CLUBBINGSPAIN

Lino Monaco y Nicola Buono son dos productores de la escena de Nápoles que esquivaron el mismo hardtechno que ya no quieren ni ver en pintura los abanderados de este movimiento italiano y se han tirado al rollo más sofisticado con un álbum más que destacable en Hefty Records. Y eso que durante algún tiempo estuvieron trabajando en el proyecto Qmen con Rino Cerrone, uno de esos paladines del techno mono-loop más duro, pero ellos ya hace un tiempo han querido ir un paso adelante como Retina.IT labrándose primero una carrera en Hefty y después consiguiendo remixes para gente tan lustrosa como Ryuichi Sakamoto, Slicker o Geoff White. A muy poco están de dar con su sonido si nos atenemos a este Semeion que parece bastante trabajado y los sitúa definitivamente en el espectro más arty de la electrónica italiana más moderna que podría sonar a minimal malucho pero no. Armados únicamente con un DAT como instrumento analógico han sabido darle empaque y buen cuerpo a este disco con la técnica del cut-and-paste. El resultado es un conjunto de temas a medio camino entre el ambient burbujeante y el techno que nos devuelve la vista a ese país tan cercano a nosotros culturalmente pero tan desconocido como es Italia. Además, Hefty se ha decidido a servir en formato Podtcast el directo que realizaon la pasada edición del Sónar en la que participaron como uno de los platos fuertes del showcase del veterano sello alemán. Mira Napoli.

GONZO CIRCUS

Op communitysites en in de donkere uithoeken van het world wide web wordt Retina.It vaak omschreven als de Italiaanse tegenhanger van Autechre. Niet geheel onterecht overigens. Het Italiaanse duo startte hun carrière als deejays in Napels en releaste eerst als Qmen, toen nog een trio, en later als Retina hun eerste plaatwerk dat toen al erg sterk leunde op hip hop, stevige baslijnen en abstracte, mathematisch in elkaar gepaste patronen, toch het handelsmerk van Autechre. Met ‘Semeion’ brengt het duo een collectie van moeilijke vindbare tracks - de helft van nummers verscheen eerder al op de AI-serie van het platenlabel Hefty - en twee exclusieve nummers uit. Net zoals hun vorige platen ontgoochelen die twee Italianen nooit, nummers als ‘Aperion’ en de technodreun ‘Comunicazione Postmonderna’ en 'Oui' zijn degelijke en stevige tracks met inhoud, maar om echt tot de groten in het genre gerekend te worden, wegen de heren net iets te licht.

DROWNEDINSOUND

Who: Italian pair Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono formed, alongside third member Rino Cerrone, as The Qmen back in the ‘90s, but soon began working exclusively as a duo as Retina.IT, releasing a series of minimalist electro EPs and their debut long-player proper, Volcano Waves 1-8, in 2001.
What: Semeion is a collection of tracks dating back to the time of their debut album, and serves as something of an introductory package for newcomers yet to delve into the pair’s oddly compelling sonic collages. Ranging from trance-like passages to glitch-fuelled numbers suggesting inspiration comes nowadays from acts such as Chris Clark and Squarepusher rather than any Goa-orbiting pill-brains, the compilation’s sleekly impressive, if a little cold and sterile of soul.
And: If you’ve been listening to Burial and Apparat this past year, you could do worse than swing at least fleeting attentions the way of these Italians; grimy their work isn’t, and nor does it possess the celebratory overtones of Apparat’s best tracks, but its core repetitiveness is certainly comparable to the twitch-along centres of Untrue and Walls. 7/10

SENTIREASCOLTARE

Dopo due ottimi lavori, rispettivamente per Hefty (il debutto Volcano Wave del 2001) e la personale Mousike Lab (l’omonimo del 2004), i Retina.It di Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono raccolgono buona parte della loro produzione inedita o di difficile reperibilità in un indovinato album griffato ancora Hefty. L’arco di tempo in esame va dal 2001 al 2006 e la scaletta si inaugura con Tetsub, ovvero come far confluire l’animo funk dei Nostri (molto più presente di quanto sembri) su di un canovaccio a là Basic Channel.

