Cargo Cult

E.P. Tina records ( U.K. ) 

2024

A Cargo Cult refers to a social phenomenon where a group of people practices rituals and beliefs in the hope of receiving material wealth, often modeled after the behaviors of technologically advanced or colonizing cultures. This concept is derived from events in the Pacific Islands ( Melanesia ) during and after World War II.

During the war, indigenous populations of remote Pacific islands encountered Western soldiers (primarily from the U.S. and Japan) for the first time. These soldiers brought significant amounts of material goods (or "cargo") such as food, weapons, medicine, and other supplies. To the islanders, these goods seemed miraculous, and they were unfamiliar with the technological and industrial systems that produced them.

When the war ended and the military left, the cargo shipments stopped. In response, some islanders developed new religious practices aimed at bringing the cargo back. These movements often involved building makeshift airstrips, imitation radios, and control towers, hoping to attract the planes or ships that once brought the supplies.

The “ John Frum movement “ on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu is perhaps the most well-known example. The islanders believe in a figure named John Frum ( contraction of the word John from USA ), who promised to return with abundant cargo. The cult members still await his return, continuing to practice rituals like marching in military-style parades and maintaining symbolic airstrips.

Outside of anthropology, the term "cargo cult" is sometimes used metaphorically to describe situations where people imitate behaviors or processes without understanding the underlying principles, hoping to achieve the same results. For example, in science or business, "cargo cult thinking" refers to copying superficial aspects of a successful approach without grasping the deeper reasons for its success.

The music contained in this EP is inspired by this bizarre syncretism between the technologically advanced West and ancient and remote cultures that have remained isolated for thousands of years and their interpretation of reality. The music is also dedicated to Jon Hassell (a great musician who codified the music of the "Fourth World") and Brian Reitzell (composer of extraordinary soundtracks for series and films such as "Hannibal" and "Lost in Tranlation” ).

There are also two remixes done by Cut Hands, a.k.a William Bennett of Whitehouse, and industrial millennial Nokuit

Melanesia

Oxmose Record Label ( Fr ) 

2020 - 2021

Melanesia is a large area made up of several groups of islands: Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Vanuatu New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Moluccas, Loyalty Islands, Torres Strait Islands and Bismarck Islands. 

The name of Melanesia derives from the Greek melas "black" and nesoi  "islands" due to the dark skin of its inhabitants . The origins of peoples of Melanesia are very ancient : several studies have highlighted in their DNA genetic traits that can be traced back to the man of Neanderthal and Denisova (about 70,000 years ago). 

In addition, there is an indigenous genetic oddity: about 10% of dark-skinned islanders sport a bright blonde hair not derived from contacts with American or European navigators. 

Their isolation has preserved primitive culture and, perhaps, music. For the music I use traditional ethnic music from Melanesia : flute, voice, pan flute, mouth arc, percussion. It is traditional music of the populations of Kanaki, Itamul, Kaluli, Niugini, Abelam, Huli, Enga.

For "Melanesia" I used :

Plunderfonic Chamber orchestra: oboe, bassoon, contra basoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, french horn, piano, cello , viola , double-bass , piano

Ethnic Music : traditional music of the populations of Kanaki, Itamul, Kaluli, Niugini, Abelam, Huli, Enga : flute, voice, pan flute, mouth arc, and percussion

Nature sound of Melanesia :  sea, wind, rain and thunderstorms modifying them according to the techniques of Concrete Music , in homage to Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry .

  Harold Boué aka    Abstraxion  

"Lion's drums" 

Biologicrecords 

2019-2021

Harold Bouè is a French producer based in Marseille. He released at the end of 2013 his stunning debut LP Break of Lights on HAKT Recordings, and on Nicolas Jaar's label Other People. 

Lion's Drums full length exists as en exploration in multiple dimensions. First by challenging the notion of the album format by presenting a body of work that lies snuggly between remixes, edits and original works and secondly as a means to delve into the transcendent potential of the drum. 

The album sets the tone by putting these two concepts fully on display with its hypnotic chant, swaying one into ease over the first two songs. In orderly cue folding and unfolding, meditatively through, melodies as muddied pastelle whispers cast over the measured language of the drum. Breaking away from the musing themes of the opening songs we find an ecstatic ritual in "Tanz der Korperlinge" and "Journey to Middle Earth", two distinct varieties but both of the same perennial species. 

