Alio Die - Deconsecrated And Pure

It is a really hot summer outside my home, and during this pure hell I need some refreshment not only physical, but also mental and emotional. That's why I take a new album of Alio Die in search for this kind of relief. Without a doubt, Stefano Musso, the man behind Alio Die, became one of the most significant names on ambient scene during almost 25 years of his career. With enormous amount of both solo albums and different collaborations, he brought his own vision of the musical experience from surrounding world. And this time its Stefano's 20th album which lands into my hands to fill few hours of relaxation with a background support.

On "Deconsecrated and Pure" Alio Die introduces a totally airy atmosphere of almost meditative origin. A combination of field recordings with sonic soundscapes exists in all 5 long tracks. The first of them is "Layers of Faith" , where different natural sounds like water splashing, wind blowing and others are carved into the texture of the wide ambiance created by a loopy background melody as light as a very thin cloud driven by gentle breath of nature. This melody is circling and flowing out of the speakers forcing the air around to tinkle with the bells of primal energy. The constant stream of sound brings the second track "Obliterated Alcove", where the choral voices enter the scene to add more sacral feeling into the music, which again stays very light and airy. The vocal parts are processed from the compositions of Claudio Merulo, 16th century Venetian Renaissance composer, and were performed by Paolo Tognon and Quoniam Ensemble di Dulciane and De Labyrintho Ensemble Della Rinascenza; they contribute a little bit of grief into the sonic layers of this track together with a slight touch of liturgy.

"Peel Away this Mortal Coil" is a very deep exploration of wide plains of imagination to drown inside pure lake of feelings, to remove all the negativism and dirt of everyday constant race after the frail goods. And only when you peel away your mortal coil, you can reach the shores of sedation and find piece with yourself and divine. In "Cerulean Fasade" the message is clear again, pushed towards relaxation and meditation, where the sound movement is slow, fool of wide colors, and an able paint brush creates an aquarelle of light emotions.

Just in time, when I already thought that I could not dive deeper, comes the final composition called "De-Altared". Few string instruments added here, some bell clicking and ticking, natural sounds are all around, viscous melody covers me with its cerement and guides into the very depth of lethargy.

As the conclusion, the new album from Alio Die is a good example of what ambient music can be when it reaches the highest levels of creativity. Even without being something innovative, this record presents a lot of delights to ambient fans, bringing a solid meditative mood combined with reflections of Stefano's personal abstract and mysterious experience. Without a doubt, Alio Die proves once again its credibility of being one of the most recognizable and talented names at ambient scene for the past 20 years. Jul 08 2012