Stearica
Oltre

The Stearica are a trio, bass, guitar, drums, from Turin, Italy. They've been playing since 1997 and have released an album called "Oltre" (homeopathic records). In 2008, after eleven years of live performances, they've played alongside names like Nomeansno, The Ex, Karate, Acid Mothers Temple — all good folks experienced in cultivating salons (which they indeed cultivate but never live in because they're always on tour). I still remember how I met them: it was a May, and Zu were performing live near my area. I went to see them, and who did I find opening for them? Three people, Stearica, well, I'd never heard of them, so I thought we'd see. Front row at the Istanbul café, I'll remember it well because it was one heck of a concert, great music, great people, that’s how I met them. They told me they were about to release a CD, and I was secretly eager to listen to it. And here I am now: I've listened to it, I've been listening to it for two days, and it's gotten so under my skin that, damn, I said to myself, the next step is a review on debaser.

Because you really can't understand what kind of world we live in if so few people love and know Stearica. There should be more of you (I know you already deeply love them), you should be many, many, many more! Start a group on Facebook out of love, come on. And then let's make the group against those who are against those. Stearica, on the other hand, are against no one. They care about you, or maybe not, or perhaps yes: who cares, let’s assimilate. Let's assimilate everything, assimilate music and life, and then let's make it play. That's what I feel in the forty-five minutes of Oltre: a fantastic assimilation of everything to then make it sound. The passion that drives three people to stay together for ten years and play everywhere with anyone. To me, either you have to be an optimist or have the guts to do such a thing. And in my opinion, Stearica belongs to the latter category. The guts.

Distributed (the guts) throughout the album: rock? Ambient? Post? What are they? Who knows! I prefer to play, just to pick up on the little rant I made in the review of Orange Man Theory, but this time I want to be a bit less rude (and yes, I had a blast). The sound flow starts at 00:00 and doesn't stop until the end. I challenge you to have the courage to stop it. The melodies clash with the soundscapes, the instruments emerge (hey, is that an acoustic guitar? Saxophone? Voice? But who, Dälek? Amy Denio? Jessica Lurie? Nick Storring?), the melodies can really take you among the clouds or amidst the waves, they grab you and wander off without asking you anything but a little complicity and an open mind. And don't tell me that isn't a healthy thing. The beats greet each other on the street, then meet again and mix: the guitar and the bass part ways and then make love, distortion is the most beautiful girl you could ever meet at a concert. She walks in, and all the faces turn. I'm all aflutter, distortion, make me yours. Let me hear you once more.

This album is giving me a kind of addiction that is difficult to imagine if you haven't heard it (or if you haven't tried playing live for ten solid years), so maybe you should listen to it and do yourself a favor. Now, excuse me, but I have another dance with a certain girl I met last night...