The Berlin-based, Italian electro-acoustic musician Andrea Belfi has always found a way to subvert expectations of both himself and music as a whole. He first appeared on the radar with the 2014 LP Natura Morta, a mesmerising symphony of percussive melodies. It should be of no surprise, then, that Belfi had been releasing similar musical wonders for over a decade prior.
Belfi had been releasing musical wonders for over a decade
On the new Eternally Frozen, some of that slight percussion can still be found underpinning the wistful overtones. Illuminating the record are hypnotic, Steve Reich-like brass loops, recorded as canon-based compositions; an ancient compositional technique centred on specific time intervals and curating illusionary musical journeys.
The idea behind the album is centred around a mythological bat that can fly through walls, at one point becoming frozen whilst trying to penetrate solid lead. The music typifies the concept of being eternally frozen, through a score of resonating brass scores reverberating across a soft palette of muted drums. It’s a dark and melancholic symphony, punctuated by moments of still-beauty that shimmer forevermore like the mythical bat, perpetually frozen in time. ★★★★
- Andrea Belfi, Eternally Frozen, Maple Death Records, Out April 21
