Hello,
Today's Artist is Stefano Musso who began recording music under the pseudonym of Alio Die in 1989. "Alio Die" is Latin for "another day", used as a greeting in Roman times as a positive look towards a better tomorrow......N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Stefano Musso studied art and electronics in his home town of Milan, Italy, and began performing ambient, electro-acoustic music under the name Alio Die in 1989. Characterized by evocative acoustic sounds manipulated and tendered electronically, Alio Die's work builds intimate soundscapes tied to the mystery and majesty of life and nature. His first CD "Under an Holy Ritual", released on his label Hic Sunt Leones in 1992 and re-released on Projekt in 1993, was received with international acclaim. Enthusiastically received in his home country, 'Holy Ritual' expanded Musso's international presence significantly in 1993 when it was licensed by the popular U.S. darkwave label Projekt. His music is a shadowy, cavernous, intensely detailed fusion of acoustical elements, step-and-repeat sample treatments, sparse, echoing percussion, and deep, atmospheric sound design, playing ambient's static tendencies off of shifting melodic and textural passages that suggest movement without sacrificing the music's vague, entropic formlessness. He subsequently released more than 25 CDs, and collaborated with many well-known artists such as Robert Rich, Vidna Obmana, Mathias Grassow, Nick Parkin, Yannick Dauby, Amelia Cuni, Raffaele Serra, Ora, Antonio Testa.
"Natural and acoustic sounds and selected noises, electronically treated and reworked, are integrated in a meditative and spiritual context that often, in the feeling, becomes close to a prayer. Visible static, this music is rich of hidden sounds, layers of elements to discover at each listening. Alio Die's music, in the consciousness space that creates, it's a melting of technology and mysticism, like a new ritual with echoes of a medioeval time, deep and grounded in introspection."
and as this bio is rather limited here's an interview he did in 2008
2008 intervew by Tobias Fischer, he is editor-in-chief of tokafi, publisher of 15 Questions and a cultural editor for Germany's biggest Printmag on Recording, „Beat“.
Hi! How are you? Where are you?
I’m fine, moving at a good point.
What’s your view on the music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
If you mean the music business, yes it is in a kind of crisis... We know the reasons about that, downloads from the internet mainly. Less people buy original cds and more and more people copy. I’s happening to experimental and non commercial music, too, where listener were usually more motivated to buy the real cd. So we see that sales are strongly in decline and lots of shops and distributors have had to close down and cease their activities after many years.
On the other hand, the number of releases is still growing a lot, so the crisis it is not at all on the artistic activity side. With this in mind, I try to optimize the quality of the cd releases with digipack artworks and limited editions of 300 copies. The possibility of getting information quicker and exchange it is a good input to creativity, expecially for people which before lived in a kind of isolation from the rest of the world where they thought the things happened.
What, would you say, are the factors of your creativity? What “inspires” you?
My creativity derives from my special feeling about reality. Perhaps it is that what is forbidden and missing in our dayly life, which inspires me, it is a kind of ‘nostalgic’ feeling in a purified way, without the emotional aspect. I can find inspiration in nature or through observing life itself, or from other music and cultures as well. I’m intersted in disclosing the magic of the present moment in multilayered feelings of a simple complexity. The medicine must work on myself first, but the mixture must be usefull to everybody confronted with that listening experience, so I try to build up something not too personal, and perfectly tuned. I also aim at expressing the circularity of time, to find a point of view that is beyond time.
How would you describe your method of composing?
Taking inspiration from a kind of symbolic language through which I’ve found access to its code, I combine and decorate feelings by different sound elements, then add some random elements born from the present moment.
The process includes improvisation in the sessions with acoustic instruments and objects, but then the sounds are mixed in an accurate way and not so much things are left out.. I let Intuition guide random elements like synchronisation between layers and filters for example. I usually start experimenting with tunings derived from acoustic recordings and field recordings and then treat the sounds in my studio. I also like to sample in a creative way. By this I mean transforming the original source into something different...
How do you see the relationship between sound and composition?
In my music, the qualities of sound and composition are very closely aligned. Some melodical elements are also a part of it, but the more important thing is the right relation between all the ingredients of the music, tunes and vibes coming together to create a new creature ready to work with moods and states of consciousness of the listener.
How strictly do you separate improvising and composing?
Improvisations are usually directed to find a natural feeling that is not yet music, but sometimes it is a ‘controlled’ improvisation by special tunings already decided before. In any case, in the improvisational process I try to capture the feeling of the moment. This is already part of the composition, as it will help to give direction to the entire process of the recordings.
