Funerale Classico Italiano – /e·ṣi·zià·le/ MC SoundScape 713 2019
If you have not heard of this project before, Funerale Classico Italiano is helmed by Giovanni Maffeis, who notably has been a live member of Brighter Death Now in recent years. This is then the debut tape, limited it physical copies to a mere 23.
Perhaps alluding to the project’s moniker, the first track Nei Tuoi Occhi Innocenti features the distraught wailing of female voices, thus assuming these have been sampled from a funeral recording. From there the backing sonics feature as a grim and laborious bass rumble mixed with sustained but muted synth drones. For good measure gruff spoken and slightly treated vocalizations appear, where the overall atmosphere is very much in the classic 1990’s Italian underground death industrial style heavily characterized by the likes of Atrax Morgue. The second track ups the mood slightly, with a rumbling, fast pulsing synth line which also clearly brings to mind a 1990’s Brighter Death Now verses Atrax Morgue death industrial axis, while aggressive distorted vocals make an appearance from mid track.
With only two tracks and around eight minutes of music, this is perhaps more akin to 7”ep in run time. But in functioning to introduce the project and also to wet the appetite, it would seem that Funerale Classico Italiano are extremely well equipped to carry forward an Italian death industrial sound. I am therefore very much looking forward to what may come next.
noise receptor 