Formats: Digital
Release Date: 21 Feb 2025
Tracklist:
1. Automata
2. Daydream
3. Horizon
4. Liquid Quartz
5. Polaris
I started putting this review together on Sunday evening after I had spent the afternoon in the company of friends, beer and vinyl records of varying genres. I realised fairly soon after starting that I was in no fit state to carry on so I paused. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have been able to give this new EP from solo Italian progressive guitar phenom Federico Favaro the justice in deserves.
Federico's debut EP Abstractions is due for official release on February 21st and he kindly wrote to me recently. I'm currently going through a phase where I'm bouncing from instrumental prog to technical death metal. This release obviously sits in the former category and I'm excited, and honoured to be able to hear it in advance of it's official release date.
This month is flying by and I haven’t written nearly as much as I would have liked. That being said, I’ve purchased and listened to more records at the same time, so you win some you lose some right? Italy has long been a bastion for epic, progressive music and a new name can be added to the ever growing list of exceptional talents this year with the debut EP from solo guitarist Federico Favaro.
Abstractions begins with ‘Automata’ and it’s classically-inspired intro that flows seamlessly into an aural mosaic of epic guitar-work, alongside equally enjoyable bass and percussion. All instrumentation has been performed by Federico himself on this release (as I understand, please correct me if I’m wrong), making this more than just a “guitar” record.
I know a lot of people recoil at the thought of progressive music because they think it’ll go on forever but it’s not the case here. ‘Daydream’ builds from Flamenco-like guitar plucking to much heavier and indeed engrossing progressive rock/metal soon after. One thing Federico wrote when he contacted me was that his music was nowhere near the standard of Plini (for example) but I disagree.
There’s something really upbeat about ‘Horizon’ early on. It has bit of a punk sound to it (at least to my ears). It’s not too long though before any nod to punk disappears in favour of classically-tinged/off-kilter music that’s an absolute joy to listen too. Like the rest of the songs on Abstractions, it could be considered short in prog terms but that’s no bad thing.
The piano that greets you on ‘Liquid Quartz’ is beautiful and fits in perfectly with the jazz elements that flow through the EP. The djent-like guitar/bass tones later on show that Federico isn’t afraid of sudden direction changes and as with the rest of the EP, doesn’t shy away from ripping up traditional musical structures.
Closing with ‘Polaris’, Federico offers up a song that’s deceivingly gentle and before you know it, you’re whisked off to another realm filled with dissonance and mind-bending riffs/tempos. I was reading an article earlier from somebody who thinks that musicians hate making music. If that’s actually the case then EP’s like this would not exist.
Federico Favaro is a genius and his music deserves so much attention for being genuine, and a true labour of love. Abstractions will hopefully be an example of what’s to come on future releases. What this space.
If you'd like a sneak preview of some of the songs that appear on this EP, head over to Federico's YouTube channel for some play-throughs and other videos - https://www.youtube.com/@FedericoFavaro/videos
Abstractions will be available digitally on February 21st.
Federico Favaro Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/federico.favaro_guitar/
No comments:
Post a Comment