Country: Italy
Genre: Experimental electronica
Full length: Avarie
Format: Digital
Label: SmallVoices
Release date: 2006
By pure chance, I came across this album and decided to review something really out there that's not metal, hardcore, or hard rock. Something that cannot be described as typical industrial, electronica, or synthpop either. There is nothing ordinary about these epic experimental instrumentals by a solo artist trying out varying sounds and atmospheres.
It's always a pleasure to listen to music that has never been attempted. I gave Uranium USSR 1972 a try and found "Avarie" to be a stimulating blend of mechanized and organic voices that allowed for a great deal of metamorphosis into unexpected states of mind. Take the most outlandish and fantastical science fiction published in Heavy Metal magazine and allow your imagination to expand infinitely, and you'll have an idea of what to expect from this Italian solo project.
An experimental electronic project, Uranium USSR 1972 was created by Angelo Bergamini, who is also the founder of the electro wave band Kirlian Camera, Siderartica, Stalingrad Valkyrie, Hipnosis, and Ordo Ecclesiae Mortis. As a result of his refusal to be pigeonholed, his music is an graphic mix of electro, synth pop, ambient, chamber music, industrial, urban, noise, and minimalism, complemented by gratuitous atmospherics and sound effects.
I refer to this album as graphic since the way it's arranged and recorded, the songs tell a story without having to use lyrics. In some ways, it is reminiscent of something from Heavy Metal magazine, while in others, it is reminiscent of the soundtracks to early 20th-century expressionist films. The first film that comes to mind is Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", but it also evokes deeper perceptions of the society it depicts and makes one desire to learn more about its history.
Bergamini undermines your expectations from the very beginning. "Avaria" begins with a minimalistic tone that gradually assumes depth before an urban/electronic rhythm enters at a different pace. As the contrasting rhythms fade and return, they sometimes overlap to create a sense of cognitive dissonance. It's played with harsh, calculating keyboards, which are reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution of the early 20th century, also a source of inspiration for these compositions, according to the bio.
"Glaciation Room" and "Rain Aesthetics" reiterate this, slowly assuming the isolation of the individual in the midst of urban sprawl. In this way, "Avarie" conveys the sense of humanity struggling to survive in the face of a cold industrial environment. “Lumet Metro Cine*Ma” depicts the solitude and despair of this spirit as it tries to escape its industrialized confines. Described as multifaceted and visionary, "Avarie" is different from anything you've heard before. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Angelo Bergamini: Waldorf Pulse synth, E-mu Orbit synth, Yamaha RS7000 workstation, Waldorf Mini Works 4 Pole filtering module, Roland Juno-60 synth (midi equipped), Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus sampler, Roland MC-505 Groovebox, Korg Microkorg 1 synth, Technics radio, etc.
Track list:
1. Avaria
2. Glaciation Room (feat. Elena Alice Fossi)
3. Rain Aesthetics
4. Lumet Metro Cine*Ma
5. Glaciation Room (Trance Club Mix) feat. Elena Alice Fossi
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