Short Reviews [NichelOdeon & Borda - 2024 - "Quigyat"]

Somewhat remarkably, here we have the second album from Claudio Milano this year, which in some ways is the follow-up to the 2021 album by NichelOdeon, ‘Incidenti - Lo Schianto’ and in other ways is the companion to the new album ‘Decimo Cerchio’ which he recorded with the trio I Sincopatici. The reason I say the latter is that here he again works with Francesca Badalini (piano) and Andrea Grumelli (fretless bass, electronics) from that band. This is the first time Claudio has worked with electronic artist borda (Teo Ravelli), who provides drums, percussion and live electronics, and combines live performances and studio work. The voices were recorded live in Stradella in September 2023, in a show between theatrical monologues, mime, abstract painting and music, and it is this theatricality and feeling of there being much more than “just” singing which is a huge element of all of Claudio’s work. According to the Greenland Inuit, the “Quigyat” auroras were the spirits of children who died a violent death or on their birthday. The lyrics are incredibly important in this work, and I am fortunate enough to have been able to read them in English (they are sung in Italian), and they are quite shocking and thought provoking, and anyone who can understand the language must be very moved indeed when hearing them delivered with the empathy and emotion from Milano. Musically this is a far more accessible release than many of Claudio’s works, as he is using his vocal talents in a much more normal manner with less of the over-the-top theatrics, and the piano combines to make us think we are at an opera or classical performance. It is also much shorter in that this has been designed to fit on one vinyl album, but don’t let that lure you into thinking there is nothing challenging here, as the gentleness of “Los Pajaros Perdidos” soon gives way to chaos before switching back again. Of the two albums he has released this year, this is the easiest to get inside and if you have yet to investigate the music of Milano then this is the one to start with, but if you want something to stretch your musical understanding then head over to ‘Incidenti - Lo Schianto’, but if you are like me then you will need to have both in your collection as this is another wonderful work from the maestro.