NichelOdeon / InSonar & Relatives - 2021 - Incidenti-Lo Schianto

(77:05; Snowdonia)

NichelOdeon came together from a series of compositions at the end of the Nineties by composer, singer and performer Claudio Milano, with a group taking shape some time later with their debut album released in 2010. Another two followed in fairly quick succession but then there was an extensive gap until this was released in 2021. This album is probably best described by the cover art where we find Claudio in different positions and moods, as this album contains performances by four different musical entities, namely NichelOdeon, Not Me, InSonar and This Order, all of which have Claudio at their heart. In the small booklet he details what each group attempts to achieve, and interestingly he refers to each one of them as a project as opposed to a band, and there is definitely the feeling that this is music which has a huge visual content as opposed to just aural.

The music is progressive, eclectic, RIO, avant-garde, chaotic yet controlled and always with the understanding that it is designed to make the listener think. Some of the lyrics are in English, many in Italian, and one feels being absorbed into a musical theatre which is true art, yet there is no doubt that many people will feel this is just uncontrolled noise. This really is only for people who feel they have wide tastes in music and can open their minds to different experiences, who feel Art Zoyd and Can should be considered mainstream and not exciting or intriguing enough for their adventuring minds. There are spoken word passages, beautiful harmonies, scraped violins, and a desire to always be non-conformist while also not falling into repetition. That there are four quite different projects taking part never matters as the album works incredibly well as a whole, just that each one takes their own theme and pushes in a different direction while all starting from the base of Claudio Milano.

This is not music to be taken lightly, or to be played in the company of those with a weak disposition, and is certainly not something to be enjoyed on first time of playing, as this will take repeated listenings on headphones before one starts to get inside Claudio’s mind and understand what he is trying to achieve. This will certainly not be for everyone, but for those with broad tastes this is something which needs to be give the care and attention it deserves.

Kev Rowland, February 2023

Links:
https://www.claudiomilano.it/
https://www.facebook.com/SnowdoniaDischi/