No Strange
Universi e Trasparenze

THE REVIEW

The No Strange are one of the longest-standing and most important groups in Italian neo-psychedelia. Formed at the end of the '70s thanks to Salvatore “Ursus” D’Ursus, a beat enthusiast, expert of lysergic culture, and creator of imaginative and psychedelic covers, and Alberto Ezzu, a cultured and highly capable musician related to avant-garde music experiences. If you want to understand Italian psychedelia, you cannot overlook the No Strange. They have best interpreted its spirit thanks to a 360-degree musical “vision” and a philosophical approach that allowed them to grasp its ties with mystical cultures. Their influences are numerous and range from the German Cosmic Couriers of the '70s like Popol Vuh, Ash Ra Tempel, and the early Tangerine Dream to the less conventional and aligned exponents of the progressive Italian scene like Claudio Rocchi, Aktuala, Alan Sorrenti, and Battiato without forgetting fundamental experiences in Italian psychedelia like Le Stelle di Mario Schifano and Chetro e Co.. Their first album Trasparenze e suoni (Toast – 1985) was a bolt from the blue in the muffled and cold music of the '80s. It contained a long cosmic-psychedelic lysergic suite, very bold for that time. The packaging was special and came in a transparent sleeve (like the debut of the Faust, legend of Krautrock) with the vinyl also being transparent. Now, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the No Strange have decided to release a 10" vinyl very similar in graphics and spirit to that legendary album. The new record is titled Universi e Trasparenze and is released by Psych Out/Area Pirata, also paying tribute to their second work from 1987, L'Universo, praised by Greg Shaw of Voxx. It contains 5 covers of tracks that symbolize the artists and background they have drawn from and that have continuously influenced them over time. The first track is a reinterpretation of “Seling Sind: Die Sanftmutigen,” from the mystical Seligpreisung (PDU - 1973) by the legendary Popol Vuh. Next is a curious choice, a cover of “Dawn” by the Nice, here reinterpreted with space-rock accents. Then there's “Susan Song” by Le Stelle di Mario Schifano, a group that in 1967 released a highly advanced psychedelic record for that era in Italy. “Embroidery” by Terry Riley is their homage to one of the masters of minimalism, undoubtedly the one most connected to Eastern mysticism. It closes with the mantra of “The Tortoise, His Dream And Journeys” by La Monte Young, the recognized father of minimalism, taken from the mythical Dream House (Shandar – 1974). Universi e Trasparenze is an album of great value that should not be missing from the collections of psychedelia enthusiasts in all its forms.