Lansing-Dreiden
The Dividing Island

Do you know how a diamond is made? It's a gem that, when first extracted from the mine, isn't entirely precious. It's opaque and dirty. Only through some cleaning and refining operations does it become what we know, brilliant and valuable. And full of facets. Do you know what facets are? They are those particular shapes, faces, and reflections that the diamond assumes due to the angle of the light. And they make this stone unique.

At this point, someone might ask: "But is this DeBaser or a mineralogy conference?" It's DeBaser, don't worry. So why did I give you this reasoning? To introduce you to the band I'll review today. Lansing-Dreiden. Which, by going for similarities, can definitely be compared to a diamond full of facets. So who are Lansing-Dreiden? A band of refined and magmatic New York pop? Yes, but not only. Organizers of some events dedicated to painting, sculpture, and fine arts in general? Yes, but not only. Directors of a famous (and followed) literature magazine? Yes, but not only. So? Don't have a clear idea? It's normal.

Lansing-Dreiden are everything and nothing. They remain predominantly anonymous (preferring not to perform live, relying on a section of nine PCs to reproduce their music, and choosing not to have a direct relationship with journalists, not giving interviews) to create a mysterious aura around them. But often, these are shrewd commercial tricks to cause the direct opposite of the alleged intentions, namely fame and success. As if that weren't enough, if someone unfortunately didn't have eyes to notice them and take an interest in them, their multifaceted remaining facets remain: the magazine, the exhibitions, and so on. Therefore, it is clear that the position of this group is ambiguous and decidedly difficult to analyze: in a few words, one does not understand if they are serious or putting on an act. To those who will comment (hopefully positively) on this review of mine, the arduous verdict.

I am here tonight to talk to you about the group's musical aspect. First of all, it must be said that Lansing-Dreiden have definitely thrown a lot of meat to the fire for music critics with the release of their first work ("The Incomplete Triangle", 2003). All industry experts had something to say about this CD: some hailed the masterpiece, others considered it indifferent to the fate of music, some praised the great variety of sounds present in this disc, some cut it down without pity and without reserve, some underlined its versatility but then passed it off as just sufficient or in any case a revisitation of other sounds already repeated many times. I too listened to that disc and, although absolutely unable to put myself in the critic's shoes, I can affirm that no title was more accurate: it is really an incomplete triangle, as it starts with a few definitely innovative tracks and then fades into absolute nothingness, a light drizzle in the middle of the Sahara. Therefore, the frenzied anticipation for this new work by the New Yorkers, "The Dividing Island", released in 2005 in America and in 2006 in Europe and the rest of the world, was understandable.

Already the cover fully reflects the group's ambiguity: an essential background, completely white, with a white and blue trapeze in the center of the scene. A subtle form of masochism to attract only enthusiasts of rarities as much as a clever commercial operation to attract masses hypnotized by the mystery of the group. Once again, giving a definitive answer is indefinable. Therefore, it is appropriate to analyze the songs inside (ten in all) to be able to judge the product. The presentation is given by the title track, opened by an uneven rhythm given by some mixed drums and bongos, in which multiple influences converge, all quite different from each other. Electronic-flavored samplings alternate with small breaks of Scottish horns and trumpets generated by keyboards: everything resolves into a part characterized by a sweet, almost epic singing, which accompanies the progression of the song until a sudden and abrupt wattage increase. Psychedelic shocks run through the listener's spine, forced to follow now a part with Floydian influences, now a dirty and powerful hard rock, all accompanied by an almost mystical background. Definitely lacking no fantasy.

Second song, with a high-sounding title ("Cement To Stone") and characterized by a great wealth of instrumental and vocal changes. The beginning is characterized by the sound of acoustic guitars, mainly aimed at unbalancing the listener's compass, who sees a track of wave pop pass under their eyes contaminated by thousands of different sounds (from electronic synths to keyboard incursions to children's choirs among the guitars), and in the end, can’t fully comprehend, except after many listens, the completeness of this composition. And here too, even if perhaps a bit prematurely, comes the gem of the disc, the fabulous "A Line You Can Cross", finally a synthetic pop arranged with ample electronic samplings and remnants of ancient, glorious orchestras (arpeggios, strings, and so on). Not enough? No problem, there's also space inside for keyboards and vocal virtuosity (always with a slightly ethereal flavor).

