Donato Dozzy could be described as a grand seigneur, an elder statesman, or even a maestro, of course. For decades, the Italian has been enriching electronic music with his unique and idiosyncratic style, gaining fans worldwide. Now the man with the bushy sideburns and architect’s round glasses is back in fashion, representing a counter-movement in the era of the much-maligned ADHD sound. Last year, he re-released his debut album Voices From The Lake with his favourite collaborator Neel. Rather than being seen as a relic of the past, he also performs at festivals and clubs in modern and relevant scenarios. His recent performance at the Draaimolen festival demonstrates this. »Magda«, his new album, expresses this with six independent tracks. And while each of these tracks tends towards the mellow, Scaramuzzi exercises the old techno formula as routinely as he does impressively: the intensity is fed by constant repetition, often combined with a minimum of change. This is how it goes with music that overwhelms, this is how the beautiful and sublime meet in the middle. Whether through melodic kitsch, as on the closing track »Lucrezia«, or raw, mesmerising psychedelia, as on the opening track »Velluto«. And what happens in between also draws its strength from pure concentration and is really convincing.
Magda
