Lino Capra Vaccina

Antico Adagio was originally intended to be a double album, but was eventually scaled back to a single disc, and this is the unreleased album from the 1978 session. Before an aberrant idea of progress and workaholic ethic ludicrously sped up our daily lives, even in the hectic city of Milan it was possible to “play slowly” – with no pressure, simply following the path your art was showing you. After a classic artistic journey and an experimental stint with Aktuala and other brilliant fellow musicians (like Franco Battiato, above all), Lino Capra Vaccina, near the end of the 70s, recorded Antico Adagio. It was an amazing album, anticipating countless future experiments in the field of new age and world music but also in avantgarde and electronic music. Apart from a few violin parts and the extraordinary vocal lines (sung by Vaccina himself and Juri Camisasca), Antico Adagio is an album fully built on percussions. But, at the same time, it’s the farthest thing from the typical idea of percussions. You won’t find a single trace of African or primitive beats: instead, this is a collection of rather long, subtle and thoughtful compositions, crafted with vibraphones, marimbas and gong. Together they create a work which will remain unique – both in Capra Vaccina’s discography as well as in a more general sense.

From Kieran Hebden/FourTet liner notes: «There are records I have found in my life that I was almost wishing existed before hearing them. Recordings with new combinations of sound and atmosphere I knew could be wonderful to me if I ever discovered them, and then on discovery the sound was even better than I could have imagined.  I felt this way when first hearing music by Alice Coltrane (Journey to Satchidananda)  and Don Cherry (Organic Music Society) and I also felt it with Antico Adagio.  The combinations of the rhythms and melodies resonate with me in a very clear way and I feel transported by this music every time I hear it.… I first heard this record when it was posted on the Mutant Sounds blog a few years ago and am very happy to see it get another release. The music is timeless and brilliant and maybe there are other people out there wishing for a sound like this too who will now have chance to find it».

Available as two individual LPs: Antico Adagio (DS27/1LP) and Frammenti da Antico Adagio (DS27/2LP), which features previously unreleased material from the original 1978 sessions. The deluxe CD edition (Antico Adagio, DS27CD) contains both albums.