Homunculus Res

My Favorite Canterbury Style Band

Most probably my single favorite 21st Century newcomer band are the young men from Palermo, Sicilia, Italia, who burst onto the prog scene (as a much-misclassified "RPI" band--for seven years!) with 2013's Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto, an album that immediately struck me as so totally refreshing, so upbeat and fun, while also being so impressive with the skillsets and compositional uniquities on display, that it quickly established a place in the top 10 of my list (of now over 1000 albums) of Favorite Albums of All-Time. (It has been sitting at #3 for several years now). While the band's four successive albums have not quite lived up to the debut album's indominatable spirit of lightness, joy, fun, and youthful humor, they have all stood enough of the test of time to still command high rankings on my year-end lists of favorites--and the most recent album, 2023's Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi has come the closest to reaching those heights (though more for the mastery of mixing nuance and subtlety into fairly simple song constructs). 

What started out as a little AltrOck Productions oddity of four core band members and six significant collaborators/contributors grew and contracted as other similarly-spirited musicians heard about the band and expressed interest in working with them. Of the original four founding members, three remain yet as steadfast stalwarts, but one of the band's original collaborators/guests, guitarist Mauro Turdo, has now been swallowed up and officially designated a full-fledged band member, and bassist Daniele Crisci stepped into founding member, Domenico Salamone's shoes after the release of the debut album--where he has remained ever since. Also, many of the guest collaborators and contributors who started with the band on that first album have continued to "guest" and collaborate ever since--including members of other Canterbury Style band members and enthusiasts like PICCHIO DAL POZZO, RASCAL REPORTERS, ALCO FRISBASS, and, of course, the AltrOck stable! 

HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi (2023: #5 on Favorites"; #32 on Fishscales.)

My favorite band from Sicily is back with their fifth studio album since their 2013 debut. Though the official band membership has shrunk (to five), the number of guest contributors remains big. The music is simpler than the the quirky, jerky fun stuff on 2013's debut, but the subtleties and nuances that only begin to come shining through after three or four listens have made this album increasingly grow in my esteem. Thus, despite its less-than-masterpiece rating, it finished 2023 as my #5 ranked "favorite" album.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel, bass (1)
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, synth, bass (4)
- Mauro Turdo / lead guitar
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion
- Daniele Crisci / bass
With:
- James Strain (RASCAL REPORTERS) / oud (1)
- Massimo Giuntoli (SKE) / keyboards (2)
- Giorgio Trombino (VERTEBRA ATLANTIS, MESSA, BEDSORE) / Alto sax, flute (2)
- Dominique D'Avanzo (STERBUS) / vocals, flute, recorder, clarinet (4)
- Emanuele "Sterbus" Sterbini (STERBUS) / vocals (4)
- Giuseppe Turdo / French & English horn, oboe, trumpet (4,7)
- Marco Monterosso (MEZ GACANO) / guitar (5)
- Alan Strawbridge (SCHNAUSER) / vocals (8)
- Giovanni Parmeggiani (ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI) / moog, polysix, Fender rhodes (8)
- Andrea Cusumano / whistle (9)
- Dario Lo Cicero (MEZ GACANO) / panaulon, flute, bassoon, trombone, cristal baschet (9,10)
- Mila Di Addario / Tangent piano (9), Angelica glass harp (10)
- Federico Cardaci / arp odyssey, oberheim, digitone, memotron (10)
- Luciano Margorani (LA 1919) / guitar (10)
- Enea Turdo / vocals (10)

1. "Il gran finale" (3:52) the music here retains the spry Canterbury feel and sound palette of the band's stupendous debut, Limiti all'eguauglianza della parte con il tutto, but the songs are more streamlined with longer working passages instead of the short and frequent time and thematic shifts; they're polished and mature, more listener-friendly, but not quite as quirky and fun as the former. (8.75/10)

2. "Quintessenza la la la" (6:06) a song that seems to parody music in all of the silliness of its seriousness--both the singing/lyrics and the music. Quite fun and funny! (8.875/10)

