Giusto Pio
Motore Immobile

Among the historical collaborators of Franco Battiato, I couldn't help but dedicate a piece to Giusto Pio, undoubtedly the architect of the 1980s successes of the singer-songwriter from Riposto. The album I chose to review, with Legione straniera and Restoration already on the table, is the Maestro's first, namely Motore immobile.

Giusto Pio, a maestro and violin teacher, had never approached light music, but convinced by Battiato, he decided to attempt an adventure in cultured pop. But first, there's this album released by Cramps in 1979, where each track occupies an entire side. Wanting and having to make comparisons with Franco Battiato's work, the track that gives the album its title is more reminiscent of the Messa Arcaica of 1994 than the works of the seventies. Instead, in Ananta (inspired by the bliss of Hindu religion), all the minimalism of pieces like Zà, Café table musik, and Sud afternoon is evident. Here too, the music "demusicizes" and the listener is entranced by the ecstasy and does not realize that the two tracks last a total of 31 minutes.

Among the curiosities of this album is the intention to include vocal parts by Demetrio Stratos, but unfortunately the leader of Area had only a few months left.

From the technical perspective, the album's title suggests how stillness represents the pinnacle of energy, while moving away from the center results in greater weakness. In this sonic experiment, Pio brings the sound increasingly toward the center.

Wanting to make a comparison with another giant of our music, if Oh! Era ora is defined as Lucio Battisti's sesto bianco, this Motore immobile can be defined as Franco Battiato's nono sperimentale, the last minimalist stir before an exceptionally high-level pop fairy tale.