- Get to know "New Weird Italia," the strange club music coming out of Turin and Rome.
- The "New Weird Italia" movement originated in the wonderfully non-linear minds of the Rome-via-Turin arts collective Misto Mame. This oddball Italian scene expresses itself through once-a-month 12-hour transmissions on the 00185fm online radio station and through DIY zines, artbooks, happenings, performances and, of course, music. The latter usually appears on Misto Mame's self-titled label as well as the self-proclaimed "screw-wave" imprint Riforma, who have been releasing refreshingly off-kilter creations over the past few years, covering—in the style of New Weird Italia—everything from the avant-garde to chewed-up club music. Riforma is currently in the midst of BATCH 2, a four-part series of digital EPs curated by the label, highlighting key artists in the movement and pairing them with like-minded remixers, each EP packaged with a fragment of a painting by Federika Fumarola.
The third chapter of this series, Tanto Tempo by Devi Tensione, is arguably the centrepiece of the collection, elevated by its uplifting quasi-hyperpop moments. Prior to this EP, Devi Tensione (AKA Francesco Castrovilli) only had one other record to his name: Un sisma mentre ci voltiamo le spalle, a two-part, hour-long mix of field recordings, ethereal orchestral arrangements and smatterings of harsh, organic electronic jabs.
With Tanto Tempo, Devi Tensione fits these elements into brief, intense experimental productions, with the title track, clocking in at just over two minutes, emulating both the drowsiness and gossamer tones of cloud rap. It's adorned by elegant synthetic strings and accented by robotic choirs and deep-fried warbles. This succinct structure and string-like plunges feature on "Verme," a playful and sometimes perturbing experiment, that, like "Tanto Tempo," feels like a menacing lullaby. With its patchworks of everything from marching drums to jubilant wind instruments, it carries something of the essence of Utopia-era Björk and Arca, paired with the grandiose and unpredictable compositions of Eartheater.
The EP's two remixes from Kinked (featuring Das Amore) and NOT399093 are diametrically opposite views of the title track. Where Kinked's haunting sound design, sketches of melodies and ghostly vocals set the scene for a séance, NOT399093 pursues a clubbier path, using the plucky strings from the original as a recurrent motif set to an industrial beat. With its dense, classical-meets-digicore arrangements, Tanto Tempo is a perfect showcase for the captivating pastiche that is New Weird Italia.
Tracklist01. Tanto Tempo
02. Verme
03. Tanto Tempo (Kinked & Das Amore Rework)
04. Tanto Tempo (NOT399093 Rework)