What does the term „new“ mean to you in connection with music?
Something new is something that brings together different elements for the first time, or old elements combined in a new way.
There is nothing new at all, I think usually we transform differents inputs and styles into a new language that come from our personal sensibility and creativity. Creativity must surely be fresh and new everytime, but personally, I like the ancient and the mysterious knowledge that comes from the past, as I don’t belive in any kind of ‘evolution’... In our era, to speak about devolution it actually more correct.
Do you personally enjoy multimedia as an enrichment or do you feel that it is leading away from the essence of what you want to achieve?
I personally enjoy a creative use of new technology. The point is not to agree or disagree with a new way of entertainment, but in the way we use it.
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
I don’t play live often. This is due to the fact that it is not possible replicating the works I create in the studio in a concert situation. So I tried to adapt some part of acoustical inserts and improvisations with real instruments with the looped electronic effects already embedded into basic sounds. I played live performances few times with Opium and with Zeit on the last two occasions.
I used also a support of a video with beautiful morphings of paintings by Yanusz Gilewicz,and kaleidoscopic mandalas images by Alessandro Vittorio(Ozis) and the results was wonderful.
Do you feel an artist has a certain duty towards anyone but himself? Or to put it differently: Should art have a political/social or any other aspect apart from a personal sensation?
Absolutely. I don’t take care of political/ social matter at all, but in any case I think the muse of art should guide one in some way, giving inspiration to new possibilities in cultural and human aspects. Apart from entertainment, this is a basic meaning and primary reason for music that can build bridges towards different levels of consciousness. If the work of an artist, apart from his originality, is totally disconnected from this important duty, it is totally devoid of any meaning and it is only self-celebratory.
How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider audiences without sacrificing their soul?
In our times there is no risk of becoming too popular with this music or of become commercial- At least not for me... It does happen sometimes with other kinds of ”Ambient” music but still very rarely.
You are given the position of artistic director of a festival. What would be on your program?
Medieval-pagan music like Faun, Daemonia Nimphe, In Gowan Ring for the afternoon, Jack or Jive, Amelia Cuni and Terry Riley, evening and Robert Rich, all night long.
Many artists dream of a “magnum opus”. Do you have a vision of what yours would sound like?
Usually it is the last music released.. But in this case more than usually it is my last album AURA SEMINALIS. You must know that I considered Opus Magnum as the title to this one (I later rejected it for being too obvious..). By the way my Opus magnum will be researched again and looped again later, it is a work still in progress...
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Entitled after Hindi water beings dedicated to art and pleasure, Apsaras finds Die and his compatriot singer, Cuni, creating a quietly enchanting series of soft, flowing pieces that will easily please those listeners accustomed to Die's work and that of fellow travelers like Steve Roach, Robert Rich, and Vidna Obmana. Cuni herself has a collaborative streak with some fine musicians indeed -- past partners include folks like Paul Schutze and Terry Riley -- and on Apsaras she brings both a controlled power and deep, meditative emotion well-suited to the music. Influences can be heard from not merely Indian singing but Egyptian and Arabic vocal styles, extended croons and cries just smoothed out enough to match the ethereal -- sometimes to the point of near-complete silence -- work of Die. "Island of the Rose Apple Tree," which takes up a quarter of Apsaras' length, demonstrates the value of their collaboration well; with a core rhythm based around very, very slow bass tones and soft, bell-like echoes, Die sets the stage for Cuni's marvelous lead. Ranging from barely detectable low registers to stronger but never overwhelming turns -- in keeping with the flow of the album as a whole, everything she sings sounds like it's coming across a distant sea, mysterious and strange -- it's a tour de force performance. "Water Memories" is equally as impressive and lengthy, a slightly more energetic flow and wash of electronic textures and a recurrent sitar loop that Cuni again serenely rides through and above, at one point suddenly coming through at her loudest and clearest. Water sounds and atmospheres are unsurprisingly heavily featured throughout Apsaras, and while it's a new age trope almost as much as power chords are for rock & roll, Die's use of it fits the music well.
