CD Review: June 1974 - Nemesi (Instrumental, 2018)

This record is one of the unusual kind. All the songs, the sound and the long list of guests make it stand out.

The cover of June 1974's "Nemesi" record was done by Natalie Shau (Cradle Of Filth/Sopor Aeternus).

Such packages of music seldomely ever arrive at my inbox. Certainly "Nemesi" comes out of the hand of composer Federico Romano. He had something special in mind with this one. It starts out with the cover - it all comes around like art, like a picture. But one you hardly come around. The sound is clear and direct but you need to unravel the message every track shares for yourselves.

There's no given muster - each one is a unique crafted piece of sound yet all in all the tracks fit together for a album. It feels more like traveling having a listen to "Nemesi". The sounds are often styled with soft tonality but the there's a pushing rawness the drums in the background provide.

It may also work as a soundtrack for a motion picture offering a story with many turns and twists. Just let the sounds form your own journey to this outstanding longplayer.

The guests performing on this first longplayer of June 1974 are mostly known for their work in much heavier acts. Here is a complete list:

“Sognando Klimt” featuring Gionata Mirai (Il Teatro Degli Orrori)
“Inoubliable” featuring Tommy Talamanca (Sadist)
“Narciso” featuring John Cordoni (Necromass)
“Home” featuring Francesco Conte (klimt 1918)
“Panorama” featuring AndyLaRocque (King Diamond) and Tommy Talamanca (Sadist)
“Nothing Man” featuring Jørgen Munkeby (Shining/Ihsahn)
“Death Note”featuring Patrick Mameli (Pestilence)
“Arcadia” featuring Paul Masvidal (Cynic/Death)
“Creed” featuring James Murphy (Obituary/Death/Testament/Cancer/Gorguts/Disincarnate) “Beloved” featuring Francesco Sosto (The Foreshadowing)

In this space they show that their skill can be used a different way. My personal favorite is "Creed" with James Murphy on guitars. Sure there is this special extra that only such a dedicated person can add with his playing technique in the introduction. But it's also showing his solid playing skills in a more common environment. As the atmosphere of the music evolves further he fully gives in to it. Everyone should have heard this one at least once.

The other tracks offer for instance unusual drum pattern like "Home" does. It's such a "playing-with- the-beat" around way to do that you won't get it out of your mind. "Narciso" has the most agressive drumming giving massive double-bass power and filling the track with thick volume. It's a album to sink in deep and to relax to. A highlight that hopefully will not be overseen.

You can download a copy of the album of "Nemesi" from Bandcamp in a format you like.

CD Review: June 1974 - Atlantide (2014)

I've seldomely ever heard that someone managed to change between various styles in such a cool way. But this instrumental one man project of Federico Romano really gives me hope that breaking barriers between various genres isn't that hard to get by. Read now what I've found out while listening to the "Atlantide" EP.

Short Introduction

June 1974 is the musical project created in late 2009 by Federico Romano,an underground writer of poems and short stories.His kind of music is indefinable because every song embraces different styles from dance to rock to classic/ hip hop  music. So June 1974 is 360 music degree only for open mind listeners.Till now June 1974, has published more than 250 songs(singles+ep+albums) available on all digital stores worldwide thanks to Visionaire Records (his record label) .

Atlantide is the title of this EP published in November 2014 that cointains two songs in rock electro classic post shoegaze style mastered in Iceland by Birgir Jon Birgisson at his Sundlaugin studios ( Sigur Ros / Alcest / Mum ) available on all digital stores worldwide by Visionaire Records. Meanwhile June 1974 has published other singles in 2015 and now is working hard on the new album that will be avalaible in middle of 2016.

Cover artwork by Soey Milk (c) by June 1974, used with kind permission

Summary

The EP is a cool surprise item if you're looking for a gift to someone you know that is completly open to all sorts of music or just yourselves if you like to listen to all possible styles of music. This said it's sure that this release contains a good potion or Rock music with slightly heavier parts in it as well as soft parts of the more ambient direction.

But it's far more than that. You'll listen to pop elements as well as have your ear on some nice electronic elffects in it. Some sounds give a ghostly feeling while others sound very experimental and it's hard to say how that effect might have come together. Sounds like the composer tries out effect stuff and various set-up's while creating his music. Some melodies will stay in your mind for some time due to it's strangeness or typical melody.

EP Overview

The record starts with the slower and soundwise softer "Follia". It starts out slow but just wait a little and the track moves on and starts to evolve through it's duration. You may not think that it will be very different throughout the whole track but just relax and enjoy. Have you ever listened to something similar like this? I love people who create such soundscapes for all of us.

The second number "Atlantide" is of the more abrassive way of music. It comes with more distortion. You'll easily point it out as a rocking track. It has less of it's haunting moments but takes it's energy more of the heavier riffs that are built in. The rhythm patterns are also chosen in a much heavier way. Nevertheless it has also a outworked song structure which let's us discover various moods throughout the musical journey so it's not just a Rock song all the while.

Player & Purchase-Link

The EP consists of two tracks. That seems not to be much but please keep in mind that those tracks come along with a duration of 24 minutes alltogether. The download costs 2 Euro for the whole EP on Bandcamp but looking at the whole diversity and big musical bandwith it covers should be a good pick for fans of various genres. Enjoy the stream to find out if the EP meets your taste of music.

 

Contact Data

If you enjoyed the music make sure to see the other releases of June 1974 on Bandcamp and make sure to keep a eye on the Facebook page of Visionaire Records for all the upcoming info on this project.