Inky ether seeps back in through the second half of the album with a peak of frenzied tumbling toms and incongruous textures hovering above in the Manos Tsangaris' collaboration "Crying Tafel" and his re-imagining of Tullio De Piscopo's unhinged drum excursion "Fastness". 

The closing exemplifies the edit/remix/original ethos proposed for this work with Lions Drums drawing from tapes and original material of electronic pioneers Suzanne Ciani and Roberto Musci. Drawing from unreleased music and song sketches by the original artists as well as field recordings from travels & studio sessions made by Roberto Musci & Manos Tsangaris in the 80's and early 90's he constructs a side winding journey through playful textures and ethereal moods.

" Khami shintai " and " Paris 1971 "

Loosing the orthodox path  

Cinedelic / Soave records ( It ) 

2020

The recordings of two projects : middle age music revisited with electronics and the soundtrack for " Principle of moment " ( Berlin) a dance project by Dieter Heitkamp about the art of Yves Klein . With : 

Giovanni Venosta  : piano

Massimo Mariani  : guitar

Roberto Musci : sampler , guitar , percussion

Sandro Cerino  : sax , clarinet

Silvia Mandolini  : violin

Moni Ovadia : voice

Roberto Zanisi : percusion

Ciaccio De Rossi :cello

Cesare Picco : trumpet

Liliana Bancolini : vooice

Laura Pone  : voice

Amelie Berson : voice , flute

Didier Aschour : voice

   Water messages on desert sand 

Technique records 

2018

Music from all over the world ( Africa , Asia and Middle East ) sampled and played with " real" musical instruments , decontextualized to create a music near to " concrete music" in Plunderphonics style .

" Water message on desert sand " was the first LP with Giovanni Venosta , (Grammy nominated 1987 ) with: 

Giovanni Venosta : piano , synth 

Roberto Musci : guitar , synth , sampler

Marco Bill  Vecchi : sampler

Valentino DeSanti : sampler

Tiziano Tononi : percussion

Andrea Petrus : french horn

Sandro Cerino : sax , flute , clarinet

Daniele Cavallanti : sax

Franchino Gabualdi : oboe

Walter Prati : bass

Reissue on vinyl with original cover after 32 years and  Edited by Goodfellas records

 Urban & tribal portraits

Cinedelic / Soave records ( It ) 

2018

Music from all over the world ( Africa , Asia and Middle East ) sampled and played with " real" musical instruments , decontextualized to create a music near to " concrete music" in Plunderphonics style. 

" Urban and tribal portraits " was the second LP with Giovanni Venosta , with:

Giovanni Venosta : piano , synth

Roberto Musci : guitar , synth , percussion 

Sandro Cerino : sax , flute , clarinet

Paolino Dalla Porta : double bass

Marco Bill Vecchi : sampler

Reissue on vinyl with original cover after 30 years 

The Loa of music complete sessions 

Cinedelic / Soave records ( It ) 

2017

Originally, "The Loa of Music" was supposed to be a double LP, which, due to economic problems of production, it was printed as a single lp with only part of the songs. 

I found the original songs ( recorded 33 years ago )and they were printed on the album "The Loa of music complete sessions" in a double lp in gorgeous transparent white vinyl with ethnic photos of the era. 

Tower of silence

 Music from Memory ( NL ) 

2016

The history of my music in a compilation from the music of my first LP to the latest music project with unpublished tracks , in a double LP. 

Music From Memory is an Amsterdam based record label set up in 2013 by Abel Nagengast, Jamie Tiller and Tako Reyenga.

" Our focus is on compiling music that we believe deserves a wider audience than it received at the time of it's release or has maybe never even been heard; unreleased material which has remained only in the archives of the musicians who made it. "

Doubling & silence

Recommended records Italia 

1988

This recording, released by Auf Dem Nil / Recommended Records Italia is inspired by the paintings of surrealist painter Gustavo Foppiani [1925-1986] , it is presented as a series of tableaux. 

Gustavo Foppiani is probably the most important artist belonging to the so called "Piacenza School". Aesthetically speaking, he prefers a crepuscular lyricism and he uses ashen and warn tones for the passing of years on the board, that he subjects to some expert processes of getting old.

