Inteletto d'Amore is an honest record of "soft" experimental electronica, but it lacks character to make it stand out among the piles of releases from the Austro-German scene -- despite the fact that
Paul Wirkus is not devoid of originality in his approach. Instead of the widely used computer,
Wirkus works with several mini-discs plugged into effects and operated and mixed in real time. This working method puts an emphasis on structure and combinations rather than on process and transformation. It introduces a certain level of warmth in his music, but isn't quite enough to make it distinctive. His samples consist mostly of strings, piano, and tape hiss, all treated into grainy textures and fragmented melodies. The sound palette brings to mind the likes of
Main,
Fennesz, or
Ekkehard Ehlers.
Inteletto d'Amore unfolds at a slow pace, careful not to surprise or upset the listener. Tracks are four to seven minutes in duration, each one taking the time to establish the mood (generally taking over where the mood of the previous piece left off), state its melancholy melody, and send it through a number of delicate variations in fragmentation and arrangement. The only piece to stand out is "Blask," which is sung by
Wirkus in an unassuming tone. "Physikerin" and "Breakfast Dance" are particularly lush and well chiseled. A slightly disappointing offering from Quecksilber, a label whose productions tend to be much more on the cutting edge of electronica. ~ François Couture