MAMUTHONES

One of the reasons why we love so much those little labels is that you can rather smell the passion instead of the dollar signs.

Take the Italian Boring Machines for instance. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but this label kind of specializes itself in nu-psychedelica (in its widest sense that is).

Mamuthones is the solo project of Alessio Gastaldello, founder of Italian band Jennifer Gentle who can claim (for what’s it worth these days) that they were once signed to SubPop Records. In 2007 Alessio left the band to start his own thing, Mamuthones.

On this self-titled album he got the help from old buddy Marco Fasolo but also from one Maurizio Boldrin, who played at Pino Donaggio’s side: indeed the man who is responsible for soundtracks from movies directed by Brian De Palma or Nicholas Roeg.

We still don’t know in which kind of category we have to put this one as it contains as much elements from prog-rock as from drone soundscapes.

“The Call” for instance captures the same style from Master Musicians Of Bukake, as Alessio is also creating just like them some ritual styles in where obscure bell sounds seem to rule. But that’s just the opener as from “The first born” on we hear not only some heavy bass-sound but also some type of voice that seems to come from the hereafter and with such elements, you have something that can be described as a psychedelic monster.

Blame it on the mushrooms or just some good taste in music, but “Ota Benga” was putting us in some Krautrock-mood and “MJ74” has not only a title that could be on some Harmonia-album, it does sound like them indeed.

Highlight (not to mention the word orgasm) is without any doubt “Kash-O-Kashak” that brings the listener in some trance from 10 minutes.

At the end of the day we still have no idea if prog-rock or nu-psychedelica is the word to use but then who cares if the essence of it all is just that Mamuthones delivered a great album.

Didier BECU
03/06/2011