It is during the years of surrealistic and abstract landscapes,that he devotes himself to the visual research about the composition. 

Now, it is already present the fascination for the "symbol" that continues also during the following phases, when the author concentrates mostly about contents, especially reflecting upon the enigma and the anxiety, creating lively sensations of mystery.

" Azur noise"  : 

Christina Kubisch : flute

Pier Luigi Andreoni : percussion

Riccardo Sinigaglia : synth

Roberto Musci  : guitar

"A Poetry Of Broken Hearts" 

Raffaele Serra : synth

Roberto Musci : sax

Riccardo Sinigaglia : vibes , synth

Pier Luigi Andreoni : voice

Rer Quarterly

Recommended (U. K.) 

1987

Volume 2 , number 3 : The ReR Quarterly was an English "quarterly" sound-magazine comprising an LP record and a magazine. With :

John Oswald

Luciano Margorani

Tone Dogs

Amy Denio

David Myers

James Grigsby

When

Kampec Dolores

La 1919

Grigsby / Laner

J. Lachan

Miriodor

It was published at irregular intervals between 1985 and 1997 by Recommended Records and November Books, and edited by English percussionist, lyricist and music theorist, Chris Cutler.

Roberto Musci & Giovanni Venosta : " War song  ( for lovers only ) "

Urban and tribal portraits

Recommended Records (U.K.)

1987

Music from all over the world ( Africa , Asia and Middle East ) sampled and played with " real" musical instruments , decontextualized to create a music near to " concrete music" in Plunderphonics style. With : 

Giovanni Venosta : piano , synth

Roberto Musci : guitar , synth , percussion 

Sandro Cerino : sax , flute , clarinet

Paolino Dalla Porta : double bass

Marco Bill Vecchi : sampler

Water messages on desert sands

Recommended Records (U.K.)

1986

Music from all over the world ( Africa , Asia and Middle East ) sampled and played with " real" musical instruments , decontextualized to create a music near to " concrete music" in Plunderphonics style .

" Water message on desert sand " was the first LP with Giovanni Venosta , (Grammy nominated 1987 ) with: 

Giovanni Venosta : piano , synth 

Roberto Musci : guitar , synth , sampler

Marco Bill  Vecchi : sampler

Valentino DeSanti : sampler

Tiziano Tononi : percussion

Andrea Petrus : french horn

Sandro Cerino : sax , flute , clarinet

Daniele Cavallanti : sax

Franchino Gabualdi : oboe

Walter Prati : bass

Olympic signals 

GiovanniVenosta

Raw Materials Records (Italy)

1985

"Olympic signals " was recorded on 1984 ; it was Giovanni Venosta's first LP, released for my own label " Raw Material ( and residuals) " in 1985. The song " Woman in late " was iincluded in this lp and it is our first song together. 

Minimalism & avant gard electronic music with a touch of ethnic music., with : 

Giovanni Venosta : piono , synth

Franchino Gabualdi : oboe

Ciaccio DeRossi : violin

S.andro Cerino  : sax , clarinet

C.hiara Stasi  : flute

Roberto Musci  : sampler

The Loa of music

 Raw Materials Records (Italy) 

1983

The Loa of music is a project inspired to Vodoo Religion; to " Vever " , the magical voodoo paintings and to " Loas ", the dark and magic spirits of Haitian and Brazil voodoo religion. 

The Vever is a symbolic design, formed on the ground (in the peristyle) by sprinkling wheatmeal, cornmeal, or some other appropriate powder from the hand, at or before the beginning of a ceremony. Such a design represents a Loa to be invoked, and serves both as a focal point for invocation and a kind of altar for offerings. Several vevers of different Loa may be drawn for one ceremony. 

The designs incorporate well-recognized traditional elements, but reflect also the individual intentions and creative skill of the Houngan or Mambo. 

In the " Loa of music " I melted musical samples of music recorded on field from different parts of the world ( Afrtica , Near and Far East) and different musical instruments (keyboards, guitar and ethnic musical instruments : suling , tamboura , tabla, calabash , balaphon , kalimbas ). 

Like Ukyo-e I played scenes from history and folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes , exotic flora   and fauna .

500 different inside paintings by painter artist Luigi Camporelli.