Netherworld "Algida Bellezza"

To say that this is soul music would not be correct. However to say this is music for the soul would so obviously be right. Behind the alias is Alessandro Tedeschi who also founded Glacial Movements and this selection of musical landscapes delves deep into his psyche – I suspect yours too when you listen. Composed entirely on a Roland VP9000 alongside a wash of various effects the music stretches out the imagination in ways to be revealed, as notes and the dialogue of sound is whispered, sometimes spoken more loudly and forcefully. Mastered and co-produced alongside Matteo Spinazzè Savaris the notes themselves talk several languages of emotional beauty and turmoil. And while it is difficult to describe it to a T, as music is such a personal and subjective matter, it is a deeply immersive experience that you will find yourself in. You may also find yourself lost in. There is an ecological story to be told as well, highlighted by the accompanying artwork which was shot by photographer Carsten Egevang, regarding Greenland’s endangered Sled Dog population. I guess that suggestion of loss comes from that not so hidden danger… Spanning five separate tracks I would also suggest that music of this scale which is not about melody and conventional song, but about something altogether more organic and primal, despite being created solely via electrical impulses, feels perfectly human.MAGAZINE 60

El italiano Netherworld vuelve a su sello Glacial Movements El italiano Alessandro Tedeschi, también conocido como Netherworld, ha decidido lanzar un nuevo álbum en su propio sello, la respetada plataforma de ambient Glacial Movements. Han pasado seis años desde su anterior largo en solitario en el sello (sin contar con su aportación a la serie ICEBERG con su trabajo Zastrugi) y vuelve con cinco composiciones inspiradas por el nacimiento de su hija en noviembre de 2015."Un impulso emocional muy fuerte llevó al artista a componer las texturas de las cinco canciones del álbum. Los paisajes sonoros se compusieron principalmente durante la noche mientras la pequeña princesa se acunaba en los brazos de su padre. Solo utilizó un instrumento: el Roland VP9000 conectado con un rack multiefectos", explican en la nota de prensa. "Las pistas de las canciones las envió a su amigo e ingeniero de sonido Matteo Spinazzè Savaris, quien además de realizar la mezcla y masterización final, también fue coproductor del disco".Para seguir con la tradición "ártica" del sello, Los cinco temas tienen como títulos los nombres en latín de cinco especies que habitan en el ártico: Vulpes lagopus (Zorro ártico), Somniosus microcephalus (Tiburón de Groenlandia), Orcinus orca (Orca), Monodon monoceros (Narval) y Ursus maritimus (Oso polar). Y la foto de portada fue tomada en Groenlandia por el fotógrafo Carsten Egevang para el proyecto Qimmeq cuyo objetivo es mostrar la importancia del perro de trineo de Groenlandia, tanto en Groenlandia actual como en el pasado. A la venta el 18 de octubre, escucha un par de temas bajo el tracklist, mira el vídeo que acompaña a otro de ellos y si te gusta reserva tu copia en Bandcamp.CLUBBING SPAIN

Netherworld video premiere @ DUBIKSDUBIKS

Dedicated to the birth of his daughter in 2015 we have the new recording by Rome’s Netherworld (Alessandro Tedeschi), Algida Bellezza (which may roughly translate to “beauty in Algier“). Singlehandedly using the Roland VP9000, his chilly atmospheres offering something altogether of the most compelling of ambient today, dare I term it a ‘sleepscape’. At Tedeschi’s side is producer Matteo Spinazzè who mastered and mixed this with a keen ear yielding a meditative vision in the most minimal, tranquil record this half of 2019. The titling, at first, needed further inspection, and turn out to be “Latin names of various animal species living in the arctic” like the sled dog appearing on the blizzard-like conditions depicted on Carsten Egevang‘s cover designed by Rutger Zuydervelt. These five elongated tracks (none of which tries to overstep the other) keep you in suspense and floating for three-quarters of an hour, and I can only want more. The works cycle and loop and rapt the listener into an unknown circumference that dazzles in fleeting repetition. It’s a challenge to write about this, as it tends to be more something you experience, of the body, something you feel moreso than try and rationalize. Still, the work is bathed in dappled shades, and illuminated with gradual gusty instances. The churning, almost avalanche-like falling amid a lots wilderness has become synonymous with the imprint in which Tedeschi runs himself. A lost world, mottled by its dusty vistas and given new breath by an enchanting (and intimate fatherly pride) celebration of his now four year old daughter Ginevra.TONESHIFT

