Grand River
All Above
Boomkat Product Review:
Dutch-Italian composer/sound-designer Aimée Portioli pulls melancholic solo piano and sculpted noise into brooding, barbed works on her 2nd LP for Editions Mego, after debuting on Donato Dozzy’s Spazio Disponibile
“Dedicated to Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg, who died suddenly last year, “All Above” demands engagement and refuses to evaporate into the background. It’s a statement of intent from Portioli, who has been entangled in the experimental ambient world for years at this stage, running the One Instrument imprint and releasing on labels like Australia’s Longform Editions and Italy’s Spazio Disponibile. The album asks listeners to not just absorb the album as a whole, but notice the cracks in the structure and discern the tension they cause. That’s never more evident than on closing track ‘Cost What It May’, a piece of music that’s almost jarring when Portioli chops into noisy waves of electric guitar. In the wrong hands, this might sound like a power move – some kind of rock posturing to act as a finale. But Portioli’s expression is different, she’s forcing a level of engagement that perceives the negative space as just as important as the saturated positive, and what could be more haunting and emotionally resonant than that?
She’s keen to assure listeners that while that instrument isn’t always heard, it’s constantly at the forefront of the album, shepherding its emotions and anchoring its mood. It makes sense then that on opening track ‘Quasicristallo’, the acoustic piano is the first element we hear, recorded closely so its characteristic rattle and creak can speak as loudly as the familiar tones themselves. When the music blooms into abstraction and processed electronics, it’s almost imperceptible at first: reverb mutates into ghostly vapor trails, and distortion forms the keys into another instrument entirely.
Portioli’s more electronic inclinations transpire on ‘Human’, as the piano punctuates a rhythmic synthesized bassline and smudged choirs that can’t help but trace out the silver screen. But she’s careful to state that “All Above” isn’t an imaginary film score; in fact, she doesn’t think of her music (or sound in general) in visual terms. Portioli studied as a linguist and uses her art to develop an emotional language that’s not bound by expected cultural constraints. When she adds a different instrument or process it’s not to reference a visual cue, but to mark a journey through different states of being. Each element embodies a different emotion or mood: the electric guitar represents strength or even violence, synthesizers shuttle us into the dream world, and the acoustic instruments are there to highlight intimacy and warmth – even heart. Read like this, the tracks are like meditative poems rather than cinematic vignettes: ‘The World At Number XX’ is seemingly centered around a chugging synthesized arpeggio, but the cosmic, Klaus Schulze-esque pads, strangled guitar and evocative organ tones hint at the open-hearted, literate psychedelia of the 1970s; ‘In The Present As The Future’ meanwhile is breathy and windswept, juxtaposing urgent rhythmic phrases with light, flute-like gusts of harmony.”
View more
Boomkat Product Review:
Dutch-Italian composer/sound-designer Aimée Portioli pulls melancholic solo piano and sculpted noise into brooding, barbed works on her 2nd LP for Editions Mego, after debuting on Donato Dozzy’s Spazio Disponibile
“Dedicated to Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg, who died suddenly last year, “All Above” demands engagement and refuses to evaporate into the background. It’s a statement of intent from Portioli, who has been entangled in the experimental ambient world for years at this stage, running the One Instrument imprint and releasing on labels like Australia’s Longform Editions and Italy’s Spazio Disponibile. The album asks listeners to not just absorb the album as a whole, but notice the cracks in the structure and discern the tension they cause. That’s never more evident than on closing track ‘Cost What It May’, a piece of music that’s almost jarring when Portioli chops into noisy waves of electric guitar. In the wrong hands, this might sound like a power move – some kind of rock posturing to act as a finale. But Portioli’s expression is different, she’s forcing a level of engagement that perceives the negative space as just as important as the saturated positive, and what could be more haunting and emotionally resonant than that?
