Franco Degrassi is a representative of the experimental scene from Bari, Italy. Back in the 80's he started his fascinating path related to the study of acousmatic music and had a chance to release his records on the variety of international labels.
The current work of Franco is called Traces and it's the sound diaries of field recordings, which took place in Puglia region (in southern Italy) and its 2 geographical areas - Alta Murgia (in Spinazzola and Poggiorsin) and Murgia Barese (in Corato, Cassano and Altamura), in the open countryside, farms and outlying villages.
Traces consists of 7 tracks that are crafted in full length. But what's most unique about this work is the attention to detail. You have to watch the texture of the sound, because that's what forms the overall puzzle.
Degrassi's unique approach to sound can be associated with innovative ideas of Italian futurists. Even Degrassi himself makes an impression of a painter who is afraid of missing the thread of his narrative. The amazing thing is that the artist managed to squeeze the maximum out of places chosen for the recording and to offer the listener a rich spectrum of diverse sounds. This album inspired me to look up these places on the map and enjoy the beautiful landscapes.
Author: Ilya Kudrin