Finding A Place

Last heard from Italian player Massimo Discepoli with his 2014 release Parallax. Here he is again on same DOF label with The Right Place On The Wrong Map (DOF LABEL NO NUMBER), which in title at least continues the “navigational” theme noted previously by Stuart Marshall – “the foregrounding of instrumentation helps establish and maintain a sense of direction”. Discepoli is a drummer who happens to play lots of other instruments and produce compositions, so these seven cuts are an opportunity for him to experiment with numerous instrumental styles, including what he describes as “post-rock, jazz, ambient, improvisation and minimalism”. The way he applies these musical genres is in a very nuanced manner; his idea of “jazz”, for instance, seems to involve a restrained Fender Rhodes piano which doesn’t so much play notes in the manner of Herbie Hancock, as suggest vague outlines in impressionistic ways. The drumming underpins everything, but even here the playing is very minimal; on top of these languid and delicate beats, instrumental passages are overlaid in the manner of someone choosing interior décor for a room and working hard not to upset the colour and space balance. I have tried hard to find something to admire and appreciate here, but to me this whole album is just tasteful airport lounge music. (26/11/2018)