Alio Die & Amelia Cuni - Apsaras (flac 254mb)
01 Ambhas 5:41
02 Island of the Rose Apple Tree 15:28
03 Aapaha 6:07
04 Water Memories 14:03
05 Churning of the Ocean 5:40
06 Apsaras 11:55
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Alio Die has an extensive discography of consistent high quality, pick up at random any of his releases and you won't be disappointed. But Incantamento is his absolute gem, i doubt that anybody can listen to this and not be impressed and even transformed. Nocturnal and Godly, press play and you are transported in the summer night somewhere in Mediterranean countryside, marvel at the stars, smell the citrus and cypress, hear the katydids, be silent - and remember God. Yes, this is bliss. Organic, pure and eternal, this is one of the best albums the ambient scene has to offer.
Alio Die - Incantamento (flac 428mb)
01 Lunae 54:27
02 Waters 19:12
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Electronica legends and like-minded drone masters Alio Die (born Stefano Musso) and Mathias Grassow conspired to create one of 2003's finest ambient releases. Expanding Horizons, a double-CD set, features deep drones, smooth samples, gentle rhythms, and subtle melodies. Die recorded his basic tracks in '99. Grassow added his touches and arranged and mixed the final master in '01 and '02. Klaus Wiese (singing bowls, zither, Indian strings) and Carsten Agthe (percussion) added their expertise as well. So, these discs feature three of the greatest drone artists ever -- Grassow, Die and Wiese. Agthe has recorded with Grassow and Wiese frequently. His deft touch and sense of timing compliment the organic textures and dark timbres smoothly. Deep listeners will fall into the catacombs created by this outstanding conglomeration of electronica talent. The music mesmerizes and captivates. This quartet has created a bed of sonic feathers with some hard edges, the bed is as comfortable and as it is harsh. The conundrums define these soundscapes. This album is surely an instant classic. Only the best albums from Steve Roach and Robert Rich stir such strong reactions.
Alio Die & Mathias Grassow - Expanding Horizon (flac 511mb)
01 Enchanted Land 10:19
02 Day Of Fulfilment 10:00
03 Radiant Clearing 3:33
04 Organum 10:08
05 The First Bright Light 10:18
06 Amithaba 14:50
07 Dawn 12:04
08 Dewdrops 3:27
Alio Die & Mathias Grassow - Expanding Horizon 2 (flac 502mb)
09 The Falcon 11:41
10 The Poetess 13:20
11 Serpents Hollow 3:34
12 Tuscany 15:34
13 Brugh Na Boine - The Elves Realm 28:12
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Today's Artist is Stefano Musso who began recording music under the pseudonym of Alio Die in 1989. "Alio Die" is Latin for "another day", used as a greeting in Roman times as a positive look towards a better tomorrow......N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Stefano Musso studied art and electronics in his home town of Milan, Italy, and began performing ambient, electro-acoustic music under the name Alio Die in 1989. Characterized by evocative acoustic sounds manipulated and tendered electronically, Alio Die's work builds intimate soundscapes tied to the mystery and majesty of life and nature. His first CD "Under an Holy Ritual", released on his label Hic Sunt Leones in 1992 and re-released on Projekt in 1993, was received with international acclaim. Enthusiastically received in his home country, 'Holy Ritual' expanded Musso's international presence significantly in 1993 when it was licensed by the popular U.S. darkwave label Projekt. His music is a shadowy, cavernous, intensely detailed fusion of acoustical elements, step-and-repeat sample treatments, sparse, echoing percussion, and deep, atmospheric sound design, playing ambient's static tendencies off of shifting melodic and textural passages that suggest movement without sacrificing the music's vague, entropic formlessness. He subsequently released more than 25 CDs, and collaborated with many well-known artists such as Robert Rich, Vidna Obmana, Mathias Grassow, Nick Parkin, Yannick Dauby, Amelia Cuni, Raffaele Serra, Ora, Antonio Testa.
"Natural and acoustic sounds and selected noises, electronically treated and reworked, are integrated in a meditative and spiritual context that often, in the feeling, becomes close to a prayer. Visible static, this music is rich of hidden sounds, layers of elements to discover at each listening. Alio Die's music, in the consciousness space that creates, it's a melting of technology and mysticism, like a new ritual with echoes of a medioeval time, deep and grounded in introspection."
and as this bio is rather limited here's an interview he did in 2008
2008 intervew by Tobias Fischer, he is editor-in-chief of tokafi, publisher of 15 Questions and a cultural editor for Germany's biggest Printmag on Recording, „Beat“.
Hi! How are you? Where are you?
I’m fine, moving at a good point.
