CONFUSIONAL QUARTET - s/t LP (colour vinyl)

Limited edition colour vinyl.

Highly recommended.

A bizarre, all-instrumental record comprised of weird and angular songs which are equally influenced by the post-punk classics of the era (Devo in particular, but one could also think of Wire at their most abstract) and the complex playfulness of certain Rock in Opposition (Aksak Maboul, Etron fou leloublan). Despite the similarity of their intent, this album is quite different from analogue (and later) experiments from abroad (see The Work, Het, Cassiber) since Confusional Quartet heavily employed toy-like synthetic and electronic textures, melodic ditties borrowed from muzak, hints of reggae, synth pop, funk, and punk rock, and a surreal approach more akin to the contemporary records by The Residents. There is even an absurd cover of the famous Nel blu, dipinto di blu by Domenico Modugno, here titled simply Volare: it would be almost unrecognizable, if it weren't for the melodic theme played by the keyboards which springs out from nowhere in the second half, leading to a feverish synth coda.

This is a little cult classic of Italian new wave.