Temporary Fault - by Massimo Ricci
Possibly (and partially) influenced by Aidan Baker and, just maybe, Peter Wright, Mauri utilizes looped guitars plus selected drum parts to concoct five tracks that sound normal at first, perturbed after a while, infuriated at one point, engaging throughout. Every trick of the trade is put at work: dappled resonances, stratified jangling, overdriven nervousness, slight detuning, transgendered arpeggios where discordant lines and straightforward melodies fight for a place in the sun, the result a nice mess of contrasting sensations. “Pulse/Loop” introduces a welcome rhythmic factor underlying mucky reiterations and semi-industrial echoes tarnishing an otherwise ordinary sequence, yet this limited compositional allure is exactly what constitutes its strength. “Choke” and the splendid, conclusive “All That Remains” touch on aspects of guitar-based entrancement that will satisfy the many fans of the genre, but Mauri does possess a personality of his own, a kind of humbleness which I couldn’t really explain but is clearly felt. Lacking the disproportionate ambition and inane affectation typical of the majority of his compatriots, this is in my opinion the most honest music released by an Italian on Creative Sources to date.
