- Of all the mysterious acts to debut on Acido Records, 291out might be the most intriguing. The Italian outfit first appeared earlier this year on the mini-compilation Soundtracks For No Film Vol.1, and stole the show with a twinkly, guitar-laden house track called "Urania (Titoli Di Coda)." Soundtracks For No Film Vol.2 gives us a more thorough introduction to the group, with six short tracks (some just over a minute) that are as novel as they are concise.
"Ovest," "Il Viaggio" and "Inside You" are guitar vignettes that echo bands like Tortoise and Durutti Column, albeit with a bit more prog rock camp. "Workin' Glam (Bob Sinplayer)" is a slightly absurd, Italo-flavored tune, and "Automobil Club Lugano" falls somewhere between those two poles. The pick of the litter is "Emptyness," a track that covers an absurd amount of ground in just three minutes. It begins with groaning ambient tones, soon followed by guitar licks and a seesawing synth melody, and finally a somber piano lead that could have come from a film noir soundtrack. It's a style not unlike what Darkside are after, except here it sounds more natural and understated.
On the B-side we switch gears entirely (a typical move for Acido) with a left-field techno track called "Opium" by Healing Force Project, a little-known producer who debuted on the label in 2010. This one is dark, subtle and psychedelic, with seemingly improvised drums cradling a mess of soothing white noise. As different as the two side are, both have the stylistic boldness that's become Acido's calling card.
TracklistA1 291 out - Ovest
A2 291 out - Il Viaggio
A3 291 out - Inside You
A4 291 out - Workin’ Glam (Bop Singlayer)
A5 291 out - Automobil Club Lugano
A6 291 out - Emptyness
B1 Healing Force Project - Opium