Ataraxia
Deep Blue Firmament
Sleaszy Rider Records
2016
First things first, it’s quite an amusing thing to find out that this press kit half carries the correct title of the album, “Deep Blue Firmament”, while the rest refers to it as “Deep Blue FirNament”… well done, whoever did this.
Ataraxia must have been a band for about 30 years and have first appeared back in the mid-90s. By now they must have almost as many albums or close, since on several years they had more than one releases. Led by Francesca Nicoli, the Italian quartet carries on their “dark ambient wave” with slight folk tendencies. The vocals can sound key challenged, which is not something unheard of for Italian bands of that ilk. They do tend to also borrow from poets, I’m pretty sure, I heard some Yeats lines in “Greener Than Grass”… but in any event.
If you like stuff like Empyrium, Current 93 and other Neo-folk you might just might like this. I rarely appreciate such “gothic” styles unless the singing is impeccable baritone or some really cool female lead with a great and bristle timbre, something that is not a tradition in Italian “dark” folk and the relative styles. Oh which makes me cringe when I remember a former @$$ociates pre-occupation with this band… obviously the guy had very poor and pretentious tastes, so that’s no surprise. If you value your ears, stay away. Only for people that can “value” this “style” and know what to expect.
Ataraxia must have been a band for about 30 years and have first appeared back in the mid-90s. By now they must have almost as many albums or close, since on several years they had more than one releases. Led by Francesca Nicoli, the Italian quartet carries on their “dark ambient wave” with slight folk tendencies. The vocals can sound key challenged, which is not something unheard of for Italian bands of that ilk. They do tend to also borrow from poets, I’m pretty sure, I heard some Yeats lines in “Greener Than Grass”… but in any event.
If you like stuff like Empyrium, Current 93 and other Neo-folk you might just might like this. I rarely appreciate such “gothic” styles unless the singing is impeccable baritone or some really cool female lead with a great and bristle timbre, something that is not a tradition in Italian “dark” folk and the relative styles. Oh which makes me cringe when I remember a former @$$ociates pre-occupation with this band… obviously the guy had very poor and pretentious tastes, so that’s no surprise. If you value your ears, stay away. Only for people that can “value” this “style” and know what to expect.