Monday, 20 October 2014

RUNNING AGAINST THE CLOCK

Overloaded is the fourth solo album by Alberto Rigoni, a talented bassist and composer from Montebelluna, in the province of Treviso. It is dedicated to the memory of bassist Randy Coven and during the recording sessions Alberto was helped by Denis Novello (drums), Federico Solazzo (keyboards), Simone Mularoni (guitars), Marco Sfogli (guitars) and Fabrizio "Bicio" Leo (guitars). The album was self-released in 2014 and features a nice artwork by Chris Van Der Linden that in some way tries to describe its musical content. In fact, Overloaded was conceived as a conceptual work inspired by some issues of the contemporary society: “I think that everything is going too fast today and one of the reasons is technology: hyper fast communications (mostly through social networks), multitasking activities, tons of information as well as misinformation, products, services… In a couple of words – we are OVERLOADED! The Internet has changed our lives, and even though it is indeed a great tool we have to be careful and use it judiciously. Excessive use may cause several diseases such as stress, depression, and social isolation”, explains Alberto Rigoni on his website. Anyway, there are no liner notes nor lyrics to explain the concept behind the music and the storyline is completely up to your imagination...


The short, hypnotic opener "What's On Your Mind?" sets the atmosphere with a question and pulsing bass lines in the background evoking strange psychoanalytical sessions. Then, with the title track the rhythm rises and you're drawn in a vortex of energy: "Overloaded" is an excellent track, very rich in ideas and with a touch of exoticism.

The following "Chron" is frenzied and conjures up the images of a wild race against the clock that never stops... Next come the calm, dreamy "Floating Capsule", where you get lost in space and time, and the aggressive "Corruption".


The title of the following "Ubick" recalls a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick that takes place in a world where technology has advanced to the extent of permitting civilians to reach the Moon, and psi phenomena are common. In the novel Ubik is the name of a powerful substance but can be also considered a metaphor for God... Well, the music here is absolutely sparkling and I think that it would be a perfect score for a sci-fi film or a technological thriller!

"Multitasking" is a short track where the bass plays all the multiple roles and leads to the powerful, vibrant "Liberation" while the reflective "Glory Of Life" concludes this interesting album where there's no room for boredom. Anyway, have a try and judge by yourselves.

You can listen to the complete album in streaming HERE

Alberto Rigoni: Overloaded (2014). Other opinions:
Joe Mis: Much like all of Rigoni’s solo albums, Overloaded is not a bass player’s ego-trip; rather it is a musically solid CD built around melody, flow, and strong songwriting. Catchy riffs and enthusiastic performances stand ready to introduce the listener to all the capability, complexity, and vast musical range of the bass guitar... (read the complete review HERE)

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