Cacciapaglia, Roberto
Sonanze
First album by Italian avant-garde composer. 'Sonanze' (Sonatas) is Cacciapaglia's debut album, a monumental work that was recorded over a two-year period and released in 1975 via seminal German label Die Kosmischen Kuriere (Ohr). While a "sonata" is traditionally performed by easily distinguishable instrumentalists (often soloist and accompaniment) and with repeated structural themes, Cacciapaglia flips this hierarchical form on its head - blending harpsichord, strings, brass and analog synths to create ambient mini-soundtracks. Mixed in quadrophonic surround-sound under the auspices of Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser (celebrated producer of Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel), 'Sonanze' remains on the fringe of Kosmische realms. Each movement explores hypnotic rhythms, intuitive arrangements, musique concrète techniques and a pure psychedelic awakening. Recommended for fans of Krzysztof Penderecki, Popol Vuh and Jon Hassell.