Maurizio Curadi Phonorama

(Between experimentation and tradition, the music of Maurizio Curadi has been described as intense, subliminal and visionary, eluding the rules of genres.
A self-taugh guitarist coming from blues and r’n’r, in 1986 he formed the cult band Steeplejack, exploring improvisation and the use of controlled echoes, merging free and structured forms. Some of his favorite musicians: Leo Brouwer, Steve Reich, Keith Rowe, John Lee Hooker, John Fahey, La Monte Young.
As solo performer, he explores new extended techniques and open tunings for guitars in electro-acoustic regions. Hard to label, his sounds move between structure and instrumental impro, melting pulses of arcane blues and minimalism into an abstract phonorama with a unique style)MAURIZIO CURADI

Between experimentation and tradition, the music of Maurizio Curadi has been described as intense, subliminal and visionary, eluding the rules of genres.
A self-taugh guitarist coming from blues and r’n’r, in 1986 he formed the cult band Steeplejack, exploring improvisation and the use of controlled echoes, merging free and structured forms. Some of his favorite musicians: Leo Brouwer, Steve Reich, Keith Rowe, John Lee Hooker, John Fahey, La Monte Young.
As solo performer, he explores new extended techniques and open tunings for guitars in electro-acoustic regions. Hard to label, his sounds move between structure and instrumental impro, melting pulses of arcane blues and minimalism into an abstract phonorama with a unique style.

#electroacustic #guitar impro #experimental guitar #experimental psychedelia #avant guitar #minimalistic guitar #Maurizio Curadi

PHONORAMA

Synesthesia of sound and vision, etruscan shadows and Tuscany ambience, Phonorama is Maurizio Curadi’s first work, matured in years of private research. A work for guitar and echoes made from edited live-in-the studio takes, conceived as LP: two sequences/scenes of 20 mins each. After the flight of Red Kite, there are N.O.D. (a visionary impro based on a new extended technique for lap acoustic guitar, metals and echo) and Cicadas (an episode for 12 strings and fields recordings of cicada choirs), both sections of larger WIPs. Water Well closes the first batch (primitive blues figures iterate on banjolin from early 1900s). The second sequence includes Windmill Blues (12 strings + metal brush) and Variazioni I-VI (a long hemiola impro exploring modal regions, incl. Twig). The Extra acts as a sort of invisibile side 3 : an electric live session divided into a brief view (Meridiana), 10 free impro waves for slack strings, springdrum, daxophone and objects, and an impromptu for echoed upright piano. (From the inner notes).

Maurizio Curadi – chitarre, corde, echi, oggetti
Music by Maurizio Curadi © 2019
Produced by Maurizio Curadi – 2019 and licensed to Area Pirata
Recorded @ Big Wave (Niko Santaniello)
Mixed by MC, NOD studio/Photos © M.Curadi, Isabella Monti Richard Allen – Shindig #99 12/2019

A bloom of ’80s neo-Italian psych related albums this month includes this solo album by ex-Steeplejack guitarist Maurizio Curadi. Formed in 1986 and signed to Electric Eye, Steeplejack were very much nfluenced by West Coast American bands such as The Grateful Dead with flashes of 13th Floor Elevators and a dash of Gun Club.
Their intense acid-rock is a million miles from the contents of this purely instrumental effort, which involves simple guitar and various effects. It is comparable to perhaps the instrumental experimentation of John Martyn with repetitive guitar patterns and echo creating a mesmerising immersive sound that also draws on Steve Reich and John Fahey. ‘Cicadas’ is quite beautiful, layering the improvisations over the repetitive chirp of, er, cicadas, whereas ‘Water Well’ is a nod to one of Maurizio’s influences, John Lee Hooker, successfully blending a primitive acoustic blues sound with experimental improvisation. Fascinating

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