Alessandro Tedeschi’s Glacial Movements label has been around quite a while now, and in this latest release it’s Alessandro’s own turn to shine under the spotlight. And, as the label name suggests, it’s entirely devoted to releasing ambient music of the cold and isolationist variety, music as a soundtrack to Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Let’s face it, many of us must have wondered what it would be like to visit either of the coldest regions on earth. Additionally, both the Arctic and Antarctic continents have appeared in popular culture (Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, Lovecraft’s ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ to name but two) and also in conspiracy theory (the hollow earth theory for one, the place insideour planet where all kinds of weirdnesses abound and having its entrance in the polar regions…). There’s no denying that it has captured the imaginations of a great many people throughout history. But let us not forget that both Polar Circles are home to an array of purely earth-based animals, and this album concentrates on those living within the Arctic. They are: Arctic Fox (Vulpes Lagopus), Greenland Shark (Somniosus Microcephalus), Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca), Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros), and Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus). And it would be as well to remember that, as robust and as implacable as both continents appear to the untrained eye, these creatures live within an extremely delicate and fragile environment, and it is this that makes them precious. Over and above that, Alessandro was inspired to record this album by something equally precious, delicate, and fragile – the birth of his daughter, who he would often cradle in his arm whilst recording. What delights, then, does Algida Bellezza (which is Italian for ‘icy beauty’) hold for the listener? Beginning with ‘Vulpes Lagopus’, the stunning Arctic Fox notable for its pure white fur, we are immediately greeted with wispy ethereal tones, a cold but gentle wind whipping up little flurries of snow. In the snowfield is a small mound, a noticeable bulge in an otherwise flat landscape. We may be tempted to move on, thinking it just another oddity in an odd land, but to our surprise the mound moves, and up pops the face of an Arctic Fox, whose slumbers we’ve just disturbed. It eyes us with disdain, and then gets up and trots off, until it disappears, a white shape on a white background, an astonishingly beautiful animal merging into an equally gloriously stunning landscape. The little fox is as ethereal as its surroundings, and its presence seems as ephemeral as a snowflake’s. ‘Somniosus Microcephalus’, the Greenland Shark, is a member of the sleeper shark family, and is also the longest-living vertebrate known (in fact, females are only sexually mature when they grow longer than 13 feet, which scientists believe takes 150 years to achieve). In Netherworld’s mini-bestiary it is described via ghostly whistles that start off just on the verge of audibility before gaining in strength, becoming a slow-moving howl that is perhaps descriptive of the creature itself. The shark’s life is a slow one, lasting for up to 400 years, swimming endlessly in the frigid waters of the Arctic. Nevertheless, the icy sweep of the drones here also describe a species of majesty, a kind of imperious movement befitting a creature that outlives many of the species it shares its environment with. ‘Orcinus Orca’ is also slow, but deeply imbued with a sense of mystery. Killer whales have been studied extensively, yet there are still many things that remain elusive about them. Cold tones combined with a crawling deep bass framework floating just below the surface somehow captures the essence of these highly sociable but predatory creatures. There’s even a sense of drama unfolding, as if a pod has been caught in the act of hunting, which they do cooperatively. Above all, we get the idea that, in spite of their looks, they are efficient hunters, and that it would be wise to avoid them. ‘Monodon Monoceros’ (Narwhals) seem to appear right out of some medieval bestiary, a creature of myth and legend whose horn gave rise to the legend of the unicorn. They’re curious creatures to be sure, but also possessed of a profound mystery, a biological curio that somehow defies the natural order of things. Netherworld’s rendering appears to reach out to us from some deep distance in time, perhaps to the youth of the world, with gentle, plangent tones, almost human in nature. It sets the hairs on the back of your neck to standing up, while a deep, deep rumbling can be heard, and felt, from time to time. This is deep time indeed, or so it seems, as well as a message from the depths of the ocean. Sonorous, magisterial, and deeply magical. Finally, we get to ‘Ursus Maritimus’, the polar bear, perhaps the most iconic Arctic species of all, and also the one animal most associated with the fragile state of its habitat due to climate concerns. It is as much of a ghost these days as the ethereal Arctic Fox is that I mentioned above. It is majestic, a visible symbol of survival in a harsh climate, a fighter, and the creature that most people would recognise. The track itself is a beautiful aurorae of harmonics and shifting percussive shuffles, moving precariously just like the floating islets of sea ice the bears use to get around and hunt. One can imagine a bear sniffing the breeze, or staring up at the twinkly lights above, or gazing at the strange dancing lights as the chords float and drift. It’s a solitary existence, here at the end of the world, but it means a measure of freedom, which the animal innately understands even it can’t articulate it to itself. One of the strongest things I got from listening to this, apart from revelling in the beauty of these far-flung lands, is that out of sight, out of mind. These creatures, this album seemed to be telling me, are living on borrowed time, but because we don’t see them (unless it’s on a TV screen) we forget about their plight. But it’s the very achingly beautiful vistas presented by these five pieces that should remind us that, while we live within four comfortable, warm walls, these wonderful and exotic creatures are perhaps heading for extinction, and once gone they’ll be gone for good. It’s sobering to think that even while I am sitting here typing these words, half a world away, there might be a polar bear wondering when (or if) it’s going to get its next meal. Behind the staggering beauty lies a sobering reality.1208 FULLERAVE BLOGSPOT

