** Edition of 50 copies ** The duality of what Joe LiTrenta & Miki Kizh have created with 'Auriemma' is revealed with the first as well as the 100th listen. 'Auriemma' is undeniably influenced by the passing of 2 brothers who were close to the artists. Rob & Aidan died in separate accidents a few weeks from one another. So the result is a somber, haunted recording but it somehow retains some optimism throughout each of its sprawling tracks.

Chords appear out of the air, and then expand for what seems like eternity. This lends itself to a perceived lightness, yet these featherweight movements are layered into thick, enveloping clouds of sound. Synth pads are constructed into a tapestry of shimmering noise, albeit a beautiful drone noise, while distant cavernous notes shade the luminous backdrop as in the spritually inspired "The Train Tracks". "Forever" opens like a sunrise with its piercing brightness, subdued and untangled and scattered slowly into the air. It contains probably my favorite part of the whole album, a turn 30 seconds from the end into this beautiful subtle melody, then evaporates. Bengalfuel constructs these mini-opuses as if they are being filmed in extraordinary slow motion, while keeping the listener engrossed with every frame of this atmospheric film.

"Auriemma is an album on the passage from one state to another, from a carnal dimension to a more spiritual, nourished by flickering lights and suspended beauty." - Silence in Sound