Still not satisfied? Hmm. Even for you tough ones, there's a solution: the next track "One For All", surprisingly imbued with romance, also pleases those who are never tired of hearing new sounds and celestial cues in the midst of sound riots. Here the masters are surprisingly the synths, increasingly employed in incursions among sweet vocals, delicate arpeggios, and sudden guitar breaks. It's impossible, at this point, not to feel fully satisfied with the partial result of the disc. But we are only halfway through, so let's curb our hot and exultant spirits to focus on a milestone of the CD, the fifth song "Two Extremes". Two Extremes? Does the song translated into Italian mean two extremes? I'm a bit perplexed. Here, strangely, there isn't even one extreme. The aforementioned track is indeed the most linear of the disc, supported by a structure of soft piano and otherworldly harp accompanied by a soft and pleasant voice. It's incredible how they manage to put the right titles to the wrong songs and vice versa. So, if by force of sonic scalpel I had removed the doubt of the disc's commercialization, now this raises once again powerfully. Better to go forward in listening.

The sixth composition ("Part Of The Promise") has an incredibly punk flavor. And here too, Lansing-Dreiden excel in inventiveness, as the raw riffs are accompanied by decidedly funky beats, in the style of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and by very hard solo staccatos, which have as much pop as the sole of a shoe, and enough metal to affirm their violent nature. And here comes the trap-track. The seventh "Our Next Breath" is definitely a text created for the teenage market that worships saints and Madonnas, besides Williams and the like. The melody is often surrounded by a guitar that couldn't be more obvious, the inventive vein of the New Yorkers faded in a glass of water, the familiar synths absent, the harp now a distant memory, and as soon as the last, shocking note is played, you breathe a sigh of relief, meant to erase every last trace of this song. A misstep by the Dreiden.

We need to recover with something original. But the solution doesn't come from the eighth track, titled "Our Hours", because here too the group's creativity seems lost along the way, a couple of songs later. "Our Hours" is a lazy re-proposal of "Part Of The Promise": the punk atmospheres remain intact, the funky beats gradually disappear to make way for a dark background, the song proceeds very well, it's not bad at all, but it's already been heard. Guys, and here I have a doubt. Is it possible, I wonder? Is it possible that a group like Lansing-Dreiden didn't have the time or the desire to include an instrumental? They certainly had the time. The desire? Surely. Here starts the ninth song, "Symbol Of Simmetry", a beautiful instrumental that draws heavily from the wave scene of the Eighties (as for the suggestive and hypnotic initial guitar riff) and adds the essential elements of the previous tracks (piano) besides introducing elements only partially known to us (like the violin). Undoubtedly an excellent test.

And as they say: the Latins often loved to say dulcis in fundo; and as usual, classical wisdom proves fundamental even in the 2000s. But there should also be a mathematical equation to understand that, in this case, the last track really equals the masterpiece. The heavy masterpiece, the one that counts. The epilogue takes the name of "Detrhoning The Optimyth". What does this song contain? Certainly not everything a housewife might desire, but everything (and I emphatically underline EVERYTHING) that a cultured listener can and must expect from a promising group. And certainly, with all this medley of the most disparate genres, it could have turned out either a big nonsense or a great masterpiece. And therefore, paraphrasing Corrado Guzzanti, "the second one you said". "Detrhoning The Optimyth" contains very violent metal riffs alternated with glam background falsettos: overwhelming synth incursions paired with epic vocals (those typical of power metal, to be clear); sudden chimes like autumn colds together with acoustic guitar riffs and soft piano notes. In short: a giant cauldron in which all the necessary ingredients are perfectly cooked.

Well, the listening is over. But the initial pressing question has not dissolved: are they sincere or are they putting on an act? I would answer this: they are putting on an act. Despite the overall excellent performance, certainly developed in a meticulous and thorough manner, some tracks really showed worrisome weaknesses. Weaknesses that revealed that, in reality, the supporting structure wasn't gold, but painted wood. In a few words: even the best songs were cleverly created to attract the most active part of the musical mass. But it's a very incomplete opinion, and seen only from my impartial judgment: the word to you.

Anyway, recommended album.