Initially known as a drummer for numerous Roman punk bands,
Matteo Vallicelli moved to Berlin in 2013 and became influenced by the city's techno scene, at which point he began exploring the possibilities of synthesizers and drum machines. After several years of mastering these tools and sculpting his electronic compositions, as well as stints drumming for
Death Index and
the Soft Moon,
Vallicelli presented his debut solo LP,
Primo. Instead of techno tracks, the majority of the album's cuts are dark, suspenseful compositions fit to soundtrack a grim thriller.
Vallicelli has a way with combining bubbling arpeggios with sharp echo and flange effects, providing just the right amount of grittiness to seem like a descendent of the '80s industrial cassette scene, but with more of an emphasis on melodies. The tracks drift and pulsate, and somehow they seem equally controlled and detached. "Giungla Elettrica" is one of the few tracks with solid beats, and it's a slow-burning horror-electro monster. "Lausitzer Platz" is much more nihilistic, with distorted, crunchy rhythms that come close to sounding like
Esplendor Geométrico, but not quite as harsh or angry. "Michelangelo" is (comparatively) bright and sparkling, recalling some of the Chris & Cosey-heavy
Throbbing Gristle tracks. It seems like it's going to burst into a storming dance beat, but it just keeps piling on tension without release. Closing number "Ore di Tempesta" adds a hypnotic shaker rhythm and eerie cymbals to the morose, haunting electronics.
Primo is a remarkable album of chilling ambient and minimal synth pieces. ~ Paul Simpson