3. "Il bello e il cattivo tempo" (3:52) opens like a BEACH BOYS song from the 1960s. It's nicely melodic and flows very smoothly, but he music kind of drags as it is obvious that the lyrics are meant to be the focus. (8.75/10)

4. "Viaggio astrale di una polpetta" (5:17) this jazzier piece sounds very much like a MUFFINS/DAVE NEWHOUSE composition with some shifts into GRYPHON territory due to the recorders et al. until Emanuele Sterbini's vocals enter in the final third. Interesting! (8.75/10)

5. "Fine del mondo" (4:07) one of the more quirky, funny songs on the album--even the instrumental sound choices are often humorous/silly. (8.875/10)

6. "Pentagono" (5:23) a slowly hypnotic Math Rock kind of song evolves into something quite melodic as the vocalists sing and harmonize in the second minute. The upright piano sound used gives the song a bar- or school-room feel to it. A top three song for me. (9/10)

7. "Parole e numeri" (3:05) this slowed down number is unusually plodding but supremely melodic and engaging, simple but beautiful. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

8. "Cinque sensi" (4:00) very cool upbeat and cheerful song again of a simpler form and structure, it's just too charming to not love. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

9. "Fiume dell'Oblio" (4:15) a bit of the avant and Sgt. Pepper-like psychedelic mixed into the straightforward simple pop forms. Still, there is so much lovable quirk and uniquity here as to make my smile creases crack. And Andrea Cusumano is quite the whistler! My fourth top three song. (9/10)

10. "Doppi sensi" (10:04) As if Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello dropped in to help compose and produce a collage of great unconventional chord progressions and melodies while using a number of whimsical, ever-changing time signatures. Then, at 4:50 Robert Wyatt and John Lennon step in to direct, creating a dreamy musical playground in which even children can roam around and play. While I like both halves, the first is definitely more to my liking. (18/20)

Total Time: 50:01

While I like this album a lot--it has really grown on me--I still idolize that debut album more than any of the band's others. Here the music is often simpler, engaging the listener for longer stretches of time, but the band have done an excellent job of reclaiming the quirk and humor so naturally championed by that first album--something that has not always remained constant in their other three albums. 

89.77 on the Fishscale = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully entertaining Canterbury Styled progressive rock music.  

HOMUNCULUS RES Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco (2020:  #12 on "favorites"; #18 in Fishscales.)

My wife and I just sold our farm (happy/sad). We just returned from two days of cleaning out and driving to storage the family valuables (happy/sad). But then I opened up my computer after a couple days of absence to find that one of my favorite bands of the 21st Century had released its new album--on my mother's 85th birthday (happy/HAPPY). AUTO-BUY! I have to report that the band has (finally) returned to the (full) form of sophisticated Canterbury quirk of their 2011 debut. I am SO HAPPY to be listening to this beautiful yet happy music--especially in these COVID times. Thank you, Dario & company! And thank you to The Universe for releasing this album on my mother's 85 birthday! It will always make this album feel so special--like it was just for me.

Full, more detailed review in the days to come (as I will, no doubt, be listening to this album non-stop throughout the weekend). The PERFECT SUMMER ALBUM! If you want happy, melodic music to play on your days by the water, I could not think of a better one than this.


Line-up / Musicians:

- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals (1-4,6-10), rhythm guitar (1-4,8,9), keyboards (1-6,8-10), glockenspiel (2,5)
- Davide Di Giovanni / piano, organ, synthesizer, guitar (7)
- Mauro Turdo / solo guitar (1-6,8-10)
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums
- Daniele Crisci / bass (1-6,8,10)
With:
- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (1,2)
- Petter Herbertsson / banjo, guitars, vibraphone, double bass (3)
- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & French horn (4)
- Antonio Tralongo / viola (4)
- Emanuele Sterbini (STERBO) / vocals & guitar (5)
- Dominique D'Avanzo (STERBO) / vocals, flute, clarinet (5)
- Danilo Mancino / bass (7)
- Dario Lo Cicero / transverse flute, bass flute & bassoon (8,10)
- Patrick Dufour (ALCO FRISBASS) / electric piano (9)
- James Strain (RASCAL REPORTERS) / bass (9) 