Se si eccettuano la divagazione ambient-dub di “Zastrugi” (2015) e il lavoro condiviso con Eraldo Bernocchi (“Himuro“, 2017), erano ben sei anni che Alessandro Tedeschi non era protagonista in prima persona di una delle uscite della sua Glacial Movements con il proprio alter-ego ambientale Netherworld. “Algida bellezza” si pone dunque quale ideale seguito di “Alchemy Of Ice” (2013) nella ricerca dell’artista romano di sonorità che incarnino gli aspetti di minuta vitalità di ambientazioni naturali ghiacciate in apparenza cristallizzate in una stasi perenne. Come già numerose proposte dell’etichetta da lui curato, “Algida bellezza” esplora l’ambiente naturale osservandolo attraverso lenti percettive intese a coglierne dinamiche fisiche ed emozionali, nell’occasione incarnate dai riferimenti alla fauna artica che ne contrassegnano tutte le cinque dense tracce, la media di durata delle quali sfiora i dieci minuti. Composto in corrispondenza della nascita della figlia di Tedeschi nel 2015, “Algida bellezza” reca con sé un senso di attesa e di condivisa inquietudine, proiettata sui fragili equilibri di un ecosistema rappresentato da una sequenza di echi e filtrati impulsi di tastiere. Tra saturazioni tenebrose e texture stratificate che a tratti suggeriscono parabole di placido abbandono sensoriale, Tedeschi sviluppa una compenetrazione tra ambiente naturale e partecipe dimensione umana, che dischiude gli sconfinati orizzonti di un ecosistema in lenta ma inesorabile trasformazione, elevato a metafora di una non meno sensibile sfera interiore, che continua a riscaldare sensibilmente i suoi scenari di isolazionismo ghiacciato.1208 MUSIC WON'T SAVE YOU

Inspired by first-time fatherhood, Glacial Movements label founder Alessandro Tedeschi - also known as Netherworld - has dedicated his latest album Algida Bellezza to his baby daughter. With its tracks named after the Latin labels for various Arctic-dwelling animals, the almost entirely synthesiser-driven collection is preoccupied with disappearing innocence and beauty. NORMANN RECORDS

