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coverpic flag Italy - Luna Kafé - Full Moon 4 - 02/22/97

Marlene Kuntz
Il Vile
Consorzio Produttori Indipendenti

Il Vile is the 2nd album by Marlene Kuntz, after two years from their first work called Catartica. It was recorded between the end of November 1995 and February 1996 under the direction of Gianni Maroccolo, Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti. Marlene Kuntz started playing in 1993 produced by C.P.I. (G.L.Ferretti). They come from different backgrounds, also heavy metal and hard rock, lived around the underground of a small Italian province: Cuneo. These experiences influenced their present sound, together with last decade post punk.

They play a "supersonic" music following the low-fi American scene dominated by Pavement and first of all by Sonic Youth: two guitars full of feedbacks and distortion, heavy bass solos, and a deep and angry voice which surrounds everything and creates a sense of anxiety and anguish in those who listen to them. Cristiano's voice mauls and rapes the lyrics he writes, full of sadness, in which he deals with love, fear, mental confusion, doubts and diseases of the youth, mostly "witty alternative" youth that don't feel themselves best represented by present conservative society.

In my opinion the slow Come Stavamo Ieri and the aggressive Overflash summarize Marlene Kuntz way of playing very well, here noise and melody are mixed in the best way and Cristiano expresses the power of his vocal chords.

I wanna finish my article by including the translation of two significant extracts from such songs as:

     Come Stavamo Ieri

Quanto fa male devastare gli argini del nostro scorrere:
La terra e' fradicia anche al sole oramai
Come stavamo ieri ...
Sara cosi' domani?
Dimmi di si

How hurtful it is to devastate the banks of our flowing:
The land is soaked even at the sun now
How we were yesterday ...
Will it be the same tomorrow?
Tell me so

     Retrattile

Societa' sa arruolare i suoi filistei
E sa far ridere gli amici che non hai piu'
E' l'arma giusta per schierarti con chi vuoi
SLOGAN-doti la resa sale piu' che mai
Congratulazioni! Congratulazioni!
Probabilmente io meritavo di piu'

Society can enlist its Philistines
And it can make the friends you haven't got any longer laugh
That's the right weapon to side those people you like
By SLOGAN-ing yourself profits will increase more and more
Congratulations! Congratulations!
Probably I was worthy of more

[Co-writers of this review: Giacomo Pompeo and Silvia Pluchinotta.]

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