Detailed Reviews [Corciolli - 2017 - "Ilusia"]

Prolusion. Brazilian composer and artist CORCIOLLI has been a recording artist for more than twenty years, releasing almost an album annually on average and with album sales ranging in the millions. A successful artist in his own right, and one that have cooperated with a number of high profile musicians over the years as well. "Ilusia" is his most recent studio album, and was released in the spring of 2017.

Analysis. Corciolli is best known as a new age artist from what I understand, and while I cannot state to know his material intimately I rather get the the impression that he may well be compared to artists such as Vangelis and to some extent Gandalf in that department, with keyboards and synthesizers used to create floating landscapes with more of a dream-laden feel to them. He is also one of the many artists with a taste for progressive rock on a personal level, and it would appear that this album is Corciolli's nod towards this genre of music. While this album isn't one that can be compared in any direct manner to progressive rock as I define this genre, there are aspects of progressive rock running through this production. The use of multiple sound layers and arrangements of a fairly sophisticated nature, where several keyboard layers combine with multiple guitar layers, bass and drums to form an soundscape with a lot of ear candy to enjoy for the careful listener is one example of this. That the compositions tends to ebb and flow in pace and intensity is another, and to include interludes and transitions also a detail that nods in the direction of progressive rock. I experience this production as one with ties into the genre rather as an example of the genre however, perhaps due to the focus on atmospheric laden landscapes. I also got the impression that the guitar was of the sampled, played by keyboard variety. As I do not know this as an actual fact, this may well be a case of an unusually clinical sounding guitar too of course, but I found the guitar presence as one that was rather odd sounding at times, one that didn't sound like the real thing. While this aspect perhaps isn't all that important as such, it is a slight detrimental feature for those who listen to music in the same manner as I do. Otherwise I note that the songs featuring the guest musicians Montagner and Oliveira comes across as a bit more vital, the impact of a quality drummer and bassist does elevate the overall impression of a composition. I do note that some of the creations where Corciolli performs all instruments himself manage to make an equally strong impression of course. Good compositions will always make an impact after all. I'm actually rather pleasantly surprised about this CD, as it made much more of an impact for me than what I expected. Music existing somewhere along the borders between new age and progressive rock does have a rather appealing quality to it. At least when explored in the manner Corciolli does on this album.

Conclusion. Atmospheric laden yet rather sophisticated instrumental music that touch base with both new age and progressive rock is what Corciolli provides us with on his latest album "Ilusia". While not an album I think will have a broad appeal in progressive rock circles as such, I rather guess that those with a just about equal interest in ambient and new age music as they have in progressive rock should feel right at home in the musical landscapes explored on this CD.

Progmessor: August 29, 2017
The Rating Room