La traccia appartiene all’extended play Ia-Tunes #002 e la sua bellezza fa il paio con l’eleganza di Apeiron, minimal techno dal 12”Nulla con tanto di archi che oggi diremmo alla Murcof, ma l’anagrafe – 2001 – smentisce ogni dubbio. Anche Civiltà Meccanica - sempre 2001, dall’EP Manifesto – combina glitches e contemporanea, ma questi sono dettagli che ad un gruppo come i Retina.It, oggi, di certo non occorrono. Occorre, semmai, consigliare Semeion al neofita di turno; tutti gli altri, che sono molti, già sanno cosa fare. (7.0/10)

PIG MAG

MTV.DE

Retina IT sind die beiden Neapolitaner Nicola Buono und Lino Monaco. Als Bestandteil der sehr aktiven Technoszene der süditalienischen Stadt setzen sie experimentellere Akzente als beispielsweise Marco Carola, Danilo Vigorito oder Rino Cerrone.
Mit letztgenannten sind Buono und Monaco Ende der 90er Jahre beim Technoprojekt Qman involviert. Dem Zeitgeist entsprechend servieren sie harten Techno und veröffentlichen unter anderem auf dem britischen Label Primate Recordings.Während Rino Cerrone in der Zeit nach der Qman-Auflösung als einer der key player in der neapolitanischen Szene den internationalen Durchbruch schafft, gründen Buono und Monaco das Projekt Retina IT. Das Tempo wird zurückgenommen, der Bezug zum Dancefloor gerne einmal durchbrochen.Nach vier Jahren des Experimentierens veröffentlichen sie 2001 schließlich ihre ersten Maxis und wenig später mit "Volcano Waves 1-8" ihr Debütalbum. Vorsichtig ausgewählte, minimalistisch experimentelle Sounds in der Tradition von Autechre machen Retina IT aus.

Daneben sorgen sie mit ihren Live-Performances für Aufsehen. Viel ist dabei handgemacht, der Improvisation wird Raum gegeben. 2005 treten sie in ihrer Heimatstadt im Vorprogramm von Kraftwerk auf, ein Jahr später auf dem Sonar Festival in Barcelona. 2007 erscheint mit "Semeion" eine Compilation mit Tracks aus den Jahren 2001 bis 2006, die zuvor entweder unveröffentlicht oder exklusiv auf Vinyl erhältlich waren.

WTM PARIS

Retina.It est un duo italien formé par Lino Monaco et Nicola Buono. Peu connus, ils opèrent pourtant depuis des années dans le circuit électro et ont déjà une discographie conséquente, essentiellement sur Hefty. Ils ont commencé comme DJs avant de s'orienter vers des choses plus cérébrales. Cet album permet de mesurer leur talent au travers d'une sélection d'archives et de raretés : ils excellent pour ciseler de petites sculptures sonores assez baroques. Electronica mélodieuse, labyrinthique et downtempo. Complexe mais pas abstraite : "Zucchine", "Uriano", "Apeiron", "Vyolinth", "T-UFO", "Zilencer", "Oiu"… Tout un univers, intrigant et séduisant. Un des meilleurs disques de l'année 2007.

ROCKIT

Questa compilation di tracce precedentemente già rilasciate in tiratura limitata offre una visione d'insieme del lavoro proposto dai Retina.it durante il periodo 2001 – 2006. Il flashback viene inaugurato da "Tetsub", traccia d'apertura che si presenta più black di quanto ci si aspetterebbe da un gruppo che ha fatto del minimal il proprio campo da gioco: una base basso e suoni percussivi funk stralunata, fondamenta per architetture costruite da microsamples vocali, droni discreti e suoni tipo microfono panoramico in una voliera.
L'abstract hip hop viene messo da parte in "Comunicazione postmoderna", traccia minimal house ritmicamente decontestualizzata data la cassa sul battere dei quarti che per lo meno serve a ricordare che il duo ha anche passato gli anni '90, IDM compresa.
La prima pausa dal beat compare brevemente con la quarta traccia "Uranio", la cui introduzione lascia pensare ad un'incursione ambient nei suoni riverberati: impressione che viene smentita poco in là da una ritmica terrena e salda, filo conduttore di tutto il lavoro e completamente assente solo nelle atmosfere algide di "Oiu".
E' difficile recensire un album come questo senza citare i soliti grandi nomi della IDM, quei progetti che hanno fatto del suono di sintesi il proprio campo di ricerca. Evito però, per non fare paragoni inutili che sminuirebbero la serietà di uno dei gruppi più interessanti del panorama elettronico italiano.
In sintesi, un ottimo lavoro saldamente ancorato all'etica isolazionista precedente ai più recenti lavori IDM virati popular come "Radical Connector" dei Mouse on Mars o "Multiply" di Jamie Lidell per intenderci. Quell'etica che non riesce a concedersi neppure a mezza frase cantata o ad una linea melodica fischiettabile. Ma del resto è il bello della IDM, no?