She’s keen to assure listeners that while that instrument isn’t always heard, it’s constantly at the forefront of the album, shepherding its emotions and anchoring its mood. It makes sense then that on opening track ‘Quasicristallo’, the acoustic piano is the first element we hear, recorded closely so its characteristic rattle and creak can speak as loudly as the familiar tones themselves. When the music blooms into abstraction and processed electronics, it’s almost imperceptible at first: reverb mutates into ghostly vapor trails, and distortion forms the keys into another instrument entirely.
Portioli’s more electronic inclinations transpire on ‘Human’, as the piano punctuates a rhythmic synthesized bassline and smudged choirs that can’t help but trace out the silver screen. But she’s careful to state that “All Above” isn’t an imaginary film score; in fact, she doesn’t think of her music (or sound in general) in visual terms. Portioli studied as a linguist and uses her art to develop an emotional language that’s not bound by expected cultural constraints. When she adds a different instrument or process it’s not to reference a visual cue, but to mark a journey through different states of being. Each element embodies a different emotion or mood: the electric guitar represents strength or even violence, synthesizers shuttle us into the dream world, and the acoustic instruments are there to highlight intimacy and warmth – even heart. Read like this, the tracks are like meditative poems rather than cinematic vignettes: ‘The World At Number XX’ is seemingly centered around a chugging synthesized arpeggio, but the cosmic, Klaus Schulze-esque pads, strangled guitar and evocative organ tones hint at the open-hearted, literate psychedelia of the 1970s; ‘In The Present As The Future’ meanwhile is breathy and windswept, juxtaposing urgent rhythmic phrases with light, flute-like gusts of harmony.”
Boomkat Product Review:
Dutch-Italian composer/sound-designer Aimée Portioli pulls melancholic solo piano and sculpted noise into brooding, barbed works on her 2nd LP for Editions Mego, after debuting on Donato Dozzy’s Spazio Disponibile
“Dedicated to Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg, who died suddenly last year, “All Above” demands engagement and refuses to evaporate into the background. It’s a statement of intent from Portioli, who has been entangled in the experimental ambient world for years at this stage, running the One Instrument imprint and releasing on labels like Australia’s Longform Editions and Italy’s Spazio Disponibile. The album asks listeners to not just absorb the album as a whole, but notice the cracks in the structure and discern the tension they cause. That’s never more evident than on closing track ‘Cost What It May’, a piece of music that’s almost jarring when Portioli chops into noisy waves of electric guitar. In the wrong hands, this might sound like a power move – some kind of rock posturing to act as a finale. But Portioli’s expression is different, she’s forcing a level of engagement that perceives the negative space as just as important as the saturated positive, and what could be more haunting and emotionally resonant than that?
She’s keen to assure listeners that while that instrument isn’t always heard, it’s constantly at the forefront of the album, shepherding its emotions and anchoring its mood. It makes sense then that on opening track ‘Quasicristallo’, the acoustic piano is the first element we hear, recorded closely so its characteristic rattle and creak can speak as loudly as the familiar tones themselves. When the music blooms into abstraction and processed electronics, it’s almost imperceptible at first: reverb mutates into ghostly vapor trails, and distortion forms the keys into another instrument entirely.
Portioli’s more electronic inclinations transpire on ‘Human’, as the piano punctuates a rhythmic synthesized bassline and smudged choirs that can’t help but trace out the silver screen. But she’s careful to state that “All Above” isn’t an imaginary film score; in fact, she doesn’t think of her music (or sound in general) in visual terms. Portioli studied as a linguist and uses her art to develop an emotional language that’s not bound by expected cultural constraints. When she adds a different instrument or process it’s not to reference a visual cue, but to mark a journey through different states of being. Each element embodies a different emotion or mood: the electric guitar represents strength or even violence, synthesizers shuttle us into the dream world, and the acoustic instruments are there to highlight intimacy and warmth – even heart. Read like this, the tracks are like meditative poems rather than cinematic vignettes: ‘The World At Number XX’ is seemingly centered around a chugging synthesized arpeggio, but the cosmic, Klaus Schulze-esque pads, strangled guitar and evocative organ tones hint at the open-hearted, literate psychedelia of the 1970s; ‘In The Present As The Future’ meanwhile is breathy and windswept, juxtaposing urgent rhythmic phrases with light, flute-like gusts of harmony.”
