Maurizio Bianchi is an Italian noise music legend, who has been making records since 1979, and has amassed a discography of over 50 releases, both solo, and in collaboration with other artists. Maor Appelbaum is an Israeli musician/producer/sound engineer who has been involved in numerous solo and band projects.
Environmental Meditations sees the two collaborate on an album which is themed around the physiology of the human brain. The oxymoronic album title suggests both a looking outward to the environment, and also a looking inward, perhaps in contemplation. This is a demanding, dark listen – and yet one which offers rich rewards for the patient listener.
Across six long tracks deep waves of scarlet sound ebb and flow in rich stochastic movements. Sit down and listen to this with your full attention, and time is suspended – your very being is caught in the swell and roar of the sonic maelstrom. It’s almost as if Bianchi & Appelbaum have captured the sound of our own blood rushing and pulsing through our veins. I found listening to this had an almost narcotic effect – the paradox being that this noise could induce a state of deep relaxation in me.
If you are intrigued, Bianchi has numerous free MP3′ available at http://www.theesonicabyss.com/maurizio_bianchi.html