Glacial Movements founder Netherworld (Alessandro Tedeschi) presents another set of wintry ambiences in the form of new LP Algida Bellezza. This is a record of muffled and sombre drones, one that conjures up mental images that are as icy as its cover artwork. Imagine a far less bombastic version of what bvdub has been doing the past few years and you’re on the right track with Algida Bellezza. Glacial Movements by name, Glacial Movements by nature.BLEEP

Algida Bellezza is Alessandro Tedeschi‘s seventh album for Glacial Movements and it is another release that fits perfectly into their oeuvre. Over five mistily submerged tracks, a bleak, monochrome landscape is evoked through the slow moving actions of Netherworld‘s electronic drones and mysterious unseen sounds that lurk in the flailing snow storms that envelope the fractured pieces on offer here. This is how I imagine a slow trek through the Arctic would unfold, with whiteout conditions turning the visibility to zero and having to rely on hearing and smell to guide your way; but for all the blizzards, there are moments of clarity when the storms stop and suddenly a breathtaking vista of ice and mountain unfolds before you. Wrapped in warm clothes, dragging a sled, this is your soundtrack. squeals and thrums of the body moving through narrow spacesEverything is opaque, nothing is really clear and the slow drone scours the landscape, all grey and white with hints of the very edges of blue. It is this absence of colour, something which we in more temperate areas take for granted, that is so well represented here; but at one point on “Somniosus Microcephalus”, the sounds resemble an underground train passing through a frozen station. The whine of the electric motor, the monotonous sound of the track joints, the squeals and thrums of the body moving through narrow spaces as the vibrations make their way into the seating area, the whole things a smorgasbord of sound that also contains imagined warmth from the external chill.It isn’t all comforting though. The slow, dark, cavernous metallic elements of “Orcinus Orca” clash like scaffold poles loose in a sea of ghostly, almost human groans that upset the ambience. The light and dark, the known and unknown are unwelcome bedfellows as the album progresses. Your senses definitely aren’t always to be trusted as the metallic slashing in “Ursus Maritimus” sits in the distance, muffled and mesmeric; the sound of a descent into unreality, again the blurring of light and dark, form and phantasm taking place before you, but unwilling to be confronted. Algida Bellezza is at times disconcerting, but in the comfort and warmth of your own home, it is worth allowing this series of blurred soundscapes take you to some unexpected places.FREQ

Those who pay close attention to the obscure fringes of the ambient scene may already be familiar with Alessandro Tedeschi aka Netherworld. Although he's not been particularly active of late, he's released umpteen quietly impressive - and often icy - sets on the Glacial Movements label he established some years ago. "Algida Bellezza" was originally recorded in November 2015 following the birth of his daughter, with Tedeschi creating everything using a Roland VP-900 and multi-effects rack. These tracks were then remixed and reinterpreted by co-producer Matteo Spinazze Savaris, who shaped them into evocative, slowly shifting arctic epics in the style of Norwegian ambient don Biosphere. Well worth a listen if you're a fan of the latter.JUNO RECORDS

The title of this track by Rome-based artist Alessandro Tedeschi (aka Netherworld), comes from the Latin name for polar bear. Created entirely on a Roland VP-9000 connected to a multi-effect rack, and while cradling his baby daughter, this majestic excursion into arctic ambience lives up to its title. Icy cold soundscapes hover in stasis, while bass rumbles and a clustered rhythmic sample stumble on like a gentle giant trudging through deep snow.DJ MAG

After a few years’ hiatus Glacial Movements‘ artistic director, Alessandro Tedeschi aka Netherworld, is back with Algida Bellezza. Alchemy of Ice (2013) signaled something of a landmark in his recording career, followed by Zastrugi (2015) and Himuro (2017) with Eraldo Bernocchi. On the back of the birth of his daughter in November 2015, it’s dedicated to her, the soundscapes being composed mainly during the night while she was cradled in Papa’s arms, using only one instrument—the Roland VP9000 connected with a multi-effect rack. Titles invoke various arctic species: Vulpes lagopus (arctic fox), somniosus microcephalus (Greenland Shark), orcinus orca (Orca), monodon monoceros (narwhal) and ursus maritimus (polar bear). A parallel perhaps between the beauty, innocence and fragility of a newborn baby girl and that of the flora and fauna of the fragile Arctic ecosystems.IGLOO MAG

