Fabio Orsi - Random Shades of Day

When I first clocked this I literally could not believe my eyes: A triple CD set that includes a full new album and two discs of rare and hard-to-find, out-of-print material. All presented in a lovely 6 panel digipak for £9.79. I had to give the old spectacles a wipe for fear I was missing a number one before the nine but no, I am not mistaken (I should be a used car salesman). I must admit I'd really not given Fabio's music much attention before and to be honest I think really my introduction to the artist was his recent 'Winterreise' CD on Slow Flo, which really did take me places. Working within a field which I currently feel is over-saturated, he's skillfully crafted a very distinctive organic ambient sound through keyboards, guitar, field recordings and treated vocals. I'm currently listening to the new recordings and am feeling ultra-relaxed as the sound of breaking waves beneath drones massage my weary soul. Certainly Chris Watson's theory of "the sound of water taking us back to a pre-natal state of being" applies here. This perhaps sounds a little new-age but fear not as Orsi skillfully steers clear of the healing crystal vibe, rather immerses us in deep, lush layers of enveloping gentle tone. Part III of the new work is particularly engaging and hypnotic, emitting pure warmth yet with an underlying darkness while a simple almost buried percussive hit gives it some slow motion momentum. Meanwhile a majestic and ghostly vocal (?) pervades and evolves completing the soundscape, which really is a thing of profound beauty. The urge to close my eyes becomes greater than my will to type words so I'm leaving it at that and am going to submerge into the zone. Huge recommendation.