Italian electronic producer Antoni Maiovvi first emerged last year with his ultra-limited debut album ‘Electro Muscle Cult’ on Posthuman’s Seed label, a record that saw him deftly fusing Italo-disco, electro and house elements in the vein of Black Strobe and Giorgio Moroder with more sinister synth undertones reminiscent of Goblin’s seminal scores for giallo auteur Dario Argento. One year on, this second album ‘Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss’ sees Maiovvi making a return to the dancefloor, and as the title suggests, things remain firmly on the twisted Carpenter-meets-Argento side of horror and sci-fi. After setting the scene with ‘Nightmoves’ beatless collision of eerie ‘Exorcist’-style descending synths and ominous swelling bass, the delicate keys that introduce ‘Witchcraft’ almost offer up some comparatively beatific calm before glittering electro snares lock into place around cowbells and swirling synth arpeggios, taking the entire track off on a decidedly retro Italo electro path that recalls ‘Confusion’-era New Order. Elsewhere, ‘Velocity Central’ offers a sinister nightdrive through moody, shimmering Italo synths and punching kickdrum rhythms that calls to mind some of Black Strobe mainman Arnaud Rebotini’s recent ‘Music Components’ solo effort, before the fabulously titled ‘SEX6000′ pushes things towards more contemporary tech-house vibes, albeit with an undeniable Harold Faltermeyer synth influence lurking in there. While much of ‘Shadow Of The Blood Stained Kiss’ amounts to homage, it’s certainly a classy one and fans of the likes of The Hacker and the aforementioned Black Strobe should be thrilled. With only 300 copies of the physical CD release available though, you’ll want to move fast.
Chris Downton
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