Caterina Barbieri is back with a new album, Spirit Exit, which loses itself inside the depths of her electronic studio with a wider sound palette, and unexpected introspection.
I’ve been a fan of Caterina Barbieri’s music since her Ecstatic Computation LP hynotised me with its unfolding dark electronic ambient sequences that unexpectedly explode into melody. So its been a three year wait, and we’re in a very different world since we last heard from this Italian synthesist, but it’s been worth the wait.
According to recent press releases, Caterina was forced to adopt a new song writing approach to Spirit Exit when the pandemic struck. She could no longer evolve tracks on the gig circuit, and was forced into the isolation of her studio during lockdown. This probably explains some of the new interesting soulful choral directions reminiscent of Holly Herndon’s vocal experimentation, but it’s the Wendy Carlos inspired melodic moments of modular synthesis work that truly make this an extraordinary album worth listening to.
Spirit Exit showcases a fiercesome artist on an inward electronic journey, unafraid to experiment, and you shouldn’t be afraid to join her.
Official Website: https://caterinabarbieri.com/
Buy at Bleep: https://bleep.com/release/292861-caterina-barbieri-spirit-exit
Check out Exit Spirit’s opening track, ‘At Your Gamut’ below :
Check out the full Ecstatic Computation album stream below: