Zombi
Spirit Animal

From progressive to electronic, giving a high five to John Carpenter.

The next chapter after that "Surface To Air" dated 2006 (highly recommended) which began to better define the contours of this musical project started a few years earlier with "cosmos" (all on Relapse), in 2009 "Spirit Animal" was born.

The Americans Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra form a multi-instrumental duo, a perfect balance between past and near future. The conspicuous red sticker on the vinyl is clear: "recommended if you like: Tangerine Dream, early Genesis, Goblin, Kraftwerk, Isis ..... etc. etc.." Never trust red stickers, no offense Relapse, but for me, my two ears count more. Take the album cover, it’s the mirror of Zombie’s sound. The majesty and force of an enormous pachyderm making its way as it emerges from nowhere, leaving a trail of dust (stardust?) around.

A little under an hour (58') for five long instrumental tracks in which S. Moore (bass and any type of analog synth), raised on the textbooks of Klaus Schulze and Jean Micheal Jarre, is accompanied by the obsessive " Rush-oriented" drumming of A. Paterra (also on synthesizers when in studio) for a surprising result.

From the two minds comes a superb mix of cosmic rock, soundtracks of 70s horror (Italian and otherwise), and deliberately vintage electronics. All of it supported by electric bass riffs and drum passages with sounds reminiscent of certain retro prog-rock. For the first time in their work, scraps of electric guitar appear, with a glacial sound, shifting the focus to more progressive and less electronic shores.

Here, there is no place for psychedelic jams and the "freedoms" of pure space-rock.

Everything is very rational, I dare say remote-controlled by Moore’s synthesizers, which draw spirals for the mind. If it weren’t for the precious drumming work (kudos Paterra) as a backdrop and a circular, pounding bass to warm up the environment a bit, it would all be too sidereal, reducing the record to a banal synth monologue. Long infinite patterns and obsessive keyboard sequences, the ghosts of the Yes appear in the more symphonic parts, somewhere between Air and Vangelis in the broader ones, and Simonetti's Goblin in certain bass/keyboard interactions.

A strong point, that characteristic that I love to define (knowing full well it sounds ungrammatical) Release & Pressure. The ability to control the throttle, to build up and release emotional tension within long compositions like these. A peculiar trait of bands wanting to create a qualitative gap over others, especially in this case, with completely instrumental tracks where the melodic guide line is dictated exclusively by the music and all the attention is focused on its unfolding. They know how to do it well, creating real soundtracks, in which to lose oneself and be carried away. (which I personally experienced).

I remember last autumn. The first time I listened to these 5 tracks.

Starting from the title track, I passed through the splendid "Spirit Warrior" with the outlines of the road growing faint and sketchy. The hypnotic "Earthly Powers" cleared my mind of any thought trying vainly to creep in. Only the occasional emergence of xenon headlights drilling my pupils temporarily brought me back to reality. The rest was done by the obsessive refrain of "Cosmic Powers" in my temples, before reaching the 17' of "Through Time". With my neck muscles completely relaxed and my head lolling. It took hold of me by exhaustion. The finale is three minutes of fade-out, sounds becoming light, decreasing in intensity, floating in the air. It’s the same effect of passing through a decompression chamber. Only then, blinking, I wondered where I'd been during that almost hour. I still ask myself now and have no answer. This was the "sensation" I felt listening to "Spirit Animal" and it’s also the reason that drove me to write what you have read.

Breaking the silence, the rumble of a diesel moving away. The screeching of metallic sheet against raw guardrail is what stayed in my mind. A tremendous sound in the dead of night, if you think about it... Certainly as much as the bellow of an enraged elephant. Indeed.

Then just cold.

Commander Bossolazzi’s opinion:

An epic sound that smells of film reels. 4 medlars, au revoir.