Psycho Kinder – Perì Phýseos [Fonetica Meccanica]

Psycho Kinder (Alessandro Camilletti) is a highly experimental project that in past offered a mix of post-punk, spoken-words, alternative, electronic music, industrial music, often with a theatrical approach in which tests, poems and more were used In the past his music employed heavy use of guitar sounds and almost theatrical atmospheres.

If the last effort Epigrafe was a collaborative album where Camilletti’s words were employed with music produced by other musicians, the new output Perì Phýseos follows suit with music from Maurizio Bianchi and tests from Heraclitus’ Περί Φύσεως (On Nature) translated in Italian by Angelo Tonelli and read by Camilletti.

Once again artistic aspirations and dark music find themselves conspiring in order to create eerie ambiances and cinematic soundscapes. The style is similar to the previous effort, even with more of a dark ambient/drone vibe thanks to Bianchi’s work.

The first track welcomes us with a short suit based on ritualistic drones and almost whispered voices that present the introduction to the classic opera. Then, the second track establishes the eerie ane evocative nature of the album via obsessive drones and subtle effects underlining Camilletti’s sparse words. The third inst alment showcases noisier moments in a chaotic mechanical movements rich in industrial vibes. The11 minutes-tour de force dwells in aggressive distortions and sheer dissonance, giving musical form to a harmony born of discordance in a cosmic orchestration. The final section offers more orchestral elements in an acid conclusion.

The rest of the album follows this modus operandi, mixing spoken words and grim, dark motifs employing droning movements and dark ambient innuendos: clear examples can be found in the fourth track and its almost horror-sci-fi setting which evolves into a sharp and grinding mantra, or in the track n.7 where old-school experimental lo-fi sounds recall 60’s experiments and psychedelic music in a dream-like sequence devoid of human presence.

Perì Phýseos is a continuation of Psycho Kinder’s recent evolution, a work with a clear artistic intent and very far from any easy-listening intention. This is not a collection of musical pieces made to be listened casually, here we have a single entity divided in different movements concurring to a whole finished picture. The link between Heraclitus’ work and the music is strong and can’t be put apart, but there is enough variety to offer interesting merits in the sole music department. Another step in an ongoing path from the Italian artist and his collaborators.

Release date: February 20th, 2021.
Text by: Davide Pappalardo.