Radiodervish
Beyond the Sea

Unite, this verb is the cornerstone of the artistic journey of Radiodervish, it is the "mission" that Michele Lobaccaro and Nabil Salameh have set themselves, and that they have been pursuing for more than twenty years; uniting different cultures, different languages, different musicalities into a homogeneous mix, a musical Esperanto of pan-Mediterranean roots. They have chosen a not-easy path to achieve this goal, the songwriter's song, poetry, even spirituality at times; this has kept them somewhat on the fringes of media attention, while at the same time preserving their artistic purity. Amidst ups and downs, the Radiodervish remain, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful realities currently active in the field of Italian pop music (in the broad sense), their most famous album is probably "Centro del mundo", which in my opinion is not their peak, the debut "Lingua contro lingua" is decidedly superior, then they came out with a very ambitious concept like "In Search Of Simurgh", beyond any commercial logic, an experiment perhaps not wholly successful but praiseworthy and of great artistic value. In 2007 they hit the lowest point of their honorable career with a rather facile, uninspired, and very questionable album like "L'immagine di te", but two years later they made a prompt comeback with this "Beyond The Sea", beyond all rosy expectations. Personally, I consider it their most fascinating and well-defined album stylistically, in terms of stylistic research and formal perfection it has absolutely no rivals in Radiodervish's discography; it is their masterpiece, perhaps irrepeatable.

Music that travels along the routes of the Silk Road, but not only: "Beyond The Sea" is the Silk Road, a light but intense flow, sometimes poignant, sometimes contemplative, where ancient melodies and landscapes suspended in time resurface. It's not an album suitable for any moment, it requires attention, calm, the right predisposition of spirit, and Radiodervish demonstrate an intelligence and a sense of measure uncommon these days by offering a wisely reduced tracklist: eight ballads and an instrumental closing; the necessary and nothing more, no empty pass that, in a very particular and delicate context like this, would have had particularly deleterious consequences. To an inattentive ear, it might seem like a homogeneous, even monotonous discourse, but this album is a sapphire with multiple facets, just think of the violins and cellos of "Ainaki", a practically chamber-pop piece, which ideally transports the listener between the Moorish gardens and arcades of a medieval Seville, and in contrast to the lounge/electronic contaminations of "Beyond The Sea", one of the most beautiful melodies ever conceived by Radiodervish, which blooms into a refrain suspended between the Middle and Far East, capable of conveying sensations of absolute peace and harmony. BTS is a deliberately calm, reflective album, that whispers to the listener's ears, yet there are moments of great intensity and cinematic impact: "City Lights", a very sweet song, almost an electronic lullaby, but a spectacular inclusion of strings and mandolin makes it more vivid, tinging it with a romantic and twilight spleen. Or "Sea Horses", the concluding instrumental: a simple piano line accompanied by ethereal and lulling synths that finds its natural outlet in an orchestral crescendo; grandiloquent, visionary, and scenic but not pompous, and perfectly in line with the album's sounds. A perfect closure for a perfect work.

Ancient atmospheres, resurfacing from a distant past, this is the characteristic that distinguishes "Beyond The Sea" from all the rest of Radiodervish's production; "Tancredi e Clorinda", a poignant ballad of love and death, elegiac and songwriting, then "Jonas", "Les Lions", and "You Are My World", a triptych that constitutes the backbone of the whole work. The alien charm and the refinement of these songs are something sublime, the perfect care of every detail, every sound, the passion that shines through this artisanal and meticulous work is simply moving, totally alien to the logic of business and easy-listening music. And yet there is catchiness; tell me, is a piece like "Jonas" (which I think ideally encompasses all of the best of Radiodervish) more catchy or the latest Beyonce single? Anyone with even a slightly perceptive ear, not even passion or specific knowledge, will have not the slightest doubt.

Albums like this, where you enjoy every single moment to the fullest, are treasures not easy to find, and "Beyond The Sea" is unique; Radiodervish are not perfect, good, yes perfect, no, this album instead is, in its entirety, and fortunately, it has left a lasting mark on the artistic journey of the Apulian duo. I think of "Human", the subsequent and to date most recent album, which makes treasure of the style and sounds expressed here adapting them in a more pop context, more focused on the present, on the current times, succeeding where "L'immagine di te" had failed rather miserably. However, except for miracles that I obviously hope and wish wholeheartedly for Radiodervish, "Beyond The Sea" seems to me a kind of alchemy that happens once in a lifetime, if so, no worries, having even just one album of such depth and caliber is an honor not everyone can boast of.