No Strange
No Strange Live

Talking about No Strange means talking about the history of Italian psychedelia. The band of the legendary Salvatore "Ursus" d’Urso and Alberto Ezzu immediately stood out during the 1980s' so-called neo-psychedelic movement for a deep artistic depth full of references to the culture of the late '60s and '70s. It is no coincidence that No Strange have their roots in the early '70s when the RA-GEBEL was formed, already featuring Ursus and Alberto Ezzu, the first embryo of No-Strani, later becoming No Strange. In that mythological and legendary period, there were discussions about the Moog and the echo effects to give to the guitars, one would immerse oneself in the music of the early Pink Floyd, listening for hours to records like A Saucerful Of Secrets until exhaustion, but also to the Cosmic Couriers like Ash Ra Tempel, the first Tangerine Dream, and Popol Vuh with "In Den Garten Pharaos" and "Hosianna Mantra". Without forgetting minimalist and avant-garde authors such as Terry Riley and La Monte Young moving through the early Battiato of "Fetus" and "Pollution". But it wasn’t just about music; it was also about art, the album graphics of the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service by Rick Griffin, and alternative culture. As you can see, there was great creative ferment during that period, which left a mark and later led to the maturation and blossoming of No Strange in the '80s with cult albums like No Strange and L’universo which, I will never tire of saying, should be reissued.

Recently, No Strange reformed, releasing new gems such as Cristalli Sognanti, Armonia vivente tra analogie e contrasti and Universi e Trasparenze, but truly unmissable is their recent book No Strange e sogni correlati. Seeing No Strange live is definitely a mystical experience as demonstrated by a rare document – titled "No Strange Live" – which circulates in few copies but can still be found with a bit of good will and research. I’m talking about a concert held in 2012 in Borgo d’Ale and recorded live. The lineup consisted of Ursus on vocals and percussion, Alberto Ezzu on keyboards and sitar, Rosalba Guastella on vocals and tamboura, Pino Molnari on acoustic guitar, and Tony D’Urso on electric guitar. The music expands and is full of changing sounds and colors that will take you to another cosmic dimension in search of your hidden self, awakening the mystical animal sleeping within you. The repertoire retraces their career with now legendary pieces like “Trasparenze e suoni” from their debut album, “L'Universo,” and the recent “Cristalli sognati” and “Respirare il mare.” At the end of the performance, another important figure of the Italian psychedelic scene and culture, Lodovico Ellena of Effervescent Elephants, joined in on guitar for a lysergic improvisation he called “Sinfonia Cosmica. The sound technician was Roberto Giachino.

Those who wish to get this precious document can request it by writing to the No Strange Facebook page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/NoStrange/.