Boomkat Product Review:
Dutch-Italian composer/sound-designer Aimée Portioli pulls melancholic solo piano and sculpted noise into brooding, barbed works on her 2nd LP for Editions Mego, after debuting on Donato Dozzy’s Spazio Disponibile
“Dedicated to Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg, who died suddenly last year, “All Above” demands engagement and refuses to evaporate into the background. It’s a statement of intent from Portioli, who has been entangled in the experimental ambient world for years at this stage, running the One Instrument imprint and releasing on labels like Australia’s Longform Editions and Italy’s Spazio Disponibile. The album asks listeners to not just absorb the album as a whole, but notice the cracks in the structure and discern the tension they cause. That’s never more evident than on closing track ‘Cost What It May’, a piece of music that’s almost jarring when Portioli chops into noisy waves of electric guitar. In the wrong hands, this might sound like a power move – some kind of rock posturing to act as a finale. But Portioli’s expression is different, she’s forcing a level of engagement that perceives the negative space as just as important as the saturated positive, and what could be more haunting and emotionally resonant than that?
She’s keen to assure listeners that while that instrument isn’t always heard, it’s constantly at the forefront of the album, shepherding its emotions and anchoring its mood. It makes sense then that on opening track ‘Quasicristallo’, the acoustic piano is the first element we hear, recorded closely so its characteristic rattle and creak can speak as loudly as the familiar tones themselves. When the music blooms into abstraction and processed electronics, it’s almost imperceptible at first: reverb mutates into ghostly vapor trails, and distortion forms the keys into another instrument entirely.
Portioli’s more electronic inclinations transpire on ‘Human’, as the piano punctuates a rhythmic synthesized bassline and smudged choirs that can’t help but trace out the silver screen. But she’s careful to state that “All Above” isn’t an imaginary film score; in fact, she doesn’t think of her music (or sound in general) in visual terms. Portioli studied as a linguist and uses her art to develop an emotional language that’s not bound by expected cultural constraints. When she adds a different instrument or process it’s not to reference a visual cue, but to mark a journey through different states of being. Each element embodies a different emotion or mood: the electric guitar represents strength or even violence, synthesizers shuttle us into the dream world, and the acoustic instruments are there to highlight intimacy and warmth – even heart. Read like this, the tracks are like meditative poems rather than cinematic vignettes: ‘The World At Number XX’ is seemingly centered around a chugging synthesized arpeggio, but the cosmic, Klaus Schulze-esque pads, strangled guitar and evocative organ tones hint at the open-hearted, literate psychedelia of the 1970s; ‘In The Present As The Future’ meanwhile is breathy and windswept, juxtaposing urgent rhythmic phrases with light, flute-like gusts of harmony.”
Limited edition black vinyl.
Available To Order (Estimated Shipping between 7-14 Working Days)
This item is to the best of our knowledge available to us from the supplier and should ship to you within the time-frame indicated. If there are any unforeseen issues with availability we will notify you immediately
Boomkat Product Review:
Dutch-Italian composer/sound-designer Aimée Portioli pulls melancholic solo piano and sculpted noise into brooding, barbed works on her 2nd LP for Editions Mego, after debuting on Donato Dozzy’s Spazio Disponibile
“Dedicated to Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg, who died suddenly last year, “All Above” demands engagement and refuses to evaporate into the background. It’s a statement of intent from Portioli, who has been entangled in the experimental ambient world for years at this stage, running the One Instrument imprint and releasing on labels like Australia’s Longform Editions and Italy’s Spazio Disponibile. The album asks listeners to not just absorb the album as a whole, but notice the cracks in the structure and discern the tension they cause. That’s never more evident than on closing track ‘Cost What It May’, a piece of music that’s almost jarring when Portioli chops into noisy waves of electric guitar. In the wrong hands, this might sound like a power move – some kind of rock posturing to act as a finale. But Portioli’s expression is different, she’s forcing a level of engagement that perceives the negative space as just as important as the saturated positive, and what could be more haunting and emotionally resonant than that?
