On The Turntable: Die Schachtel July 31 2017
For almost fifteen years now, Milan based label Die Schachtel has been responsible for an unparalleled stream of reissues and archival releases that are as historically important as they are beautiful. The works of Lino Capra Vaccina and Claudio Rocchi are just the latest in this remarkable series.
Vaccina's Echi Armonici da Antico Adagio stands as a revelation in the canon of Italian avant-garde. Drawing from the same body of recordings as his masterpiece Antico Adagio, this previously unreleased artifact features two side-long works of pulsing, hypnotic drones with gongs, bells and cymbals. One of the great lost works of minimalism, this will surely be one of the most significant LPs to appear this year.
Rocchi's stunning Suoni Di Frontier, originally released in 1976, evinces introspection through crystalline electronics. This amazing album realizes a dream set forth by the pioneers of early electronic music, creating a new architecture of sound that is equally ambitious and accessible.
Fortunately, the aforementioned Antico Adagio has also been repressed. Anticipating countless experiments in the fields of new age, world music and avant-garde electronics, Vaccina interlocks melody and rhythm with vibraphones, marimbas, gong and occasional vocals. Together these subtle compositions create a work that Kieran Hebden / Four Tet calls "timeless and brilliant."
