Fabio R. Lattuca — Matter

Expansive, lush, and yet still minimal, Fabio R. Lattuca's latest album, Matter, is six tracks of open sonic experience. Playing like one long track, Matter is a wonderful soundtrack for nearly all occasions, as its open, liquidness allows it to fit the shape of any container. Based on a live set, this work was then fine tuned and deepened in the studio, creating the gorgeous recording that Midira has put out.

Starting low and remote, Matter takes shape slowly, all the while moving closer and adding frequencies and layers as seen fit. This is important to note, because as lush as the album gets, it never overdoes any one element or strays away from the the main factor that makes it: restraint. The opening wind recording gives the listener a hint at the space and room forthcoming, encouraging him/her to spread his/her wings and fly along with the sounds to come. Somehow ethereal, Earthly, and spacey all at the same time, Fabio's newest really grabs a hold of the important tones and frequencies and lets many others fall by the wayside. These that are left out would cause interference, not only sonically, but with the overall album theme. Maybe the term "minimal" isn't apt here, as much as it's what should be called "specific." Graceful, specific, and never grandiose, this album shows that there is an amazing sweet spot just above minimal that expands beyond belief. Drawn out synth lines shimmering with rising and falling oscillations, magically cascading layers, and a surprisingly brief run time all make this album worthy of many, many spins.

Unfortunately not a household name (outside of the Lattuca residence, I would assume), Fabio R. Lattuca has crafted a deep, sonic marvel of restraint and beauty. Matter wonderfully shows that, just like matter itself, there is a lot of emptiness and that needs to be shown. Not expressly, mind you, but through exclusion. By leaving many layers and elements out of this recording, it is gien the room to do as it pleases, move as it wants, and grow as it should.