1. "Lucciole per Lanterne" (4.54) Canterbury and Homunculus Res perfection! (9.5/10)
2. "Il Carrozzone" (3:42) (9.75/10)
3. "Buco Nero" (6:44) (8.75/10)
4. "Supermercato" (6:21) (8.75/10)
5. "La Spia" (4:36) (8.75/10)
6. "La Salamandra" (6:25) (9/10)
7. "In Girum" (3:37) sounds more like THE WINSTONS' debut album (and, therefore, MATCHING MOLE/Robert WYATT). (8.5/10)
8. "La Luccicanza" (4:27) (8.75/10)
9. "Tetraktys" (3:33) (8.75/10)
10. "Non Dire No" (3:45) opens as if a teacher/parent singing to (or for) children. When flute supplants vocal it becomes more rich and though still community feeling. Cool, different song. (9.5/10)

The album starts out on a real high with the first two fast-paced joy-fests, but then then tempos settle into the middle inviting the listener to tune in more carefully to hear the clever and quirky nuances that the band throws in. 

Total Time 47:59

90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and such a refreshing addition to my (so far) rather weak 2020 collection.

P.S. How could ANYONE call this music anything but Canterbury???!!!! This is NOT a RPI band!

HOMUNCULUS RES Della stessa sostanza dei sogni (2018: #19 on "favorites"; #25 on Fishscales.)

The third full-length album release from these creative artists from Palermo reveal a band that continues to grow and experiment though their sound and style while remaining as refreshingly quirky, humorous, and Canterburian as ever. The songs are far more complex, far more avant on some layers, while, gratefully, maintaining the light, even humorous approach to rendering music. I even feel somewhere in my gut that there has been a slight return to the loose, enjoyable spirit that was so prominent and prevalent throughout their 2013 debut, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto, (one of my top five favorite albums of all-time). 

Line-up / Musicians:

Dario D'Alessandro: guitar (R), voice, keyboards, bass (5)

Davide Di Giovanni: piano, organ, synth, acoustic guitar (9)

Daniele Di Giovanni: drums, percussions

Mauro Turdo: guitar (L)

Daniele Crisci: bass

   With

Dave Newhouse (THE MUFFINS, RASCAL REPORTER, MANNA / MIRAGE): saxophones, clarinets, flute (1, 2, 5, 9, 12)

Luciano Margorani (LA1919, NichelOdeon): guitar (5, 10)

Tommaso Leddi (STORMY SIX): mandolin (5), trombone (10)

Rocco Lomonaco (BREZNEV FUN CLUB): winds orchestration (3), guitars and bass (11)

Petter Herbertsson (Testbild!): rhodes, keyboards, vibraphone, bass (final part) (6)

Lorenzo Leddi (Mamma Non Piangere, Ensemble Havadià): guitar (7

Giuseppe Turdo: oboe, french horn, english horn (3, 12)

Giorgio Trombino (Furious Gorgie): alto sax (1, 8), voice (5)

Paolo Botta (SKE, YUGEN, NOT A GOOD SIGN): synthesizers, hammond, wurlitzer (1, 4, 5, 9, 10)

Dario Lo Cicero: flutes (3 and 7), chamois horn (12)

Alessandra Oria Bollino: voice (7)

Valerio Mirone  (UTVEGGI): voice (2)

Sara Zerilli: voice (12)

Pivio: electronics and samples (5)

Giovanni Rotondi: clarinets (11)

Marco Monterosso: whistle (9)

1. "La Cabala" (4:00) smooth with typically catchy HR melodies (9.5/10)

2. "Faccio una pazzia" (2:49) more odd, humorous, and avant than before. Quirky vocals similar to those explored by AltrOck stable mates HUMBLE GRUMBLE on their early release, Flanders Fields. I love the thick fretless bass contrasted by the sharp, staccato, odd-tempo hits of the horns and rhythm section. Funky sax solo by Dave Newhouse at the end. (10/10)

