Celebrando le messi (2006)

Italian soundscapist Alio Die loves to collaborate, and before getting to one of his finest solo records to date, let us pause to reflect on a couple of his finer co-piloting gigs from the past couple of years.

Composed and recorded in 2004-05, with Saffron Wood playing psaltery and zither while Alio Die provides all other sound via flute, loops and field recordings (plus a piano sample borrowed from another collaborator, Festina Lente), ‘Corteggiando le Messi’ is stunning. It actually sounds like the ambient sounds have been recorded out of the ether without human interference, all very delicate and fragile. An unobtrusive and meditative suite sweetly soothing without even being in the neighbourhood of cloying.