Fabio Orsi — Uncharted Waters

Fabio Orsi is an electronic musician from Taranto, Italy, specialising in atmospheric drone. Inspired by the pre-war folk recordings made by Alan Lomax, Orsi uses field recordings as the basis of his music with the intention of creating sonic images. He is known to admire the way in which Lomax used folklore and folk music as the basis of something that goes beyond mere historical artefact. He describes it in his own words as “an expression of suffering with a thirst for rebellion.”

Uncharted Waters is the latest from the prolific Orsi, having released over 30 albums in a career that has so far lasted a mere 13 years. The album is available in a limited-edition run of 300 ecopak CDs from electronic specialists Zoharum records.

Comprising of one epic length soundscape, clocking in at a whopping 36 minutes. Uncharted Waters is a rather pleasant slice of chilled electronica that, at times, recalls the early work of ambient legends, The Orb. As the album title suggests, Orsi is breaking new ground with Uncharted Waters, however he has still not forgotten his roots. As well as working on its own merits the album also fits nicely alongside his earlier material, providing enough of a progressive thread to ensure interest in the album from old and new listeners alike. The album takes the listener on a sonic journey, the music ebbs and flows seamlessly and whilst it is built around a basic drone track and several arpeggiated sequences it is much more satisfying than that makes it sound. It has a strongly progressive sound of its own, it never becomes overcomplicated, and it never sells itself short. Recorded in the summer of 2018, the album has a genuine seasonal vibe that sets itself apart from other similar artists.

Overall, Uncharted Waters is a very solid ambient album, that I can see worming its way into my summer playlist. A perfect soundscape for those chilled summer evenings in sunnier climes.