On 24th April the truly unique talent Lorenzo Senni presents ‘Scacco Matto’ – his debut album for Warp and 5th longplayer in total. Nearly 4 years have elapsed since his acclaimed ‘Persona’ EP release, and in that time, the Milan-based multi-disciplinary artist has further developed his outsider-looking-in-concept of “Rave Voyeurism”, building ideas into a richly multifaceted world of art theory and vernacular that supports the playful music, which to the uninformed may initially appear as saccharine, candy-crushed neurotransmissions.
Musically ‘Scacco Matto’ is a continuation of Senni’s distinctive “pointillistic” style - where gated, taut sounds are arranged relentlessly as drumless rhythms and melody, which this time come in more song based structures. On this bold sonic statement, he takes the synthetic synapse manipulation of trance, but intentionally encourages short circuits, resulting in unexpected signal paths moving in different directions, and making new shapes.
“The title means ‘check mate’ in Italian, and there’s a constant ‘opponent’ within the tracks – like I was playing a chess game with myself. I was really trying to bring the music to a certain place and then switch advantageously to another approach. I wanted to see how far I could push the ideas I’ve been developing since 'Quantum Jelly’ and in order to do that, I needed to force self-imposed limits and rules”, explains Senni.
When recording, such rules saw him countering his own last move, as an opponent whose every turn causes a disruption which requires a reaction – moving back-and-forth rather than straight forwards – the obstructions forcing an endeavour that moves in unexpected and interesting ways.
This is reflected in the LP’s artwork – an image from acclaimed American photographer John Divola, which shows a picturesque Californian view, shot through a dilapidated window frame dotted with pointillistic globs of black paint. “To me, the touching rich and vibrant sunset framed by the vandalized wall in Divola's Zuma #30 photograph, limits the epicness of the view and brings you back to reality. It perfectly aligns with my intentions to create emotionally charged music, restricted but guided by a more conceptual context, and the need for these two elements to coexist in the same piece”, says Lorenzo.
Senni sees his own practice reflected in Divola's work; he is not destroying dance music, but vandalizing it. He’s smashing it to pieces and playing chess with shards – creating tension and ultimately finding resolution. ‘Scatto Matto’ is check mate – the culmination of work, strategy and creative mental process.
Live dates:
04/04 Rewire Festival, The Hage
27/05 Village Underground, London
05/06 Primavera Sound, Barcelona
10/06 Berghain, Berlin
Tracklist:
01. Discipline of Enthusiasm
02. XBreakingEdgeX
03. Move in Silence (Only Speak When It’s Time to Say Checkmate)
04. Canone Infinito
05. Dance Tonight Revolution Tomorrow
06. The Power of Failing
07. Wasting Time Writing Lorenzo Senni Songs
08. THINK BIG
