My thoughts on "for r" by Leonardo Rosada

"Dedicated to life, the sun, the rain, noise, passion, all instants that are imprinted in my memory and Rita"

Leonardo Rosado

I was given a copy of "for r" to listen to and review... and I have undertaken this task with great gusto this morning. I am lying in bed... Olly is away doing other things and the we'ans are entertaining themselves in relative peace and harmony. As such... I am geeking out in a blissed out reverie that most music-lovers will appreciate... the state of listening and musing on the music itself.

The soundscapes created on this recording are intriguing... and make me dream of hearing them live. I can envisage standing in the Hamilton Mausoleum... immersed in their dissonant creativity... but they also add to what I have been reading of late. I have discovered with joy the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and it is to his writings that I am compelled when I soak in the soundscapes created by Leonardo.

The first track - "how the rain fell that day" - has two layers to it. The top layer is a simple, haunting, almost child-like melody with the bottom layer being some fantastically glitchy found-sound. The two layers come together in a sort of harmonious disharmony until approximately 2 minutes in when the bottom layer evolves into this wondrous rhythm track with some additional effects reminiscent of dub. This eclipse of the layers is such a joy to hear... its like participating in the moment of creation... where you witness the coming together of various disperate forces... and participate in the conception of the idea. This joining-together is a moment to be savoured and cherished.

The second track - "smiling or why i fell in love" - is a spacial found-soundscape that reminds me of the H. P. Lovecraft story "The colour out of space"... it brings to mind the point in the story where Ammi Pierce walks around the Gardener's farmhouse. There is a sense of unease... of disquiet... of movement beyond comprehension... the same is true in the ambient atmosphere created by Lenardo. By no means is this "easy listening ambient"... it has a level of dissonance that jars but, with further exposure, the value and worth of the piece becomes apparent. It is a piece that needs to be experienced and treasured for the pictures it creates in the mind's eye.

The third track - "the sun still rises everyday" - is underpinned by a deliciously dark drone that is present yet not quite... as if it is coming from a distance... like the echo within the whispering walls of Hamilton Mausoleum. More immediate are the sounds... the movements of glitches, starts and steps... that are close at hand. These sounds are both familiar and ominous in equal measure.

In addition, there is a real sense of two worlds... the natural and the man-made... haunting organic sounds play off of the rational metallic and electronic to create a wonderous piece of ambience that I will, most definitely, return to.

The soundscapes Lenardo has created are food for the imagination... they transport and they engage. They demand your attention and reward your loyalty... by giving you time to dream and the real space to see beyond.

"for r" by Leonardo Rosado (Relaxed Machinery 0012) is available for €5.55 on bandcamp.

Tx