Regardless of which geographic region or country they reside, improvising artists continue to
push the envelop of originality and musicality by exploring the endless possibilities of sound
reproduction. The Italian electronically infused quartet I/O is on just that sort of mission. Drummer
Paolo
Benzoni ignites the staccato music with abrupt thrusts while guitarist Luca Mauri plays with similar
disconnected phraseology. Paolo Romano handles the jarring bass work, and Andrea Reali
contributes throaty voice utterances as a fourth instrument of this most adventurous group.
The quartet sails on a sea of cacophony. The music is spontaneous and contains no
overdubbing. I/O experimented over several months with live electronics, yielding a series of
seven songs that combine broken lines with a minimal amount of sustained flow. Each member gets
the maximum amount of production from the sound of the moment. Groups on notes are articulated
by Mauri on guitar, Reali picks up on the concept and transforms it into voice improvisations, and
Benzoni and Romano set up a droning, repetitive arrhythmic front to sustain the hypnotic pulse.
While reoccurring phrases are stock in trade for I/O, the band encounters endless possibilities
along the strange avenues it chooses to trespass. Mauri makes his guitar sing out with reiterative
sequences designed to put one in a trance-like state. The spell casting works its magic on Reali,
who produces guttural groans or high-pitched squeaks in conformity with the whir of buzzing that
abounds.
Stress on the beat also pervades this music. For example, “IOBISB” uses a four-beat backdrop
where one note of the series is heavily emphasized by Mauri on a rotating basis. On “IOBIS2,”
Romano takes a similar approach with arco injections that build in intensity but continue the
original sequence at magnified tempo.
Benzoni splatters this unusual soundscape with cymbal crashes and interrupted strokes in
keeping with the band’s philosophy. Each selection takes a different disjointed stance but promotes
a consistently crisp motif. The result is a recording of unique tonality highlighting the efforts of one
group in search for newness. This music will grow on you but only after sustained exposure.
Visit www.ebriarecords.com.
~ Frank Rubolino
