Italian sound artist and composer Federico Mosconi has released a new album called Air Sculptures which is out now via Lost Tribe Sound. According to the press release, ‘Air Sculptures’ creates space for Mosconi’s signature classical guitar work, though it remains far more shadowed than previous efforts, taking on a vaporous and elusive quality. Flow is ushered along by a strong reliance on rhythmic patterns to outline the contours of many of the songs. These are not the straight-forward beats one might find in electronic music, these fleeting stomps and flickering percussions serve as a grounding presence while still allowing a malleable freedom to exist in the overall composition. In essence, the texture of the percussion is a wonder, soft… like muted bamboo chimes clacking in the wind, coarse… like gravel falling from the hand, deep… like burying a mic a few feet below ground and pounding the earth above.
While the title and Mosconi himself suggest, ‘Air Sculptures’ has a sound that can be light, bright, and ethereal. Perhaps stemming from a need for optimism and relief in his own life. These feelings may not be immediately clear, as it requires a certain positioning of the ears to find the calm center of this rain-heavy cloud. Once you’re there, the depth and exhilaration this album provides is massive and an incredible achievement for Mosconi.
‘Air Sculptures’ melodically speaking, feels akin to the monolithic drone work of Rafael Anton Irisarri. Origambiro also comes to mind when referencing Mosconi’s use of found rhythms, made from a multitude of dropped and collided objects. Yet the most luminous moments, ultimately belong to the classical guitar. Mosconi doles out a blend of triumph and sorrow with the strings, comparable to the likes of Western Skies Motel or Yadayn.
Listen below.