Allun ‎– Onussen CD

Allun ‎– Onussen CD

"And here are Allun once again—the "arty-band" led by the in-house star of the La Muerte label: singer, guitarist, and violinist Stefania Pedretti. They are truly remarkable: their genre is free-jazz-noise, and their imagery and aesthetic span a vast historical arc—one that begins with the Dionysian cults and orgiastic Bacchanalia of Archaic Greece, moves on to the grotesque-carnivalesque traditions of the European Renaissance, and finally converges with some of the most significant movements of the 20th-century Western avant-garde—specifically, that lineage of artists capable of fusing the "low" realm of the everyday with the sublimation of conceptual art (Jarry, Brecht, Beckett, Pop Art). These are acts of sorcery, consciously embracing a counter-current irrationality. *Onussen* is the band's second CD, following *Et Sise*—a work that was, in some respects, still a bit raw, yet already succeeded in highlighting the band's expressive quality and its potent *naïf* and "punk" (!) impact. Three years later, Allun thus reach a new milestone in their visionary artistic journey, marking what stands—for now—as the most exhilarating stage of this brief yet intense path. Despite a radical lineup change (which now features the powerhouse Marylise Frecheville on drums), the band's genre and style remain unchanged; however, from a strictly instrumental standpoint, one notes an intensification of sounds and arrangements featuring toys and household appliances (hair dryers, typewriters, a washing machine, and much more...). The sonic material is—as usual—disjointed and furious: at times, it will call to mind Weasel Walter’s madcap Flying Luttenbachers; elsewhere, James Chance’s Contortions; or even the "Made-in-Japan" noise of Melt-Banana and the Boredoms ("88 Giugno"). There are also little marches straddling the territory between Beefheart and Tom Waits ("Colazionsite"), and spasms à la Arrington de Dionyisio ("Zanzara innamorata"). Yet ultimately—after all this constant self-referencing and reinvention—one could simply say that your minds will frame Onussen as a curious remake of Ornette Coleman and his historic *Free Jazz*. All of it, naturally, through a post-punk lens. A final round of applause, at this point, goes to the album’s producers: the already well-known Jacopo Andreini and Bugo. In my view, the recording and mixing work here is virtually flawless—truly capable of making all the difference. But perhaps, these days, just about everyone over at Bar La Muerte deserves a compliment or two..." - BakuniM / SuccoAcido