Dperd comprises two members of a cult Italian Darkwave band called Fear of the Storm. “Io Sono Un Errore” (I am a Mistake) is the duo’s fourth release since 2003.
The first track, the curiously titled “Don’t Forget the Mobile”, surprised me. Rather than being Darkwave, what I heard conjured up the image of a 1980s indie band, complete with spiky hair and the melodic style of that era. In fact this was a touch of genius. Based on this start, I was not expecting the amazing beauty of “Non Mi Tradirei Mai” (Don’t Cheat on Me). In comes the dark and sultry female voice of Valeria Buono. This orchestral Darkwave engenders the feeling of staring into space melancholically. The last time I heard anything like this was when listening to Ava Inferi. It does not stand still. There is movement and progression. It is sung in Italian, as is the whole album. Although Valeria’s voice is pure, it sounds as if she’s singing from the back of an empty room, which just adds to the mystique. It couldn’t be more different from the first track and for that reason it’s all the more stunning. “Ho Paura, Sai” (I’m Scared, You Know) continues at a similar pace but has more a more of a pop structure about it. The tone is being set for this work. It is steady without being overstated and never gets carried away. Valeria’s voice is rich and, colourful, always pure and totally in context with the beat which lies on the gloomy side of downtrodden. Boundaries don’t apply to this work. “Inverno” (Winter) is another mix of melancholy and melody, this time with a combination of male and female singing. The vocals are not pop, metal or operatic, but of the feelingful kind. The Italian language lends itself to this. Meanwhile, the pianist tinkles away, reflecting desolation and sadness while the orchestra plays on. It’s light in tone but it’s in an extremely dark wrapping. Valeria takes on another aspect with the plaintive “Travel Song”, reminiscent in its ambient style of France’s Dark Sanctuary. This middle section seems to be designed to shake our foundations as each track gets more sombre than the last. “In Giorni Lontani” (In Far Away Days) combines the clinical rat-a-tat-tat beat with vocals which are distinctly comparable to Edith Piaf. I was half expecting an Italian version of “Je ne regrette rien”. “Ogni Volta” continues the theme of sultriness. The orchestra seems to get shadier with each track. Strangely the repetition reminded me of early Kraftwerk before they developed a sense of purpose and caused me disappointment, as the album had now moved backwards from “Non Mi Tradirei Mai”. I feared it was in danger of becoming becalmed.
I needn’t have worried. “Cold Song” raised the bar again. Its hypnotic and exotic electro rhythm and soft percussion created the mixed image of warm evenings, majesty and gloom. As ever, it’s calm and Valeria comes out to bewitch us, supported by the soft backing instrumentals. The pitch is subtle rather than being funereal. There’s something Gothic about this. “Kinshasa” changes tack again. It is dominated by the tension-filled strains of a Massive Attack track. The picture is dreamily completed by Valeria whose voice now sounds like Madonna. It’s not exciting, but it’s not supposed to be. This is about mood and it’s very moody. The final bonus track “Democrazia e Ditturata” (Democracy and Dictatorship) is an oddity. My Italian’s not up to analysing its lyrics but I’d guess it is a political statement as you would get from Trust in France and maybe Billy Bragg here. One for the locals, I’d say.
Finally, thanks to the record label for sending out a second copy after the first one got stolen out of the envelope while passing through the UK mail system. No thanks to the kleptomaniac, but at least you nicked a good album. I wish I could say that I hope it wasn’t too dark for you and it hasn’t given you nightmares. The label’s publicity describe (with a tiny bit of editing on my part) “Io Sono Un Errore” as “a sort of nocturnal landscape where Valeria’s deep voice and Carlo’s delicate arrangements emerge in all its beauty”. Quite simply, this is a fine example of the atmospheric Darkwave genre, varied in its interpretations and altogether a very carefully crafted work.
http://www.myspace.com/dperd
http://www.myspace.com/mykingdommusic
http://www.mykingdommusic.net
