Lunophone Surroundings 2024, limited time only

 

Here's a really stunning find from my friend, very much like Rascal Reporters and just as good. (The bonus tracks from them I posted back then gave me so much joy and happiness for such a long time btw and hopefully I wasn't the only one.)

Online info:

Lunophone is a new musical project born from the fruitful collaboration between Dario D'Alessandro (Homunculus Res) and James Strain (Rascal Reporters). Six compositions from each member result in a total of 12 songs which were played and arranged from their respective locations in Italy and Ireland.

The result is an intriguing fusion of styles united by common tastes and feelings that lead the two musicians to craft a blend of progressive jazz-rock with influences from Canterbury/RIO and characterised by bizarre and eclectic avant-pop song structures.

The album marries lively and fun rock music with delicate and intricate soundscapes, occasionally featuring microtonal elements due to Strain's use of fretless and Middle Eastern instruments. The songs themselves are dynamic and moody, with shifting shapes and articulated structures, further complicated by the ambiguous lyrics written and sung by D'Alessandro.

The richness of the arrangements and the melodic sophistication lend a dense and pulsating quality to the music, with layers and subtleties waiting to be discovered and savoured with each listen.

Lunophone evokes the notion of a sound emanating from the Moon, bewitching and mysterious. "Surroundings" is a 42-minute album, characterized by its compact sound masterfully handled by Strain in mixing and mastering. 

Dario and Homunculus Res info here. James Strain here.

Definitely all the tracks here are strong, barely any throwaways. You could say about half the tracks are reminiscent of 70s Ital-prog like Picchio dal and half are more Rascal Reporters RIO in complexity.  And that's a good combo as far as I'm concerned.

Cioch charraige sounds just like classic RR RIO:

The last track gives you an indication of the Picchio-like sound derivation, with the electric guitar arpeggios, breathy vocals, and flutes, bassoon (?) and other chamber instruments alongside: