LUCIANO MARGORANI, DARIO D'ALESSANDRO, CHRIS CUTLER - Triangolazioni

Luciano Margorani (La 1919) and Dario D’Alessandro (Homunculus Res) already collaborated fruitfully back in 2021, and their symbiosis has grown strong enough to bring back to life a 2012 project involving Margorani and the legendary Henry Cow drummer Chris Cutler. A project born in an unusual, inverted way compared to traditional recording sessions: first Cutler sent over his drum tracks, then Margorani's bass and guitar were added. Six recordings that sat in a drawer until – in 2024 – Dario D’Alessandro was asked to rework them, adding his voice.

Thus was born a small progressive gem, “Triangolazioni”, the result of a supergroup that spins rock in opposition, Canterbury, progressive and avant-pop through a centrifuge, in a mix capable of absorbing and bringing everything together into an effective synthesis that could be called “prog in opposition”: opposition to the present, to the mainstream, but also to a strain of progressive reduced to the repetition of all-too-familiar stylistic tropes and a lack of courage to take risks.

The trio's courage shows in their pursuit of improvisations that unearth unexpected melodies, in the blend of psychedelic, progressive and Canterbury-esque sonorities that seal the compendium of a long season of renewal. After all, the very process by which the songs were generated could only lead to original results. “Triangolazioni” is a seminal record, not in a celebratory or historical sense, but due to the at times cryptic nature of some tracks, which will surely find further development in the future trajectories of the musicians involved.

The wealth of rhythms applied not only to bass and drums but also to the glockenspiel and vintage synthesizers on “Sul farsi” is thoroughly gripping, in sharp contrast with the following “Bar Eclisse”, a tighter, more arduous dialogue between rhythm section and harmonic surges, where some of the project's most interesting ideas lie hidden. With the same modus operandi, the trio delivers another chapter rich in dark, tormented connections between chaos-stricken synths and jittery rhythmic weaves in “You Don’t Have The Cards”.

Rhythm remains the guiding element of the compositions throughout: from the martial, menacing tone of the prog-Canterbury fugue of “Marcia trionfale” to the syncopated beats of the spirited “Stupidario”, all the way to the deconstructed, free-form “Terra santa”, which closes out a highly stimulating album, though not an immediate one and hard to fully grasp after just a few listens. A project that makes no attempt to hide its experimental nature and which, aside from a few mild excesses of exploration in “Nubendi traditi”, shines for its originality and daring. Qualities which, combined with the considerable stature of the musicians involved, place “Triangolazioni” among the best productions of prog made in Italy – and beyond.

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07/12/2025