NEON - Rituals (ristampa)

We're talking again about a cult band from the Florentine darkwave scene of the 80s, thanks to the CD reissue of one of the cornerstone records of the Italian alternative scene of two decades ago: "Rituals".

Neon were the architects of an at-times melodic synth-rock, borrowing heavily from the new romantic blueprint laid down by pioneers Ultravox and Human League.

Formed as a duo in the late 70s, Neon gradually grew into a four-piece, at first leaning into their dance-pop side before shifting toward a more rock-oriented sound.

We remember them above all for their excellent electronic new wave productions, sung in English and clearly influenced by British post-punk.

The high quality of their studio work, combined with intense live activity, helped make Neon one of the few alternative icons in an 80s Italy obsessed with glitz and surface - the so-called "Milano da bere" era.

Alongside them came a number of bands worth remembering, at least Litfiba, Diaframma, Punkow and Moda, part of a Florentine scene that would never again be so vibrant.

By the mid-'80s, Neon were the longest-running and most interesting act of the bunch, so much so that they were picked first by John Foxx and later by Simple Minds as opening act for the Italian dates of their respective tours, coming close to collaborations that could have finally launched them into the pantheon of European synth-rock.

There were also some notable TV appearances, including a spot on the hugely popular Sunday afternoon music show "Discoring".

To get a sense of the following they built up, consider that Neon were voted best Italian wave band in 1984 by one of the leading Italian music magazines.

Having settled into a four-piece lineup, with leader Marcello Michelotti joined by Ranieri Cerelli on guitars, Piero Balleggi on keyboards and Roberto Federighi on drums, the band finally got around to producing their first and only full-length album.

"Rituals" marked the group's artistic peak in 1985, with eight tracks built on an obsessive, irresistible rhythm; almost a cultured brand of dance music tinged with guitars and some tasteful experimentation with new electronic textures.

The album included three tracks already familiar from previous 12" releases ("Last Chance", "Dark Age" and "My Blues Is You"), plus an excellent reworking of the Hendrix track "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp".

The other tracks followed the same driving, obsessive course: "Runnin'", "Isolation", "The Same Ritual" and "Harry" all quickly became band classics.

Following the release of "Rituals", Michelotti and co. produced a few more interesting singles, but something slowly began to crack within the band's fragile internal mechanics.

Some wanted to experiment with new directions, others were worn down by the stress of touring, and so they reached their inevitable end in 1989, having kept up a decent amount of live activity (including abroad) but never managing to release a follow-up to "Rituals".

Too sophisticated to win over mainstream dancefloors and charts, yet too accessible to win the hearts of hardcore underground purists, Neon remained (and remain) too niche a project to survive.

In 2006, the release of the "Boxed" box set helped spark renewed curiosity around the band.

A handful of live shows in recent years have yet to lead to any new material, although Michelotti has said he has plenty of material stashed away.

The quality of their work confirms their status as a cult act for a handful of insiders and nostalgic diehards of that distinctly '80s darkwave sound.

The reissue of "Rituals" includes remix versions of "Last Chance", "Dark Age" and "My Blues Is You", along with a twelve-page booklet to get lost in, full of articles and interviews from magazines of the era.

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22/06/2009