Nicola Ratti

From The Desert Came Saltwater

Genre: MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT

MP3
FLAC

Boomkat Product Review:

Bringing a fresh sound to the Anticipate label, Italian multi-instrumentalist and sound sculptor Nicola Ratti sets out to transform the instantly familiar timbres of guitar and piano into something slightly more concealed and - as the label would have it - subtractive, meaning that certain elements of this language are removed, leaving a more vague, impressionistic approach to instrumentation. Add to this the understatement of Ratti's electroacoustic treatments and the end result is an absorbing and beautiful listen. This music is atmospheric in the most ambiguous sense, even on the comparatively upbeat, strummed processing of 'Coconut' there's a sense of emptiness lurking at the heart of it all, and the major key setting is more by implication than practice. Ratti is at his best when he embraces this emotional vacuity, as on 'Dew & Curfew', largely characterised by ghostly guitar phrases, often bookended by slow string bends into nothingness. The loudest thing on the whole piece is probably the fret buzz that intermittently catches your ear. When Ratti sings, his music is no less distant, still very much divorced from the conventions of songwriting. His whispered intonation sounds almost apologetic on the closing 'Beneath', which characterises itself with an combination of vacancy and intensity, resulting in a resonant phantasmagorical impact. Another lovely release from this exceptional label - buy with confidence.

MP3 Release (6)