What’s the story? There is a deeply personal story behind the composition of Algida Bellezza. The man behind NETHERWORLD is the founder of Glacial Movements, Alessandro Tedeschi, and he wrote the core music of the album, which loosely translates as ‘frozen beauty’, in 2015. Each of the five ‘movements’ were born – literally – as he cradled his new daughter. In June 2019 the music was mixed and mastered by Tedeschi’s good friend, sound engineer Matteo Spinazzè Savaris – and the completed album ready for release. As the cover would suggest it is a great example of Tedeschi’s chilly ambience, which this time takes the all-important Greenland sled dog as its principal focus. The titles of the five tracks all relate to a prominent species of the area – respectively Vulpes lagopus (Arctic Fox), Somniosus microcephalus (Greenland Shark), Orcinus orca (Orca), Monodon monoceros (Narwhal) and Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear). What’s the music like? Tedeschi has a way of working that is both ambient but incredibly intense too. The five soundscapes here are characterised by thick textures that resemble weather systems, each putting forward prominent melodic features that work in slowly orbiting loops. Vulpes lagopus is large in scope, the arctic fox taking very slow, recurring musical breaths, establishing ‘D’ as a tonal base but allowing for other thoughts too. Somniosus microcephalus is almost claustrophobic, its profile like that of a big ocean liner or an incredibly dense cloud with small musical points of reference to hang on to. It effectively wraps the listener in a comforting swathe of cotton wool.Orcinus orca captures the good and the bad of the killer whale, the passage of a large body expertly portrayed but also its foreboding and potentially inflammatory nature. Monodon monoceros – like the narwhal it portrays – is slower and gentler, the music dominated by soft minor key chords. Finally Ursus maritimus matches the white of the polar bear, with a lovely sound the listener can really dive into. Tedeschi uses a big bass drum and cymbal effect akin to large waves crashing in the near foreground, before the music settles onto a long sustained note and ultimately settles to rest – even hibernation. Does it all work? Yes. Tedeschi brings remarkable depth to his compositions, a blend of easy on the ear ambience and cautionary harmonies that imply everything on the surface is not as comfortable as it seems. This is cold, wintry music that moves slowly, best summarised in visual terms like an icebreaker in the Antarctic – but also managing to portray the five different species in the track titles. Knowing of Tedeschi’s connection to his little girl only heightens the emotional impact of the music. Is it recommended? Yes. Despite its difficult title, Algida Bellezza is typical of Glacial Movements’ output. It works for listeners approaching it from the electronic side but also the classical, where listeners will appreciate the natural, stately development of its ideas. Crucially it is also incredibly ambient and immersive!ARCANA FM

Italian composer and Glacial Movements label owner Alessandro Tedeschi has released a very particular work. It’s not exactly in the format or content, but in the concept. He asks an interesting question about a possible existing ‘parallel between the beauty, innocence and fragility of a newborn baby girl and that of the flora and fauna present in the fragile arctic ecosystems’. The main reason to this subject is the birth of his daughter, Ginevra, to whom the entire album is dedicated. Content: Netherworld in a way is an ambassador of the Glacial Movements ‘sound’. Who better than the label owner can feature the approach and sound philosophy? We’re diving into an abyssal journey where prosperity and anxiety are joining together. The tracks have been accomplished with multiple effects and electronic manipulations. It’s a work with a strong visual appeal, and also reflects some intimacy. + + + : Netherworld has accomplished a deeply intimate work. The mysterious and abyssal sonic atmosphere is made of great sound treatments and noises. I especially like the kind of deep, humming sound waves emerging from a track as “Somniosus Microcephalus”. Another attention grabber is the last track “Ursus Maritimus”, which is more elaborated, but still creating a cold-cellar feeling. – – – : This is a great work and a beautiful ode to the artist’s new born daughter, but the album is maybe just missing a real apotheosis. Conclusion: Alessandro Tedeschi has released a poignant work; even if it’s not easy to see the parallel between the joy of parents with their new born child and the overwhelming nature of the arctic continent, this sonic exploration makes sense!Rate: (8).SIDE LINE

