Dkea
Cd Audio

THE REVIEW

The 80s, punk, new wave, created a generation of artists who today speak the same language and who, each in their own way, have shared the same stories, especially that of "being able to do a lot with very little."

(Luca Beatrice)

"Taccuini" was an interesting publishing initiative by the Consorzio Produttori Indipendenti (CPI). It was born in the nineties under the supervision of Gianni Maroccolo with the "hope" of bringing together artists of the generation to which Luca Beatrice, a contemporary art critic who, among other things, today seems to write for the usual Bolshevik and pro-communist newspaper, refers. "Taccuini" presented itself as a "series of alien music. Alien to market logic, alien to fashions and genres, alien to styles and preconceptions." Alien because "other music." The title was inspired by an art collection by Andrea Chiesi, whose works were practically used as covers for the records in the series.

The series boasted eighteen (18) volumes published from the fall of 1996 to the spring/summer of 1998 (more or less the time of a Prodi government, so to speak) on sale for 16,000 lire each. However, although the initiative was commendable in its intentions, and beyond the understandably ideological-sentimental considerations of Beatrice and Maroccolo, which naturally leave the time they find, the quality of the offerings from "Taccuini" is not always excellent and/or transcendental.

Some episodes succeeded. The first album by Marco Parente, "Eppur non basta" (produced by Gianni Maroccolo himself); the first Italian work of the Italian-French Ulan Bator, "Polaire"; "Chaka'", soundtrack by Africa X and Beau Geste, an interesting combo composed of Maroccolo, Francesco Magnelli, Antonio Aiazzi, Andrea Chimenti, and Steven Brown (for the record, "Mr Tuxedomoon"); above all, the reissue of the first, beautiful album by Andrea Chimenti, "La maschera del corvo nero". Others, like the briefly reviewed "CD AUDIO" by DKEA, are overall negligible and forgettable. Forgotten.

DKEA are (were) Marco L. Lega and Gianni Neri. The first name will be familiar to most as the historically linked producer to Marlene Kuntz with whom he collaborated until "Ho ucciso paranoia". As far as I know, currently neither of them is involved in any music project, and this to date is the only album released under the DKEA name.

"CD AUDIO" was born, according to the intentions of the authors, in search of a point of union between the ideas of sound, time, and memory. It's an album of exclusively instrumental music with primitive, essential content. But at the same time, not very digestible. Forty minutes of samples and typical noise of industrial brand. However, while the proposed sounds are interesting, the album as a whole lacks punctuality and coherence to make it pleasantly listenable for all seasons. The noise of "CD AUDIO", which might not look out of place in a work by the ingenious Germans Einstürzende Neubauten, ends up being redundant and at times even annoying. Forgettable.

I found this album a few years ago among the "used" at Fonoteca. Today I believe it is unfindable at your trusted stores. Assuming these still exist and haven't made way for used women's underwear retailers. However, if you are endowed with patience and a good dose of courage, you shouldn't struggle too much to find this disc, like the other volumes of "Taccuini", through some online search.

As for me, I tell you that I don't spit on the eighties. Someone whose name I don't even feel like mentioning right now once told me they were "the years of glitz and lace". Maybe they were right. In hindsight, I take it upon myself to reconsider the quality of the musical productions of the various Ferretti, Maroccolo, and the award-winning company Pelù & Renzulli. But even today things aren’t that great. Ferretti indulges in watching his little mare mate. Chiara left me. Fonoteca closed. When I get off work, I have nothing to do.

Then they say we all become more and more violent.