needs to be corroborated by a live experience like a ballet. When listening to "L'Oracolo di Delfi" Imagine how the crescendo of chaos and electronic noise that can be experienced at minute 7 can involve the listener if accompanied by a dance on a black and white stage. Just after this crescendo there's a short pause of silence and what follows is a song. The instrumentation is deeply electronic, but if you listen carefully what Claudio sings is a melody coming directly from the Italian artsy pop of the 60s, a sort of follow-up to the cover of "Vedrai, Vedrai" released some years ago. Let this music penetrate your mind, this is the key to disclose it. The noisy instrumental final of the track leaves the listener with a sensation of incompleteness that needs to fade into the second, very long, track of the album. Even if I'm Italian I don't pay attention to the lyrics. The sound of the words is here more important than their meaning.

The title track is opened by a very long vocal note. It's a dialog between voice and a jazzy sax which is quickly transformed into a very dark experiment, with the voice exploring the lowest and highest notes fused with breathes and various sounds. There's a huge use of loops in this part which slowly starts to capture the listener. At minute 4 let's pay attention to the vocal extension. Claudio Milano is capable of an incredible extension and when he does clean singing he shows also an excellent tone, vaguely similar to John De Leo. Here and there the sax goes in foreground and adds more than a touch of cold jazz. Also the story narrated by Claudio is somewhat interesting. It has a feeling of avantgarde theatre, Beckett comes to my mind for the atmosphere. At this point I can't say how much of this track is "improvisation". The text sung by Claudio can't be too improvised, maybe the sax but some unison moments and some vocal attacks are apparently clearly planned. Other than the voice, there's a lot of research and experiment also in the electronic noises and in the loops while the sax remains the only true "instrument" to link what we usually know as "music" and this experimental work. Of course, understanding the language can add a further level to the listening experience but like in the first track, the sound of the words is more important than their meaning that's almost dark and introspective. There's also a melodic moment, totally unexpected which comes after a short silence at minute 24 to demonstrate the artist's eclectism. Not an easy album, like all the avantgarde things, but this is exactly what makes it worth. As much effort you put in the listening as much pleasure you obtain from it. A mind opener