Performed by the Italian musician Alessandro Tedeschi - owner of the prestigious label Glacial Movements Records - the solo-act Netherworld was founded in 2004 with the main objective of musically exteriorising the entire introspective dimension of the protagonist, through an efficient set of electronic technicalities that incorporate, elaborate and shape vibrant emotions, finally transforming them into a sound capable of dissociating the listener from his perception of reality and amplifying every energy directly connected to his extrasensory activity. The evocative function of Netherworld, variably oriented towards themes inspired by the elements of Nature, or tending towards the stimulation of the psychic sphere, also proposes to explore the innermost depths of the mind, decrypting the multiple signals coming from the subconscious-unconscious cerebral subsoil, but also to transcribe in sound form the most significant events that occurred in the artist's life, this through the transmission of specific ambient / drone / dark-ambient / minimal / field-recordings frequencies able to awaken new and extraordinarily intense sensations. The musical journey of Alessandro Tedeschi was characterized in the past times by a constructive militancy into the Liquid Ghosts, creators of the album "La Camera Obscura" ( 2004 / Umbra ) , which is also today a fundamental document in the Italian drone / ambient scene. The highly prolific record production of Netherworld initially start from the album "Eternal Frost" ( 2004 / Umbra ) , followed by the full-length "Hermetic Thoughts" ( 2004 / Umbra ) , "Otherworldly Abyss" ( 2005 / Umbra ) , "Firmament In Obscurity" ( 2005 / Umbra ) , "Six Impending Clouds" (2005 / Gears Of Sand ) , "Kall - The Abyss Where Dreams Fall" ( 2007 / Mondes Elliptiques ) , "Mørketid" ( 2007 / Glacial Movements Records ) , by the split "Magma To Ice" ( 2008 / Fario ) , shared with the German-Canadian ambient / drone / metal project Nadja, succeeded therefore by the albums "Over The Summit" ( 2011 / Glacial Movements Records ) , "Alchemy Of Ice" ( 2013 / Glacial Movements Records ) , "Zastrugi" ( 2015 / Glacial Movements Records ) , "Himuro" ( 2017 / Glacial Movements Records ) - produced in collaboration with Italian musician / producer / sound-designer Eraldo Bernocchi - and by this new "Algida Bellezza" ( 2019 / Glacial Movements Records ) , now reviewed by Vox Empirea. Mentionable for their authoritativeness are the three Extended Plays "Lost" ( 2005 / Penumbra ) - conceived in cooperation with the Italian artist / communication and management consultant Fiorenza Gherardi de Candei - , "Postcards From The Void" ( 2005 / Penumbra ) - performed with the contribution of the Italian ambient-drone / minimal solo-venture Oophoi - and "EP Collection Vol.7" ( 2006 / Penumbra ) - recorded with the participation of Oophoi and Liquid Ghosts. The mini Hallucinations ( 2007 / Taâlem ) and the appearances in the compilations "Lágrimas De Miedo N° 13 - Parhélie ( 2007 / Fear Drop )" plus "Lágrimas De Miedo N° 17 - Polar Twist" ( 2014 / Fear Drop ) conclude the list of publications. The five tracks included in "Algida Bellezza", arranged, mastered and mixed by the sound engineer Matteo Spinazzè, globally anthologize the typical compositional style of Netherworld, projecting enchanted soundscapes, capable of mentally portraying the most vivid cognition of Arctic territory and of its autochthonous fauna, the latter at the base of every episode of the tracklist, whose subjects are boreal animals scientifically named and illustrated by ample, incorporeal emissions of pads, subterranean percussiveness, reverberating droning structures and by electronic fades similar to iced exhalations. The sounds hover diaphanous, misty, slowly, conveyed in the air as cumuliform masses with a different density, or emanating spectral dilatations that rise reaching the celestial vault, for then gradually disappear into oblivion as seen in slow motion. Ethereal modulations like the visions of a dream, capture, subjugate, hypnotize, induce reflection, expand infinitely the line spacing of the horizon that stands in front of the third eye, in an increasingly rarefied and distant evanescence, until its progressive, torpid disintegration. With Netherworld, the notes become an abstract representation that goes beyond the traditional concept of "melody", interpreting solely ambient music as a tool to arouse in the auditor visceral suggestions. Sound interacts with brain chemistry. The best tracks of "Algida Bellezza", chosen for you by Vox Empirea:: - "Orcinus Orca" : chords of annihilated musicality elevate in placid waves of black vapor, generating slow suspensions among which to float, while symphonies of cosmic darkness and dronescapes sink placidly into the abyss with spiraled movements. The dark-ambient is the mysterious force that will push you virtually under the icy surface of the Polar Ocean. - "Ursus Maritimus": energized in its first phase by asynchronous rhythmical loops, this song spreads narcotic keyboard extensions and ascensional-descensional currents of sound at subzero temperature, in which stand out the fascinating evolutions of drones, in a whole of apparent figurative immobility, sense of alienation, of solemnity and of total abandonment. You will experience all the shades of the cold on the skin. Conclusions: Atmospherically 'mind expanding', essential and of incomparable qualitative level, the formulas of Netherworld constitute the maximum expression of the sonic evolution achievable by human iintelligence. They condition the perceptive faculties of the listener, who will be psychically harmonized with an artificial world, oscillating between flights on parabolas of semi-darkness and sinking in absolutely light-free chasms. "Algida Bellezza": over forty-four minutes in apnea into the dark-ambient hyperspace.WOX EMPIREA

