Fire On Us
Devotion
Recondita Stirpe
Raskolnikov
Lords Of The Unknown

This Genovese act comes through the voluminous Misty Circles catalogue to be distributed exclusively by HauRuck! SPQR, bolstering its catalogue of Italian neofolk. A short EP that just broaches twenty minutes in its five tracks.

As with other Italian neofolk, Recondita Stirpe delivers a unique slant on the genre by ballads of glittering melancholy. Each track chimes, crystallizing their ubiquitous collection of instrumentation that despite the use of synthetic sampling and keyboards has a decidedly organic presence one could expect at a favoured Italian bar; in fact the quality of the recording impresses the EP as a live performance, flawlessly performed. Pounding percussion takes a backup role, military padding of toms and staccato snare roll and march, for it is traditionally derived melody that compels each song. It is the montage of voices led by soloist Christoff and the accompanying trio who chorus his melody lines that are the dominant force of the music. Resonant horns pattern and prefigure the vocals, sung in both English and Italian, with acoustic guitar edging out the backdrop.

The CDR is delivered in an oversized, mock-7” gatefold sleeve, full colour artwork on gloss, inside and out, featuring photos of the four contributors along with liner notes. The disc itself is laser printed directly to disc surface (not some stick-on inkjet here), attached in its own protective sleeve. Unique presentation for a unique act.

NYR