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Review by Leonardo Lodato
Hypnotic and...noisy. In fact, their name is exactly the mix of the two words Hypnotic and noise. Hypnoise, a hard to classify band. Founded in 1996 by three musicians P. Mike III, Frez and Sanze who get together again after experimenting and cooperating in different bands.
Many days had passed by since that first exibition at the college in Cittadella. The first album "Opium" had been released by Ronan Chris Murphy's Seattle based Eschaton Music. Second "step" of the band is therefore recent St. Valentine's Porno Bar, produced again by Ronan Chris Murphy for Veneto West Records.
It's the consecration of the band. "The songs - tells Mike - have been written in more or less fourty five minutes in a St. Valentine's day of some years ago. I'm an instinctive musician so I use to write my songs in a few minutes. It's great to feel the notes coming to life in such an easy way"
"St. Valentine's" is a concept album made by strong and misterious elements, with very evokative sounds , (the trio is basically vocals, guitars and Bass guitars, drums/percussions and special effects), creating a worrying atmosphere.
In the "Hypnoise's DNA" there's some jazz, some Led Zeppelin, noise and kind of noise rock.
"The concepts - as P. Mike III says - follow a journey of Ceasar leaving his past in search of a new life; it's a story of personal re-invention and inner revolution.
Ceasar travels until he finds a mystical place far from the plastic life and modern stress he has known."
Musically speaking this recall to the past is soon justified. "In three years - as P. Mike III says - my passion for musical instruments and technologies dramatically changed thanks to Lorenzo Breda, a kind friend of mine who allowed me to rediscover what I always loved but forgot in these years: the sound of tubes, tapes, vinyls ... all the good things the analog technology gave us before being demonized for commercial purposes."
Fourteen tracks on CD after being produced and recorded with the cure of vintage equipment, (Tube Mixing conole, Tube Tape recorders Revox and many other collector items), even used in the making of other great albums like Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely hearts Club Band".
The inspiration also came from the scenes used for the recording sessions. The Recording studio had been put together "in part our ancient Prosdocimi Villa where mine and Frez's family, (my cousin), lives since 18th century, even if the house has been built in 17th century.
The Venetian influences in the album can also be heard in an agreeable use of the sounds of Rialto's fish market, the voice of Michele Gervasuti put together to other cooperations that Hypnoise wanted for their album: the voice of Cheryl Porter with the international Gospel Messengers, Mr. Augusto Gentile's Didgeridoo, Ms. Elena Zanardo's flute and Ms. Silvia Meloni backing vocals.
Also Mr. Ronan Chris Murphy had time to play guitar on "Lee Super Dark".
"Mr. Murphy's mixes - remembers Mike - exalt band's performances and create a truly unique picture of a moment. An unrepeating moment. We can say that "St. Valentine's Porno Bar" brings to you unique emotions and feelings, a unique rock album"
Maybe someday, (never say never), walking through the Calle of Venice, we will meet in Campo della Bragora before this St. Valentine's Porno Bar, between the antics in one of the older Ateliér of the Serenissima.
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