There’s something about avant-garde psychedelic Italian bands I’ve been digging lately. We recently covered a terrific album called Aves Raras by Italian psych-rockers San Leo, and another new record from Italy I’ve had my eye on lately is Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind by Oslo Tapes. Let’s also not forget about the awesome Italian psych-heads Julie’s Haircut.
Oslo Tapes returned on December 1st with their highly anticipated fourth album, Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind, marking another step in the project mastermind Marco Campitelli’s initiatory journey in post/art/kraut/noise and introspection. The album was released on vinyl by the consistently excellent Echodelick Records (USA) and Sound Effect Records (Greece), while Grazil Records (Austria) is overseeing CD, cassette, and digital versions.
“There’s a sense of solitude in Oslo Tapes’ compositions, which makes it easy to imagine them as interstellar jam sessions between cosmonauts, each in their isolated space capsule,” the Bandcamp bio reads. That’s gorgeously penned, and it encapsulates the sound and aesthetic of the band – from the spacious, heady music to the neon psychedelia of their album art.
Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind is the follow-up to Oslo Tapes’ successful third album, ØR, released in 2021 by the prestigious Pelagic Records. We’re told this new album is imbued with emotional radiations that fuel disorientation and restlessness, and I’ll add there’s plenty of dreaminess, too. Dreams in the sense of those when we’re deep asleep, the good and bad ones; dreams in the sense of daydreams and waking reverie; and dreams in the sense of our aspirations for the world and personal self-realization.
Oslo Tapes hits us with voices contrasting with metronomic rhythmic patterns, geometries distorted by fluid bass lines, and melodic synths that compensate for the voids left by acidic guitars. This eclectic blend of sounds creates a distinctly personal auditory mirage that straddles the lines between noise-rock experimentation, dream-pop, and full-bodied neo-psychedelia.
The album was produced by Amaury Cambuzat, a member of faUSt, and Ulan Bator, who co-authored the songs and arrangements. They used an unspecified number of magnetic tapes and analog machines to forge the album’s sound, drawing on decades of experience in the kraut/avant/rock domains.
“Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind’ is hypothetically a brief period traversed in eight tracks, from the ethereal opening of ‘Gravity’ to the hypnotic ‘Ethereal Song,’ the avant-syncretism of ‘Deja Neu,’ and the psychedelic and modern deep house vibes of ‘Reject Yr Regret.’ It follows the harmonic framework of ‘Like a Metamorphosis’ in a fusion of psychedelic jazz, the post-minimalist fuzz-kraut of ‘Middle Ground,’ the distorted and celestial ‘Somnambulist’s Daydream,’ and the tribal-kaleidoscopic title track finale,” Oslo Tapes tell us.
The new record is recommended for fans of God Is An Astronaut, Neu!, Can, Porno for Pyros, NIN, and Angel of Light. While I agree with these comparisons, it’s an original sonic experience that melds these influences to create something unlike what you may have heard before.
Oslo Tapes’ Marco Campitelli is joined on the album by many musicians and guest musicians, making the record a genuinely collaborative effort. Muro Spada is on bass, Davide Di Virgilio is on drums, Stefano Micolucci mans the bass and upright bass, Federico Sergente is on percussion, and Nicola Amici is on guitars, synths, and percussion. Some exceptional guests include Berlin’s Sicker Man from Trialogos on cello and Dahm Majuri Cipolla, the drummer of the Japanese post-rock band MONO. All these musicians share a passion for Krautrock, the same passion as Marco Campitelli’s.
Shall we get to the music? Let’s do it.
The album begins in grand fashion with “Gravity,” a beautiful, dreamy six-minute composition that sets the stage for what’s to come. Oslo Tapes organizes much of this record around space and interstellar themes, but don’t mistake this as a “space rock” record. Space is merely a metaphor for the band’s artistic expression, and you can tell with “Gravity.” The song bears more resemblance to dream-pop and shoegaze than space rock, including Marco’s hushed vocals that may remind you of Slowdive.
“Etheral Song” continues the dreamy vibe but strongly emphasizes a rather nice guitar riff. Marco’s hushed vocals make the track sleepy, and the synth soundscapes are extraterrestrial bliss. The hypnotic groove of “Deja Neu” has a wickedly cool bass line, and what struck me most was the fullness and richness of the sound. A good one for quality headphones.
“Reject Yr Regret” is where the NIN influence comes across the most. It’s a chaotic song with a driving backbeat and a meaner feel than most on the record. The title implies this aggression, and Marco’s vocals go into Trent Reznor’s territory, sounding like desperate pleas for mercy. The techno-styled synth beats also have the same goth-industrial vibe as a NIN track or maybe even something that would fit in that classic club scene from the action flick Blade.
“Like a Metamorphosis” highlights Oslo Tapes and the record’s versatility. We move away from the grinding industrial sounds of “Reject Yr Regret” to a calmer, more soothing sound. The electronic noises at the beginning are chopped up in reverse, creating a delightful sonic effect.
“Middle Ground” has excellent tribal-like percussion and veers toward an oriental/Indian vibe with plenty of cool electronic noise added for good measure. The track title grabbed my attention here, too. “Middle Ground” implies spiritual discipline, striving for balance, seeing the light within the dark and the yin along with the yang.
“Somnabulist’s Daydream” continues the thematic element of metaphysics, reflection, contemplation, and deriving meaning from dreams. This may not be entirely accurate but it’s something I detected. The rich sounds and Marco’s vocals create an almost sensual and erotic effect. It’s a trance-inducing track that the best psychedelic music is apt to produce.
The title track – “Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind” – closes the album. The guitar is meaner, down-tuned, and thick. At this point in the listening experience, we’re thrown off again. The title track is disorienting, and we’re left wondering where the soothing sounds have gone, replaced by these more aggressive tones. It’s then we may realize this is all part of the plan. Oslo Tapes’ new album encapsulates many emotions throughout the listening journey – from soft dreamscapes to industrial noise – creating an experience like reading Marco’s diary in sonic form.
Some diary entries are full of light and joy; others harbor self-doubt and anger. It’s all there for you to “read.” Oslo Tapes doesn’t hold back – he shares these personal reflections and secrets with us, encoded in the music.
Overall – wow. Maybe this record hit me at the right time or day. But I may have found a new favorite psychedelic artist. As I mentioned, Italy’s musicians tend to veer into avant-garde territory more often and with much success. Oslo Tapes is one of these artists.
Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind is, in my opinion, on the shortlist for best psychedelic music of 2023. The raw emotion captured within the record is something to behold. Go back and listen to the rest of Olso Tapes’ discography and show your support on Bandcamp. This is a good one.
Check out Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind by Oslo Tapes on Bandcamp here.
Support Oslo Tapes on Bandcamp or find them on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).
Support Echodelick Records on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Instagram).
Support Sound Effect Records on their official website or find them on Facebook.
Support Grazil Records on Bandcamp, their official site, or find them on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).
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