Saturnia - The Glitter Odd
This is a joy, even though it gets a little lost in the middle and just meanders around a bit to no great effect. When I first listened to this I wrote down the words, 'Jean Jacques Perrey meets the Stone Roses'. Not sure if that accurately describes how I now feel about a quite spacey, psychedelic sound with definite touches of Air in places. For a duo they make a large sound, which is fairly understandable given studio technology, though the range of instruments they use, theremin, sitar, gong, lap steel, guitars, chimes, castanets, e-bow and effects and that's just Luis Simoes, Francisco Rebelo adds organ, synthesizer, bass, metalophone and other keyboards, well it's quite stunning. As I say, it loses something with the flute in a rainforest track, 'A trick of the light', but not enough to take away from what they have achieved, a meeting of the best of the 60s and the best of the 90s. I'm a total sucker for that organ sound, a Philips Philicorda apparently, and I can imagine this being liked by fans of Broadcast, in places it reminded me of a well wasted Bowery Electric, yet has enough individuality to stand up to comparisons with other artists and find a niche of it's own. Probably best played in a nicely darkened room with a suitable incense burning and a close personal friend of your choosing.
Virgin net Gordon Elcock
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