Il n’est, a priori, rien de moins propice à l’attendrissement que les étendues désolées des zones polaires. Un musicien comme Alessandro Tedeschi le sait bien, qui sous le nom de Netherworld parcourt depuis de nombreuses années les méandres musicaux d’une surface de banquise sans cesse redessinée par le vent et les jeux miroitants du soleil. Pourtant, à part soi, on ne peut s’exonérer de l’émotion, et je pense que la musique de Netherworld a toujours conservé cette poche de survie, ce cœur chaud irradiant dans l’étendue gelée. Qu’il s’agisse des belles variations harmoniques ou des vagues synthétiques gardant leur souplesse même au plus froid du blizzard, il est bien question d’émotion et l’un des enjeux alors est de ne pas s’abîmer dans le sentimentalisme. Aujourd’hui, la tâche est plus grande encore car Alessandro Tedeschi a conçu Algida Belleza (« beauté glacée ») comme un double hommage : à la naissance de sa fille, aux espèces arctiques menacées. Ou comment tailler la gemme sans qu’elle apparaisse comme pacotille. Le métier, la conscience artistique, le timbre permettent un tel exercice vertueux, et Algida Belleza est une œuvre qui montre une nouvelle fois la richesse du détail d’une surface a priori sans accroc, celle de la fascinante microscopie. Pour mieux dire, il semble que cette musique ambiante glacée bénéficie alors d’un surcroît de potentiel figuratif qui se laisse deviner sans jamais s’afficher plus que la silhouette aperçue, prisonnière dans la matière bleue du glacier. Par exemple dans le morceau Somniosus Microcephalus, les vagues synthétiques partant en fuseaux détaillés, séparés par quelques secondes, se synchronisent sur la pulsation érodante d’un cœur enfoui dans la moraine, et l’on pense autant aux beaux territoires frontières d’Asmus Tietchens qu’aux réverbérations de Christoph Heemann et Andrew Chalk dans Mirror. Ailleurs, dans le morceau dédié au narval, Monodon Monoceros, la vague se résout en une succession minimale de flux et reflux mélancoliques, un mouvement simple et pur comme ont pu l’atteindre quelques figures seulement de la musique ambiante, Eno, Basinski ou Final. Alors jamais l’attendrissement ne le cède à la mièvrerie, loin de là, et le surcroît d’émotion qui a saisi le musicien, joie et peine confondues, s’est tressé dans des gestes qu’il connaît et maîtrise, avec ce supplément de fragilité vibrante, comme la perle de glace bercée par le drone et menaçant de se détacher à chaque ébrouement dans le morceau Ursus Maritimus, comme une larme de glace menaçant de se briser au premier réchauffement de l’œil encapuchonné.FEAR DROP

