One half of electronic/psychedelic duo Japanese Gum, Paolo Tortora heads off on his own for his debut solo, Waves of Fading Memories, via Torto Editions. Four pieces consisting of shimmering tones, waves, warmth, and soft, fuzzy nostalgia, Tortora's solo is the perfect soundtrack for spending time reviewing, reinvestigating, and reliving one's memories. Like waves crashing on the shore, their moment is fleeting, but their impact is timeless. While one wave lapping the sand may not seem like much, the life, nutrients, calm, beauty, and, conversely, destruction makes its mark before drifting away, only for another wave, another memory to be formed. Structured around layered guitar tones, soft, synth drones, wave sounds, and other effects, Waves of Fading Memories is rich with atmosphere, ambiance, and is the perfect setting for one to rekindle and relive their myriad memories.
Water themes are obviously great vessels to convey reflection, comfort, and rebirth, but their convenience and ubiquitousness does not lessen their impact. Waves of Fading Memories utilizes aqueous imagery to highlight and enrich the already lush and engaging atmosphere presented over the four pieces of "From a Memory." Each fades in and out, like the ebb and flow of the tide, which is often sonically represented as well. Delicately placed, the lapping of the waves enhances the experience instead of being an in your face metaphor. Ambient and relaxed, the pieces all still have a strength to them, something tied to the shimmering and evocative guitars, each oscillating, drawn out note serving to call forth nostalgic emotion. The fullness of the tracks helps to bolster this strength as well, stuffing each layer with only what it needs, eschewing over-indulgence. Like the sirens just beyond the waves, Fading Memories draws the listener in, with its subtly rhythmic oscillations and hypnotic layering. It's easy to get lost in the comforting guitar and synth, reveling in the caverns of one's mind, but there is a lot on display for active listening as well. All four pieces eclipse the ten minute mark (with Part 3 being a hair shy of thirteen minutes), so the listener is treated to an unhurried experience to do with as they will. The parts themselves work together as a team to build Waves of Fading Memories, and while each one is gorgeous, none of them stand out as a highlight. And that sounds like a knock on the album, but quite the contrary; all the pieces work so well together, sharing motifs, sounds, and vibes, that they all feel like differing versions of each other needing to be experienced together to see the full picture. And, like memories, maybe it's the location, the sound, the smell, but the feeling one gets is different depending on when and how it is brought back to mind. And, like the waves, as time goes on, our memories change and change who we are, who we were, and who we will become.
Paolo Tortora's first solo departure from Japanese Gum,
Waves of Fading Memories, is a lush walk through the recesses of one's mind, led by evocative guitars and enigmatic synths. While this was musically a solo, his Japanese Gum bandmate Davide Cedolin did the artwork, so like a different face on a memory, this is a different look at a new "Japanese Gum" configuration. Four tracks that anyone will be happy to add to their own collection of thoughts, hopes, and dreams,
Waves of Fading Memories' beauty lies in its rich textures, accessible themes/imagery, and soft but strong presentation. For
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