A strong piece of sonic beauty that doesn’t attach itself exclusively to any time or genre. Ambient, jazz, electronica, classical, darkness and light, it’s all there somewhere, woven meticulously and fluidly into a deep explorative voyage.
Although the progressive rock reincarnation solo projects of Porcupine Tree’s front man and creative engine, Steven Wilson, get most of the attention since the band went on hiatus, the band’s talented, vital tentacles—bassist Colin Edwin, drummer Gavin Harrison and keyboardist Richard Barbieri—explore uncharted sonic territories that deserve just as much amount of attention. Barbieri has released his own new solo effort earlier this month on Kscope.
Barbieri was never one of those virtuoso keyboard players concentrating on fast solos and technique displays. Instead, to each and every project he contributes he brings something else, a more minimalist approach, focusing on atmosphere, fluidity and effectiveness. His shadowy, elusive yet powerful sounds are always well felt, whether lurking mysteriously or bursting into the forefront. With Planets + Persona he takes his sound and style to new levels of experimental creativity. The album is a strong piece of sonic beauty that doesn’t attach itself exclusively to any time or genre.
Ambient, jazz, electronica, classical, darkness and light, it’s all there somewhere, woven meticulously and fluidly into a deep explorative voyage. With contributions from several co-conspirators and emphasis on texture, shape, space and movement, Barbieri elegantly generates abstract drama, tension and electric panorama free of any kind of pretentiousness or grandiosity. A unique work of an innovatively eccentric mind.
Planets + Persona is available on Kscope.
