Boris Savoldelli
Insanology

When people say that there is no experimentation in music in Italy, that there isn't an underground musical scene on par with foreign countries, they are actually spouting nonsense... Those who speak this way clearly only look at the Italian music promoted in the mainstream circuit, the Italy of Sanremo, Pausini, and Nek. Equally clear is that these people are convinced that the Italian underground consists only of student bands playing metal covers at beer festivals.

Instead, Italy is full of musical art, experimentation, and truly interesting personal journeys (to realize this, just take a look around MySpace).

Boris Savoldelli fits perfectly into that circle of artists who, through the famous grind, have created an original language far from the standards of Italian pop songs.

"Insanology," his first solo album after years of the most varied experimental projects, presents itself as a unique record right from the starting idea. The 12 tracks that compose it are indeed created using only the voice, which, with the help of a looper machine, creates rhythmic bases, effects, instrumental parts, songs, and counter-songs. Even the structure of the pieces is different from usual, not necessarily tied to the classic verse/chorus development, but freer, starting from the cyclical idea inherent to the loop.

However, the most striking feature of "Insanology" is the exceptional freshness that, despite so much experimentation, keeps the whole cohesive. The album is indeed incredibly smooth, and the basic concept does not detract from the product's pleasantness. In short, Boris has explored the possibilities of his voice while always keeping in mind the ultimate goal of music: entertainment. And it's pure entertainment (fun) when he plays with the Caribbean atmospheres of the highly successful "Mindjoke" and "Insanology," in duet, among other things, with the guitar of the great Marc Ribot (Thom Waits, Elvis Costello), the only instrument present on the record.

In my opinion, however, it is when Boris sets aside play that he reaches the highest peaks of his project: in the emotional gospel "Bluechild," and especially in the suspended atmospheres of "In The Seventh Year," the masterpiece of the album, an intense track penned by the legend of New York jazz Mark Murphy.

It is with a phrase by Murphy, found in the liner notes, that it seems fitting to close this review, as a demonstration that the Italian musical scene contains much more than one might think: "Boris is one of the great undiscovered proponents of simply superb singing and this cd proves it..."