3. "Bianco supremo" (3:32) a pretty, bucolic song with melodies and sound renderings that harken back to the idyllic summer musics of the late 1960s. How many instruments can one clearly weave into one song? (9.25/10)

4. "Non sogno più" (2:44) This one has the feel of a late-1960s Latin jazz pop song. Fun, engaging, danceable, and gorgeous. (9.75/10)

5. "Mentre dormi" (4:16) opens like a Ben Watt/Tracey Thorn song before becoming all HR. Great shift at 0:45. I love the woodwinds and mandolin in the mid-section. Another great shift just before the three-minute mark leads into the electric guitar solo in an awesome reed-based outro. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)

6. "Rimedi ancestrali" (3:39) an odd-tempoed piano-based song with aged electro-pop sounds (the return of the Casio VL-TONE Vl-1?!!) performing some of the song's base fabric. I love Dario D'Alessandro's vocals on this one. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

7. "Se la mente mentisse" (4:16) a fun pop song with lead vocals from Alessandra Oria Bollino. The second part, instrumental/post vocal, sounds so much like a 70s Canterbury song. Then we return to the poppy vocal section while Alessandra scats the main melody with "la-la-las" in place of the words. Great flute work here from Dario La Cicero. Just pure fun—makes me so proud to be a human being (despite our inanities)! I cannot decide between this song and the album opener for my third top three song. (9.25/10)

8. "Il nome di Dio" (2:34) a quirky jazzy song with odd multi-voiced vocals over the top (and below). Great jazz rhythms and horn work after the 1:00 mark. I like the multi-layered synth work in that solo in the second minute. The song bounces back and forth from quirk vocal to jazz section one more cycle while ending with a nice little Casiotone solo. (8.5/10)

9. "Denti cadenti" (4:41) presents a very different recording soundscape with tons of reverb on multiple tracks (not just the voices). Harpsichord and other older-sounding instruments. Even a Hammond and Mellotron to go with piano and other more-"classic/common" prog instruments. (8.5/10)

10. "Dopamine" (3:49) another song that uses instruments and sounds sounding like they're straight out of the 1970s Canterbury Scene bands' repertoires. Great raunchy electric guitar work over the jazzy organ-led foundation. (8.5/10)

11. "Preludio e distrazioni" (2:09) is a slow, sentimental song with piano and multiple layers of woodwinds. Pretty first minute, shifts, then more gorgeous, ending with acoustic classical and electric guitar duet. (8.5/10)

12. "La casa dei sogni" (2:54) fun, horn-based, carnivalesque song with lead vocals by female singer, Sara Zerilli. Starts out slow but then picks up at 0:37 becoming more bouncy and upbeat. This could almost be a Stereolab song. (8.75/10)

Total Time 41:2

90.21 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music in the Canterbury style. Not as amazing or ground-breaking as their debut, but I do like this one better than their sophomore release—which left me kind of flat.

HOMUNCULUS RES Come si diventa ciò che si era (2015; unrated in both year-end categories.)

While not quite as new, fresh, happy, upbeat, melodic, or loose and quirky as their debut, this is still an excellent album release fully within the Canterbury sound. The music feels to me as if it is now more work, more effort, less fun, less imbued with the frivolity of youth and its devil-may-care joy. I miss some of the layers and sudden stops and shifts, and I do not like the way the drums are recorded. I hope the future music of this wonderfully spirited band veers more toward songs like "Balacqua" (3:40) and the epic "Ospedale civico" (17:52) and less like the opening few songs here.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,12), MS10 synth (3,8-10,12), MS2000 synth (4,5,11), bass (4,7,10-12), glockenspiel (6)

- Mauro Turdo / guitar

- Davide Di Giovanni / Nord Electro synth (2), keyboards & synth (13), bass (8,13), drums & percussion (13)

- Daniele Crisci / bass

- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion

With:

- Aldo De Scalzi (PICCHIO DAL POZZO) / vocals & organ & guitar (4)

- Wyatt Moss-Wellington / vocalese & backing vocals (10)

