Slivovitz
Hubris

SLIVOVITZ - "Hubris" - 2009

“Zorn a Surriento”, here is the title that intrigued me about this work. A title that is nothing short of brilliant and is part of a work that has genius strokes in abundance.

The album “Hubris” is the second by Slivovitz, a band that, despite having a typically Balkan name, taken from plum brandy, is instead proudly Neapolitan, so much so that they include the donkey in various forms on every cover, even in the album now to be released.

Their proposal is quite transversal and presents a mélange of styles and cultures that converge into something personal and exceedingly intriguing. The flavor of the whole is that of cautious experimentation, dominated by a jazz rock with strong and decisive Mediterranean tones. Imagine a map with a crossroads at the center where roads of different origins, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Neapolitan, North African, and from southern England converge. The crossroads are precisely the Slivovitz and their crazy musical escapades, entertaining and damn well-executed. A crucial point is the lineup consisting of a full seven members, often multi-instrumentalists, who fuse into a whole series of very varied musical planes and spaces. Thus it is easy to hear, alongside classic rock/jazz band instruments, less typical things and more often used in ethnic and traditional music, especially in the percussion domain. The fullness that results is absolutely great and allows the members to also demonstrate remarkable technical skills.

In each of the 12 tracks, there is a great production of ideas and different forms, the pieces change and evolve in their contaminations in a carousel that spins ever presenting new and unusual faces. The aforementioned “Zorn a Surriento” opens the work in an emblematic way, with its ups and downs, between warm Mediterranean and Middle Eastern climates and cold zornian explosions, steady on its base of healthy and passionate jazz rock. Engaging and distinctly Canterbury sounds can be found in “Errore di parallasse” and in "Né carne" and "Né pesce" in which Hatfield and the North seem temporarily relocated on the Campania coast. Then there is the overwhelming development of “Canguri in 5” rich, with its violin themes, in the strong and vivid flavors of Middle Eastern bazaars, the “5” refers to the time of the main theme, precisely in 5/8. Then it's worth mentioning the remarkable “Tilde,” a bold and arrogant jazz (Hubris, in Greek), rich in personality and changing movements, where the violin is again the protagonist alongside a high-class rhythmic part. Powerful in its funky groove is the only sung track “S.T.R.E.S.S.” acronym for “Sono TRanquillo Eppure Spesso Strillo”, which, with its strong Neapolitan imprint, brings to mind Napoli Centrale, but also certain works of the best Pino Daniele. Also notable is the concluding and Weather Report-esque “Sig. M. Rapito dal vento” with beautiful movements generated first by a rolling sax and then by a courteous violin.

In short, there is no need to continue with reels of titles and various notions. The album is certainly among the most interesting, personal, and serious works to come out in the Italian territory in the last three years, and I warmly recommend it to you.

P.A.P.