Plaatsen die de mens vergeten is, ijzige landschappen, bloemenvelden die eeuwig met ijs bedekt zijn, ijsbergen die tegen elkaar opbotsen. Glacial Movements is een label dat ontstaan is om deze gedachten en beelden door geluid te beschrijven en te verspreiden. Dat je dan genregewijs al snel bij dark ambient en drone uitkomt, zal menig lezer niet verbazen. Ook labelbaas Alessandro Tedeschi (Netherworld) houdt zich hier graag mee bezig. Zijn soundscapes zijn voornamelijk gecomponeerd door extreme manipulaties van fragmenten uit klassieke muziek en field recordings. Denk hierbij aan het geluid van massa’s ijs, het geluid van de aurora borealis of de adem van ijzige wind, direct opgenomen in de arctische gebieden van onze planeet. Algida Bellezza is al zijn dertiende album, en is er wederom eentje geworden dat je zonder dikke winterjas niet overleven zal. Doch, schijn bedriegt! De bron van inspiratie op dit album verwijst naar een gebeurtenis waar Tedeschi lang op gewacht heeft, maar die deze keer mijlenver weg staat van de gekende glaciale thema’s: de geboorte van zijn dochter in november 2015. Dit werk is volledig aan haar gewijd. Een zeer sterke emotionele impuls bracht de artiest ertoe de texturen van de vijf nummers op het album samen te stellen. De soundscapes werden voornamelijk ‘s nachts gecomponeerd, terwijl de kleine prinses in de armen van haar vader werd gewiegd. Tedeschi gebruikte slechts 1 instrument – de Roland VP9000 die verbonden was met een effectenbakje. Het is niet zo dat Netherworld nu opeens anders klinkt, want zonder deze informatie hadden we dus daadwerkelijk gezworen dat we ons wederom te midden van een sneeuwstorm bevonden. Om de verwarring nog wat groter te maken verwijzen de titels van de composities naar de Latijnse namen van verschillende diersoorten die in het Noordpoolgebied leven: ‘Vulpes Lagopus’ (poolvos), ‘Somniosus Microcephalus’ (Groenlandse haai), ‘Orcinus Orca’ (orka), ‘Monodon Monoceros’ (narwal) en ‘Ursus Maritimus’ (ijsbeer). Misschien bestaat er een parallel tussen de schoonheid, onschuld en kwetsbaarheid van een pasgeboren baby en die van de flora en fauna die aanwezig zijn in de fragiele Arctische ecosystemen? Het antwoord op deze vraag zal je kunnen beantwoorden na beluistering van dit album. De mooie hoesfoto werd in Groenland genomen door fotograaf Carsten Egevang voor het Qimmeq project. Dit project wil het belang van de Groenlandse sledehond aantonen -zowel in het huidige Groenland als in het verleden. Groenland heeft de grootste overgebleven sledehondenpopulatie van het Noordpoolgebied en een wereldwijd unieke traditionele hondensledecultuur. Maar zowel de sledehond als de bijhorende cultuur worden met uitsterven bedreigd. De hondenpopulatie is teruggebracht van 31000 honden twintig jaar geleden tot een huidig dieptepunt van minder dan 15000 en de situatie wordt alleen meer erger. De afnemende zee-ijsbedekking ten gevolge van klimaatopwarming en concurrentie van sneeuwscooters wordt verantwoordelijk gehouden voor de huidige alarmerende situatie. Stof om over na te denken, en nog liever er naar te handelen. In tijden dat de wintermaanden dichter bij de 10 graden dan naar het vriespunt leunen is een artiest als Netherworld haast een nostalgische verademing. Het kille wolkje rook dat hierbij uit onze mond ontsnapt, nemen we er graag bij.DARK ENTRIES