Sola Macaulay

Enigma is the third collaborative CD by Opium (Matteo Zini) and Alio Die. Here the duo present mystifying a series of eight "imaginary landscapes" where beats are totally absent and musical structure is loose and meandering. The atmospheres are frequently disquieting, haunting and full of subtle perplexity. Acoustic and organic sounds are embedded deep within hazy drone textures, the artists employing drones and loops, zither, flutes bells and field recordings with Opium focusing on programming and wave editings. It must be said thought at the sounds produced by the items listed are not necessarily those you might expect, these guys are not into dainty melodies and sweet tunes.

Sola Translatio is a collaborative work between the italian ambient sound master Alio Die (best known for his previous collaborations with ambient & experimental artists like Robert Rich & Vidna Obmana), and younger Italian newcomer Opium(Matteo Zini). The music moves on abstract drones, minimal rhythms, and "found sounds," rather than being spooky or boring, spreads a calming layer of gentle sound over the listener. It has a nocturnal but serene quality, and feels like the soundtrack for long quiet hours in an elegant Oriental country retreat. It evokes a place one would like to return to, rather than a nightmare from which one struggles to wake. Its a tapestry of mesmerizing low-rumbling melodies/frequencies for a deep listening, where the sounds of nature are always present.