Get on iTunes
[field name=iframe]
Mike Patton’s Luciano Berio’s Laborintus II was released on 3 July and has been receiving positive reviews. The record is certainly a Dante-ing challenge for the casual listener – an Amazon reviewer T. A. Daniel “Alex” accurately sums it up as “Experimental rock vocalist and pioneer Mike Patton has released an avant-garde poem from the 1960’s about the work of Inferno author Dante Alighieri that tries to communicate the authors life through allegories to the Bible, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and more” – but another wonderful showcase for Patton’s vision and vocals. I certainly wouldn’t listen to it on my own late at night but its scarily Satanic spoken word and chanting make for an otherwise compelling record even for non-jazz fans.
Online music bible Allmusic is effusive in it praise: “Presenting a piece of musical theater as a stand-alone work can be a bit difficult to grasp upon first listen; that said, it does reveal itself ultimately to be a very nearly dazzling endeavor that rewards patience mightily.”
Sputnik Music meanwhile states: “The vocals range from spoken word, to shrill soprano blasts. Between these two lies some often haunting moments, particularly during the first half of the introductory part. Silence is greatly used here, as it can be used as a wonderful tool to build tension. ”
PopMatters provides a hugely insightful review: “It tries to get us to completely rethink the categories we use to talk about music, and about using that music as a critique of social domination. But who is this music for? Is it for the adventurer in modern music? Yes. Is it for gloomy neo-Marxian critical theorists? Yep. Is it for teenage Faith No More fans? Sure, why not? It makes us open our eyes and our ears and our mouths and our noses to super mega proper musical imagination in a way that might even outwit the logic of late capitalism. Right on time, too. ”
While mxdwn reports that “Patton, fluent in the language, leads the proceedings, and he is in good voice here—or perhaps more appropriately: good voices. His beginning intonations of the Italian verses spook, while later he layers chants menacingly, and later still screams blisteringly before returning to an almost off-mic whisper that sounds like it could have been recorded in the hallway of the studio. ”
And Soundblab, giving appropriate equal billing to Patton’s partners the Ictus Ensemble, provide this wonderful passage in their review: “The record is released via Ipecac Records, a label Patton founded and now runs. This begs the question – does Mike Patton have a watch that stops time? Does he operate on 48 hour days? I struggle to mow the lawn and cook tea some days. Even more astonishing is the fact that Patton doesn’t ever dial it in either. Listen to this – on Laborintus II, Patton is in cahoots with Belgian dadaists the Ictus Ensemble. The record is their take on Luciano Berio’s composition from back in 1965, which is itself based on the poetry of Communist Dante scholar Edoardo Sanguineti. Patton isn’t just filling out his canon with stock poppycock. He’s taking on a piece of theatre which is essentially a critique of the commodification of the world. ”
This sounds crazy. I’m buying it tomorrow.
I had no idea Templars is out, I was waiting for an info on this site 🙂 Lazy me…
Reading these reviews, I have to add a link to my review of this, written in 2010 right after the performance in Amsterdam. There are a few hints and references that might be helpful regarding Laborintus, enjoy: http://smogra.blogspot.com
Sonny, is that the Knight’s Templar one? I went looking but wasn’t sure if it was a Moonchild release. With that endorsement, I will have to check it out. With all the FNM stuff that’s been going on, I hadn’t looked into Zorn’s work lately but apparently he’s been pretty busy this year…some other releases look pretty good too from the samples they have up on Amazon. This Laborintus release also looks at least different than anything Patton’s ever done, which I like even if it doesn’t end up being a favorite album. I liked how the last Tomahawk had a different aspect to it and hope the next one does too. I won’t hope one way or the other as far as FNM’s future…the way I see it is that if the band does try to write a new record and it comes out as inferior as you think it might, then we will never hear it anyway!
I think Mike should just end the reunion with FNM and continue doing stuff like this. Yes, it’s hurts me to say this, but a lot of the work he’s released recently, is probably better than what a new FNM album would probably end up sounding. I mean, the new Moonchild record was beyond great, Michael Patton in my honest opinion delivered some of his greatest vocals, ever! Yet, it will end up being completely marginalized. Anyone who enjoys fine, fine musicality, and demonic vocals with a range, do yourself a favor and buy Moonchild’s latest record. Real music lives on!
Hello all…found this on failblog…thought ya’ll might appreciate it….surreal.
http://cheezburger.com/6437369344