- Fabrice Chouette (ALCO FRISBASS) / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)

- Patrick Dufour (ALCO FRISBASS) / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)

- Jarrod Gosling (REGAL WORM) / Mellotron, Philicorda organ & Octave Kitten synth (3,6)

- Paul "Ske" Botta (SKE, YUGEN, NOT A GOOD SIGN, / ARP Odyssey (5), OSCar synth (2,9), Roland RS 202 (11), mixing

- Steven Kretzmer (RASCAL REPORTERS) / piano (8)

- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & English horn (1)

- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (3,5,14)

- David Newhouse (THE MUFFINS, MANNA / MIRAGE) / saxofones (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone) & bass clarinet (9,10)

- Dario Lo Cicero / flutes & flageolet (10)

1. "Operazione Simpatia" (2:11) (8/10)
2. "Doppiofondo del Barile" (2:50) (8/10)
3. "Vesica Piscis" (6:22) (8.25/10)
4. "Dogface reprise" (1:50) (/5)
5. "Opodeldoc" (4:26) (9/10)
6. "La Felicità" (1:27) (/5)
7. "Ottaedro" (2:45) (/10)
8. "Egg Soup" (0:50) (/5)
9. "Belacqua" (3:39) (9/10)
10. Ospedale Civico (17:52) (32/40)
11. Dogface (3:40) (9/10)
12. S invertita (0:52) (/5)
13. Paum/ (1:53) (/5)
14. Schermaglie (1:51) (/5)

Total Time: 52:28

84.29 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a decent album by but by no means a shining example worthy of high praise or universal recommendation. For those with an undying love for all things Canterbury.

1. HOMUNCULUS RES Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto (2013: #1 on "favorites"; #1 on Fishscales; #2 on list of All-Time Favorite Albums.)

A band from Italy in the AltrOck Productions stable whose debut album, 2013's Limiti all'equalianza della parte con il tutto, offers wild and humorous musical stylings that definitely evoke that light, airy Canterbury feeling. All songs (but one) are short (less than four minutes) and quirky in the SOFT MACHINE/Matching Mole style. Great keyboard and synthesizer work, drumming, and rhythm section as each and every song incorporates amazing and unexpected whole-band syncopation and tempo and key shifts throughout. The laid-back vocals of composer and Casiotone virtuoso Dario ALESSANDRO are awesomely soothing. The Di Giovanni brothers, Daniele and David on drums and keyboards, respectively, flutist Dario Lo Cicero and not one, not two, but three keyboard players (including AltrOck ubiquity, Paolo "SKE" BOTTA), serve Dario's songs amazingly well. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,11,18), Minimoog (4,5,16,17), Mellotron (9), glockenspiel (1), percussion (4,18), vocals
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, Korg MS10 (5,10,17), bass (16), drums (15-17), acoustic guitar (6), vocals (1,16)
- Domenico Salamone / bass
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums & percussion, acoustic guitar (6,9), vocals (1)
With:
- Mauro Turdo / guitar (1)
- Federico Cardaci / Minimoog (6,8,12), Mellotron (4,11,12), organ (12)
- Dario Lo Cicero / Akai EWI (2,6), flutes (7,8,18), sordone (9)
- Paolo "Ske" Botta (YUGEN, SKE) / ARP Odyssey (1,7,11), Wurlitzer & glockenspiel (1), Farfisa organ (3,12,14), OSC OSCar synth (4,15), Syntorchestra (8,9,12), Hohner Pianet (8)
- Giovanni Di Martino / Korg synth (3)
- Totò Puleo / trumpet (3)

Imperfect songs: 5. "Sintagma" (1:09) (8/10); 8. "Rifondazione unghie" (3:18) (9/10); 14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:06) (9/10), and; "Puk 10" (2:25) (9/10).

Perfect songs:  All of the others! (14 of them!!)

Total Time 48:02

Besides being my #2 favorite album of ALL-TIME, this is the Best Canterbury album of the 21st Century and perhaps the best of all-time!!

97.22 on the Fish scales = 5 star album; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.