What’s your view on the music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
If you mean the music business, yes it is in a kind of crisis... We know the reasons about that, downloads from the internet mainly. Less people buy original cds and more and more people copy. I’s happening to experimental and non commercial music, too, where listener were usually more motivated to buy the real cd. So we see that sales are strongly in decline and lots of shops and distributors have had to close down and cease their activities after many years.
On the other hand, the number of releases is still growing a lot, so the crisis it is not at all on the artistic activity side. With this in mind, I try to optimize the quality of the cd releases with digipack artworks and limited editions of 300 copies. The possibility of getting information quicker and exchange it is a good input to creativity, expecially for people which before lived in a kind of isolation from the rest of the world where they thought the things happened.
What, would you say, are the factors of your creativity? What “inspires” you?
My creativity derives from my special feeling about reality. Perhaps it is that what is forbidden and missing in our dayly life, which inspires me, it is a kind of ‘nostalgic’ feeling in a purified way, without the emotional aspect. I can find inspiration in nature or through observing life itself, or from other music and cultures as well. I’m intersted in disclosing the magic of the present moment in multilayered feelings of a simple complexity. The medicine must work on myself first, but the mixture must be usefull to everybody confronted with that listening experience, so I try to build up something not too personal, and perfectly tuned. I also aim at expressing the circularity of time, to find a point of view that is beyond time.
How would you describe your method of composing?
Taking inspiration from a kind of symbolic language through which I’ve found access to its code, I combine and decorate feelings by different sound elements, then add some random elements born from the present moment.
The process includes improvisation in the sessions with acoustic instruments and objects, but then the sounds are mixed in an accurate way and not so much things are left out.. I let Intuition guide random elements like synchronisation between layers and filters for example. I usually start experimenting with tunings derived from acoustic recordings and field recordings and then treat the sounds in my studio. I also like to sample in a creative way. By this I mean transforming the original source into something different...
How do you see the relationship between sound and composition?
In my music, the qualities of sound and composition are very closely aligned. Some melodical elements are also a part of it, but the more important thing is the right relation between all the ingredients of the music, tunes and vibes coming together to create a new creature ready to work with moods and states of consciousness of the listener.
How strictly do you separate improvising and composing?
Improvisations are usually directed to find a natural feeling that is not yet music, but sometimes it is a ‘controlled’ improvisation by special tunings already decided before. In any case, in the improvisational process I try to capture the feeling of the moment. This is already part of the composition, as it will help to give direction to the entire process of the recordings.
What does the term „new“ mean to you in connection with music?
Something new is something that brings together different elements for the first time, or old elements combined in a new way.
There is nothing new at all, I think usually we transform differents inputs and styles into a new language that come from our personal sensibility and creativity. Creativity must surely be fresh and new everytime, but personally, I like the ancient and the mysterious knowledge that comes from the past, as I don’t belive in any kind of ‘evolution’... In our era, to speak about devolution it actually more correct.
Do you personally enjoy multimedia as an enrichment or do you feel that it is leading away from the essence of what you want to achieve?
I personally enjoy a creative use of new technology. The point is not to agree or disagree with a new way of entertainment, but in the way we use it.
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
I don’t play live often. This is due to the fact that it is not possible replicating the works I create in the studio in a concert situation. So I tried to adapt some part of acoustical inserts and improvisations with real instruments with the looped electronic effects already embedded into basic sounds. I played live performances few times with Opium and with Zeit on the last two occasions.
I used also a support of a video with beautiful morphings of paintings by Yanusz Gilewicz,and kaleidoscopic mandalas images by Alessandro Vittorio(Ozis) and the results was wonderful.
Do you feel an artist has a certain duty towards anyone but himself? Or to put it differently: Should art have a political/social or any other aspect apart from a personal sensation?
Absolutely. I don’t take care of political/ social matter at all, but in any case I think the muse of art should guide one in some way, giving inspiration to new possibilities in cultural and human aspects. Apart from entertainment, this is a basic meaning and primary reason for music that can build bridges towards different levels of consciousness. If the work of an artist, apart from his originality, is totally disconnected from this important duty, it is totally devoid of any meaning and it is only self-celebratory.
How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider audiences without sacrificing their soul?
In our times there is no risk of becoming too popular with this music or of become commercial- At least not for me... It does happen sometimes with other kinds of ”Ambient” music but still very rarely.
You are given the position of artistic director of a festival. What would be on your program?
Medieval-pagan music like Faun, Daemonia Nimphe, In Gowan Ring for the afternoon, Jack or Jive, Amelia Cuni and Terry Riley, evening and Robert Rich, all night long.
