Short Reviews [Officina F.lli Seravalle - 2019 - "Tajs!"]

This Italian band comprises the brothers Alessandro Seravalle (guitars, pedalboard, e.bow, electronics, samples, synths, guitarorgan, objects) and Gianpietro Seravalle (rhythms, synths, piano, frequency generator, speech samples, effects) along with guests Clarissa Durizzotto (saxophone) and Claudio Milano (vocals), who contribute occasionally. I first came across Alessandro some 25 years ago and the third album by Garden Wall, ‘The Seduction of Madness’. I finished that particular review by saying “ If you want to try something really unusual then seek this out, but do not blame me if you do not like it.” The years have done nothing to mellow his approach, as to be honest, this could have exactly the same comment applied. The name of the band can be translated as Workshop of the Seravalle Brothers, and this feels almost like a laboratory as the band take the music wherever they wish, not always leading where the listener either expects or desires. I listen to a lot of music which people probably wouldn’t even class as music, but I found this album really hard to get inside and understand. I have tried really hard to do so, as I am sure the failing is much more on my part than theirs, but although I enjoy the heavily experimental nature of what they are doing, there are also times when they move into areas where there is an almost dance beat to the groove and my brain just refuses to play anymore when that comes in. Too experimental for any dance crowd unless they are high on something synthetic, but too dance oriented for any serious proghead, I can imagine the album going down well at the massive raves that used to be organised, but in the current climate this isn’t really something I want to listen to for pleasure at home. Electronic, different and very strange, refer back to my sentence from 1995.