She’s keen to assure listeners that while that instrument isn’t always heard, it’s constantly at the forefront of the album, shepherding its emotions and anchoring its mood. It makes sense then that on opening track ‘Quasicristallo’, the acoustic piano is the first element we hear, recorded closely so its characteristic rattle and creak can speak as loudly as the familiar tones themselves. When the music blooms into abstraction and processed electronics, it’s almost imperceptible at first: reverb mutates into ghostly vapor trails, and distortion forms the keys into another instrument entirely.
Portioli’s more electronic inclinations transpire on ‘Human’, as the piano punctuates a rhythmic synthesized bassline and smudged choirs that can’t help but trace out the silver screen. But she’s careful to state that “All Above” isn’t an imaginary film score; in fact, she doesn’t think of her music (or sound in general) in visual terms. Portioli studied as a linguist and uses her art to develop an emotional language that’s not bound by expected cultural constraints. When she adds a different instrument or process it’s not to reference a visual cue, but to mark a journey through different states of being. Each element embodies a different emotion or mood: the electric guitar represents strength or even violence, synthesizers shuttle us into the dream world, and the acoustic instruments are there to highlight intimacy and warmth – even heart. Read like this, the tracks are like meditative poems rather than cinematic vignettes: ‘The World At Number XX’ is seemingly centered around a chugging synthesized arpeggio, but the cosmic, Klaus Schulze-esque pads, strangled guitar and evocative organ tones hint at the open-hearted, literate psychedelia of the 1970s; ‘In The Present As The Future’ meanwhile is breathy and windswept, juxtaposing urgent rhythmic phrases with light, flute-like gusts of harmony.”
More from Grand River:
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLGrand River Blink a Few Times to Clear Your Eyes Editions Mego Electronic- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- LP
-
Grand River Light Index Opening Longform Editions Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
-
Grand River Pineapple Spazio Disponibile Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
-
Grand River Crescente Spazio Disponibile Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
More from Editions Mego:
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLCaterina Barbieri Fantas Variations Editions Mego Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 2LP (Black Vinyl)
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLOneohtrix Point Never Returnal 2021 Edition Editions Mego Electronic
- LP (Black Vinyl)
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLMaterial Object Telepath Editions Mego Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 2LP (Black Vinyl)
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLTUJIKO NORIKO Crépuscule I & II Editions Mego Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 2CD
- 2 x Casette
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLNik Colk Void Bucked Up Space Editions Mego Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- LP (Black Vinyl)
People who bought this also bought:
-
The Black Dog Music For Dead Airports Dust Science Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
-
Thanos Chrysakis Manifold Vista Aufabwegen Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
-
Eden Lonsdale Clear and Hazy Moons Another Timbre Modern Classical / Ambient
- CD
-
ARNE NORDHEIM Electric Rune Grammofon Early Electronic / Soundtracks
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 2LP
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLSalamanda ashbalkum Human Pitch Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- LP (Black Vinyl)
-
Christoph De Babalon Leaving Time Super Hexagon Records Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 12" (Black Vinyl)
-
Sarah Davachi Two Sisters Late Music Modern Classical / Ambient
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- Colour 2LP
- 2LP (Black Vinyl)
- 2CD
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLFrank Bretschneider & Giorgio Li Calzi Zero Mambo Umor-Rex Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 12" (Black Vinyl)
-
The Black Dog Black EP Dust Science Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
-
FREE MP3 WITH VINYLShackleton The Majestic Yes Honest Jon's Records Electronic
- MP3
- FLAC
- WAV
- 12" (Black Vinyl)