Many artists dream of a “magnum opus”. Do you have a vision of what yours would sound like?
Usually it is the last music released.. But in this case more than usually it is my last album AURA SEMINALIS. You must know that I considered Opus Magnum as the title to this one (I later rejected it for being too obvious..). By the way my Opus magnum will be researched again and looped again later, it is a work still in progress...
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Entitled after Hindi water beings dedicated to art and pleasure, Apsaras finds Die and his compatriot singer, Cuni, creating a quietly enchanting series of soft, flowing pieces that will easily please those listeners accustomed to Die's work and that of fellow travelers like Steve Roach, Robert Rich, and Vidna Obmana. Cuni herself has a collaborative streak with some fine musicians indeed -- past partners include folks like Paul Schutze and Terry Riley -- and on Apsaras she brings both a controlled power and deep, meditative emotion well-suited to the music. Influences can be heard from not merely Indian singing but Egyptian and Arabic vocal styles, extended croons and cries just smoothed out enough to match the ethereal -- sometimes to the point of near-complete silence -- work of Die. "Island of the Rose Apple Tree," which takes up a quarter of Apsaras' length, demonstrates the value of their collaboration well; with a core rhythm based around very, very slow bass tones and soft, bell-like echoes, Die sets the stage for Cuni's marvelous lead. Ranging from barely detectable low registers to stronger but never overwhelming turns -- in keeping with the flow of the album as a whole, everything she sings sounds like it's coming across a distant sea, mysterious and strange -- it's a tour de force performance. "Water Memories" is equally as impressive and lengthy, a slightly more energetic flow and wash of electronic textures and a recurrent sitar loop that Cuni again serenely rides through and above, at one point suddenly coming through at her loudest and clearest. Water sounds and atmospheres are unsurprisingly heavily featured throughout Apsaras, and while it's a new age trope almost as much as power chords are for rock & roll, Die's use of it fits the music well.
Alio Die & Amelia Cuni - Apsaras (flac 254mb)
01 Ambhas 5:41
02 Island of the Rose Apple Tree 15:28
03 Aapaha 6:07
04 Water Memories 14:03
05 Churning of the Ocean 5:40
06 Apsaras 11:55
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Alio Die has an extensive discography of consistent high quality, pick up at random any of his releases and you won't be disappointed. But Incantamento is his absolute gem, i doubt that anybody can listen to this and not be impressed and even transformed. Nocturnal and Godly, press play and you are transported in the summer night somewhere in Mediterranean countryside, marvel at the stars, smell the citrus and cypress, hear the katydids, be silent - and remember God. Yes, this is bliss. Organic, pure and eternal, this is one of the best albums the ambient scene has to offer.
Alio Die - Incantamento (flac 428mb)
01 Lunae 54:27
02 Waters 19:12
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Electronica legends and like-minded drone masters Alio Die (born Stefano Musso) and Mathias Grassow conspired to create one of 2003's finest ambient releases. Expanding Horizons, a double-CD set, features deep drones, smooth samples, gentle rhythms, and subtle melodies. Die recorded his basic tracks in '99. Grassow added his touches and arranged and mixed the final master in '01 and '02. Klaus Wiese (singing bowls, zither, Indian strings) and Carsten Agthe (percussion) added their expertise as well. So, these discs feature three of the greatest drone artists ever -- Grassow, Die and Wiese. Agthe has recorded with Grassow and Wiese frequently. His deft touch and sense of timing compliment the organic textures and dark timbres smoothly. Deep listeners will fall into the catacombs created by this outstanding conglomeration of electronica talent. The music mesmerizes and captivates. This quartet has created a bed of sonic feathers with some hard edges, the bed is as comfortable and as it is harsh. The conundrums define these soundscapes. This album is surely an instant classic. Only the best albums from Steve Roach and Robert Rich stir such strong reactions.
Alio Die & Mathias Grassow - Expanding Horizon (flac 511mb)
01 Enchanted Land 10:19
02 Day Of Fulfilment 10:00
03 Radiant Clearing 3:33
04 Organum 10:08
05 The First Bright Light 10:18
06 Amithaba 14:50
07 Dawn 12:04
08 Dewdrops 3:27
Alio Die & Mathias Grassow - Expanding Horizon 2 (flac 502mb)
09 The Falcon 11:41
10 The Poetess 13:20
11 Serpents Hollow 3:34
12 Tuscany 15:34
13 Brugh Na Boine - The Elves Realm 28:12
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
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