Antonella Ruggiero
Registrazioni Moderne

Experimenting is certainly one of the most beautiful things when it comes to music, as it reflects the variety of ideas from certain artists. However, there are both well-done experiments and those less fortunate. Well, fortunately for this CD, it falls into the former category.

Genovese singer Antonella Ruggiero is one of the most beautiful female voices in Italian music, and we all knew that. After leaving her "parent group" Matia Bazar, she's been able to accomplish some very interesting projects.

Her second solo album after the very intriguing "Libera," "Registrazioni Moderne" contains reimaginings of old classics made with Matia, this time with the help of various personalities and groups from the Italian music scene of that era. Except for the first track, the Sanremo song (not with Matia) "Amore Lontanissimo," which is marvelous from start to finish. So where did Ruggiero hit the mark? Simple. Each song, in its new guise, gains a new kind of vitality, perhaps becoming even more beautiful than the original version. The dub-rock (it's not easy for me to find a suitable definition) of "Per Un'Ora D'Amore" and "Il Video Sono Io," both with Subsonica, is as hypnotic as it gets from my point of view (I consider the former, in this version, one of the best tracks of 1998). But that's not all: this rock soul is still present, evidenced by the energy of "Elettrochoc" and "Fantasia" with the legendary Bluvertigo, which seem to come straight from "Metallo Non Metallo" and "Acidi e Basi"... particularly noteworthy is Andy's saxophone performance in the latter! And who would have ever expected a hip hop experiment with Esa (formerly Otierre) and La Pina in "Solo Tu"? Here, everyone holds their own, and it's worth mentioning that La Pina as a solo artist doesn't convey the same emotions felt with the help of Otierre (see "Dalla Sede")!

Ars Ludi transforms "Stasera Che Sera" into a trip-hop lullaby... a few seconds in and you're already being lulled by a sweet melody. "Vacanze Romane" with the Rapsodija Trio is more like a vacation in France than in Rome... with that accordion and those strings... a kind of dive into the past in my opinion. Also recommended is the version featuring the talented electronic manipulator Madaski, from Africa Unite, who adds a nice rhythm to an already beautiful restyling. "Cavallo Bianco," featuring a collaboration with Scisma, would have been perfect as a bonus track on the masterful yet little-known "Rosemary Plexiglas." Settevite should pale in comparison to how Timoria transformed "Ti Sento": something powerfully compelling, further confirming how this group was truly important to the Italian scene. And anyone now thinking about Seattle, the '90s, can comfortably listen to almost 6 minutes of "Aristocratica," performed with Ritmo Tribale, a band at the time very close to the grunge movement of the good old days. The cherry on the cake, Banda Osiris presents a "Mister Mandarino" in a reggae style (!), concluding with a delightful yodel.

Anyone unfamiliar with this alternative Ruggiero should give this work at least one listen in their lifetime; they might feel the same sensations I experienced. Because here, too, the rule of "LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE" applies, and then everyone can do as they please. You don't know what you're missing.