Following on the heels of
2015's captivating Inflamed Rides, the members of the powerful collective
O.R.k. - lead singer Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, Porcupine Tree bassist Colin
Edwin, Marta Sui Tubi guitarist Carmelo Pipitone and King Crimson drummer Pat
Mastelotto - were primed to deliver an even more potent statement for their
sophomore offering. Coming off of a triumphant tour of Europe and South
America, they were charged to take things up a notch. And so it was with Soul
of an Octopus, their second recording and RareNoise debut. This one finds the
four kindred spirits dealing in even deeper waters. "After Inflamed
Rideswe did around 30 shows in Europe, Argentina, Chile and Mexico this
year," says Fornasari. "That definitely helped us to reign in our
sound and get to a more focused mutual vision. So all the pieces from the new
album represent an honest and effective picture of who we are as O.R.k. right
now. That said, people who have listened to the new stuff - included our
booking agents - think this is at least four times more powerful and intense
than Inflamed Rides."
Because of the presence of drummer Mastelotto, it would be
easy to draw comparisons to King Crimson for this project. (The opener
"Too Numb" in particular has a kind of Discipline vibe in its
interlocking ostinatos that create a hypnotic latticework pattern against Fornasari's
menacing vocals).
One can also hear traces of such artistically inclined
groups as Pink Floyd in ambitious tunes like "Scarlet Water,"
"Just Another Bad Day" and the extraordinary "Capture or
Reveal."But O.R.k. draws on a myriad of other influences throughout Soul
of an Octopus thatencompass prog-rock, jazz-rock and and are influenced by
opera, as can be heard in Fornasari's dramatic and wide-ranging vocals on tunes
like the intense closer "Till the Sunrise Comes" and the epic
"Dirty Rain." Says the native of Bologna, Italy, "I got a degree
as opera singer, but when it comes to my music I try to forget what I've been
taught. When I find myself working on new material I prefer to improvise and
sing without thinking what to do or where to head to, at least that's what I do
in first place."
On the extreme opposite end of the dynamic scale from the
operative sweep that he delivers throughout Soul of an Octopus, Fornasari takes
a more intimate, close-mic approach at the outset of the poetic "Heaven
Proof House," recalling the enigmatic whisper vocals of the late Leonard
Cohen. "Since I think at myself as a composer and producer first and then
as vocalist, I get my brain to rethink the whole structure and listen to my
vocals as a producer would do," he explains. "I tend to give my vocals
the same importance I'd give to any of the other instruments composing the
whole structure."
Innovative Italian guitarist Pipitone is prominently
featured on "Collapsing Hopes," which opens with some gutbucket
acoustic blues guitar and gradually builds to a slamming wah-wah fueled
six-string onslaught. Says Fornasari of his O.R.k. bandmate, "Carmelo has
received multiple awards from music Italian critics because of the way he plays
acoustic guitar. He makes his strings bark and scream like the most ferocious
electric piece of guitar and a second later he makes you cry with the most
intense clean arpeggio. The very first time I've seen him playing with his
other band Marta Sui Tubi - they're quite famous in Italy - I thought, 'Hey! I
want to make some noise with this crazy horse!' And here we are."
Fornasari further describes the process that he and his
O.R.k. bandmates took on this RareNoise release: "We usually start the
process from guitar or bass riffs, I assemble a rough structure and send it over
to the other guys. This collaborative back-and-forth process across the miles
is very effective in our case. Nonetheless, it usually takes weeks or even
months before a piece gets to its final shape. We don't follow any pre-defined
plan though. One of the most intriguing elements in music is the most
unpredictable too - once you release new stuff you never know how people will
react and interpret your sound and words."
While Fornasari has also been involved in other projects for
RareNoise Records (he was on Owls' 2011 release, The Night Stays, Berserk's
self-titled 2013 debut and Obake's 2015 release Mutations), he considers O.R.k.
to be the focus of his artistic endeavors right now. "I love Berserk! and
Owls but I see them as collaborative side projects while O.R.k. is actually my
main band. It's the one which best represents my vision in music and the one
I'm dedicating most of my of time and energy to."
Fornasari clearly poured his heart and soul and all of his
energy in this band. If you can't catch O.R.k. in action live, check out their
imposing sophomore release, Soul of an Octopus, which stands as one of the more
intensely compelling recordings on the RareNoise roster. www.orkband.com
TRACKS
1. Too Numb
2. Collapsing Hopes
3. Searching For The Code
4. Dirty Rain
5. Scarlet Water
6. Heaven Proof House
7. Just Another Bad Day
8. Capture Or Reveal
9. Till The Sunrise Comes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/O.R.k.band