Holy Similaun — Radicor al flort, espert on'ill il erb, aor Raetia

Italian musician/sound designer Holy Similaun hits Kohihaas with his latest, Radicor al flort, espert on'ill il erb, aor Raetia. With some help from Archipel (vocals) and Urška Preis (Harp), the two drifting, sprawling electronic tracks work to make the listener question what is real and what is perceived. The mixing of softness with harsh, crispy static brings about a dreamlike state somewhere between pleasure and nightmare. But this dichotomy isn't just about dreams nor imagination, as one must see that this is the state of existence, and the opposing pairings of good/evil, darkness/light, beauty/ugliness are ever present. Radicor al flort, espert on'ill il erb, aor Raetia shows that everything we perceive isn't black and white, but rather on a continuum, which will shift and slide with each viewer/listener and each view/listen. 

Built upon two tracks of ~8 minutes each, Radicor al flort, espert on'ill il erb, aor Raetia is a very engaging electronic work that moves between a few different stylistic approaches, making it very hard to pin down. However, much like life, dreams, and perspectives, this is a far more apt way to approach this work's goal, and the varied styles work extremely well together. Radicor is a ceremony of opposites, a joining of juxtapositions, and a variety of varied views that while challenging the listener, the pieces fit together to give a wonderful look at sound and perception. Minimalism clashes with maximized, distorted static, softness fights to free itself from the grip of harshness, and droning oscillations try to capture staccato notes and stabs. When broken down in this descriptive state, one may think that Radicor is a hodgepodge of sounds, and while that may be true in some respect, the album is truly greater than a sum of its parts. The way in which Holy Similaun stitches these aspects together shows great attention to detail. This isn't "sound for the sake of sound," but rather an intricately woven sonic tapestry that extends into other, less tangible spaces. Holy Similaun is joined by two guests (Archipel - vocals and Urška Preis - Harp) whose presence helps to add more depth and emotion to the work. In addition, Archipel was responsible for the artwork and design of this release. 

Sometimes slowly crawling, other times abrasive and in your face, Radicor al flort, espert on'ill il erb, aor Raetia deftly blends many styles and sounds to create a dreamy, but real and attainable electronic release. Short and worthy of repeated spins, Holy Similaun's latest varies with each play giving the listener many experiences for minimal investment. Limited to 300 copies, this one is definitely worth checking out and taking one's own idea of perception for a deep dive inward. For more info