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Salim Ghazi Saeedi

namoWoman

(2012 -self release – USA)


www.salimworld.com

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Salim’s description of his newest work ‘namoWoman’ says this challenges the concepts of dual sexuality, dual conceptuality and equal temperament musicality, harmoniously.

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I’ve been following Salim’s musical output for quite a few years and each recording has impressed me to various degrees.  I predicted big things for him and it is no disappointment to hear this remarkable disc in its full glory.  Each release has been a new journey, a new overturned leaf, and a satisfying listening experience all its own.  For me, this one ranks as his most adventurous and fully realized.  Nothing is conventional and not a thing is taken for granted.  This new work is all expansive.

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Still present are the hyper elements.  While it may give some listeners the feel of a too mechanical sound, I believe Salim uses the more frantic aspects to display a precise and tight rhythm section.  The  guitar work is perfect and flowing. Track 2 (nam)  is  in the RIO genre, not unlike a combination of UZ, Art Zoyd , adding a dose of Richard Pinhas, some oddly compatible eastern motifs, and Canterbury jazz. A  gem of a composition.  This one tells a story in under five minutes.

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Track 3 (amo) has a creeping Zeuhl sound and much less hyper or rushed.  This one takes its time and breathes.  In its beauty it carries a Fripp and Pinhas halo, plus some of the aforementioned chamber RIO.  Complex in arrangements and often mind-blowing in the guitar department,  ‘namoWoman’ takes time and thought to access the full impact.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times; most progressive music of any genre needs multiple listens to absorb.  There is no wallpaper aural candy here.

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Track 4 (moW)  is all best appreciated by sitting back with the physical CD on a nice big stereo, in an easy chair, alone and listened to like you would read a book. Track 5 (Woman) also takes its time to develop.  Salim is at his best on the slower tempos, as his ideas are many. This allows the pace to be like a beeswax candle versus a paper match.  It’s a sweet pause to direct the passion into a big space.  The tortoise wins every time over the rabbit.

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Track 6 (Wom) is more brilliant Zeuhl inspired music with a groove just at the perfect moment.  Salim’s radar is superb! Track 7 (oma) is like the Titantic in ice, this crawls with open abandonment. The remaining music has a perfect balance of dark bass, crunchy guitar, acoustic piano, drums, and compressed lead with many dimensions.  Like a haunted shut down circus, a lonely night in the desert, a night in a sweat lodge, an unknown fly-by-night noir nightclub, or a midnight sleep in an endless meadow under star-filled skies: the atmospheres are sometimes interchangeable. This is recommended listening. VERY RECOMMENDED !

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Reviewed by Lee Henderson August 25, 2013

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A  magazine focused on inventive, progressive, and creative music in any genre that stands out from the rest
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ACQUA FRAGILE
Moving Fragments
(2023 - Maracash - Italy)


https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/moving-fragments


  A group who have the uncanny talent of keeping their classic  sound along with staying up tpo date. This amazing return is from 1970's Italian progressive rock outfit, with frontier man lead vocal Bernardo Lanzetti, who made this band and some PFM albums so specifically brilliant. At this decade, to expect more beauty would be a fantasy, yet it is set before your ears, even with the first notes, this masterpiece of Italian, (and not only Italian) progressive rock that certainly grasps the notion of what the genre of "progressive" was always meant to be. ACQUA FRAGILE create another sweetly classic knockout recording, not with even a heavy breath of past to present effort.  In fact, it sounds and feels more authentic than ever.  Bernardo sounds as if he never aged a week, and all muscians present are at full force, not passing up the chance to make another massively classic album.   An album to put Acqua Fragile at the top of the few chosen progressive rock choices of all time. The first song ('Her Shadlows Torture' 05:52 - editors note:  A misspell on the 'Shadows' which is on Bandcamp at this writing - but is correct as 'Her Shadow's Torture' on physical CD)  hug you and give all relief, as to any possible doubts of a long awaited fourth album by this top notch Italian band. I claim it will leave your heart lay bleeding. Grab the spectral energy and enjoy a glimpse of beautiful cocoon birth.

  Not one song is with sacrifice, even a wink of lamb. In fact, some elements are added to further enchance and stun the audience, such as inclusive female vocals by Rossella Volta. The bulk of the outfit is Piero Canavera (drums, percussion, vocals),  Franz Dondi (bass), Bernardo Lanzetti (lead vocals, guitar, Glovox),  Stefano Pantaleoni (keyboards),  Claudio Tuma (guitars), with special aid by (aforementioned vocalist Rosella Voita) ,  Gigi Cavalli Cocchi - drums (1,6),  Sergio Ponti - drums (4,9), Stef Burns- guitar (2),  Brian Belloni - guitar (4),  Davide Piombino - 7 string guitar (5),  and David Jackson - sax & flute (6). Could you ask for more?   After one listen you cannot want more. Thank Maracash label (Italy) for standing behind so many great Italian artists who have done the blood, sweat, and tears in earlier years, and deserve the attention now.
Although the band name translates to 'Fragile Water', it might be better described as Precious Water at this point and time in our decreasingly cared for world. Perhaps even better, Rare Water. The beauty of this entire recording is apparent, true, sincere, and a step forward. Better than one would dream of, past the point of how all old fans could imagine, and  actually done in the upper atmospheres of what anyone could have dreamed of. Everyone is top notch and most of all, Lanzetti is 100% present, making it another masterpiece.  It is my deep recommendartion for all fans of both classic progressive rock and the new fields of progressive music to give this a direct and full attention (no distractions) listen. RECOMMENDED.
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 19 - 2024


 

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