MKZWO

Lino Monaco und Nicola Buono, die zusammen unter dem Namen Retina.it auftreten, waren schon Anfang der 90er Teil der italienischen Elektro-Szene. Nach zahlreichen Shows, u.a. als Supportact für Kraftwerk auf dem Neapolis Festival 2005, einer LP und einigen 12“ und Compilation-Beiträgen kommt nun eine Scheibe mit 13 raren, zum teil unveröffentlichten Songs auf den Markt.

Bei den ersten Takten denkt man zwar, der CD-Player hat Leseschwierigkeiten, aber die abgehackte Schnipselei ist Absicht. Nach ein, zwei Minuten setzt dann zumeist eine Klangfläche ein, die dem Ganzen den nötigen Halt gibt. Vorangetrieben werden die Stücke von mechanischen Beats, die teilweise eine gewisse Nähe zum HipHop aufweisen, was das Kopfnicken erleichtert. Das funktioniert mal gut, wie etwa bei „Tetsub“ oder bei „T-UFO“, läuft aber auch öfters mal ins Leere. Sich beim Anhören einer Minimal-Music-CD über die Monotonie zu beschweren wirkt ähnlich bescheuert wie das Ablehnen von verzerrten Gitarren im Death Metal. Dennoch muss ich anmerken, dass mir bei den meisten Tracks einfach zuwenig passiert. Etwas mehr kompositorische, äh, ich meine programmierte Bewegung hätte der Musik gut getan.

SUPERNOVAPOP

Aunque menos relevante en la escena electrónica internacional, Italia es uno de esos países que cuenta con artistas de calidad contrastada que llevan operando desde mediados de los 90, aunque sus éxitos hayan sido minimizados por la coyuntura histórica que ha rodeado a sellos discográficos de la categoría de Warp o Tresor. Siguiendo la trayectoria de otros artistas ya consolidados como Marco Passarani o D´Arcangelo -estos últimos operando desde Alemania- los ex Qmen, Lino Monaco y Nicola Buono arremeten con su último proyecto, Retina.It contra una escena electrónica que apuesta cada vez más por la integración de la diversidad geográfica en su estructura musical.Construido en forma de recopilación de trabajos compuestos en un arco temporal que abarca del 2001 al 2006, el disco de Retina.It remite, casi de forma inmediata, a las formas de Autechre, en el sentido de proponer una música intensa, repetitiva, que asfixia y agota en su armazón sonoro a cada escucha que pasa, porque además de progresar, machaca y enfatiza el patrón rítmico de un corte a otro -un poco, en la línea de los alemanes Funkstörung-. A partir de esta base, su obra se desliza a través de diferentes estilos que oscilan entre la IDM, el techno más afilado y ocasionales accesos de hip hop en estado bruto. En este sentido, el disco continúa desarrollando las ideas generadas durante la época de Qmen, que apostaban por una música que consiguiera retener la energía que define a la IDM y al techno, pero acierta al evolucionar el sonido tan rústico y, tal vez, poco refinado de épocas anteriores, gracias a la hábil variación de ritmos -y a la decisiva introducción de breaks, clicks y cuts- que confiere un diseño más versátil y atractivo a una obra en continuo desarrollo. Así, el hype musical que produce la apertura de disco con "Tetsub", se prolonga en el espacio y el tiempo con una cerebral y oscuramente atmosférica "Zucchine Alla Scapece", para concretar la escapada techno en un tercer corte más propio de club como es Pick, que cierra un primer cuarto de disco intenso y energético.

Tal y como está dispuesto el panorama electrónico, no es nada descabellado encontrar aires de familia en los últimos trabajos musicales; y más si tenemos en cuenta lo fuertemente codificados que están géneros como la IDM. Que Retina.It comparta puntos con Autechre e intente integrar un discurso musical de riqueza similar a la que posee la obra de Ricardo Villalobos, con mil y un matices sonoros que, como una superposición constante de capas musicales, dotan de mayor entidad la propuesta; no tiene por qué ser un elemento negativo. Al contrario, se trata de tener en cuenta que la línea fuerte de la electrónica más vanguardista pasa por gente como Villalobos, Kalabrese, Matthew Dear o artistas que hibridan géneros desde una vertiente absolutamente electrónica -Prefuse 73, por ejemplo-; o contaminada por géneros más populares como el pop y el hip hop -como sucede con las últimas y extraordinarias producciones de Timbaland para Björk o Justin Timberlake-. En síntesis, en la mezcla rica en matices está el buen camino. Retina.It, con Semeion apunta en esa dirección.

NEURAL

Cuts and frequencies by Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono, also known as Retina.it, a combo with original technoid roots (in the notorious Neapolitan scenes and, for some time, together with Rino Cerrone) which then evolved towards more experimental and glitchy combinations, always with rhythmical &structures not free of future-funky antibodies, marking those genre boundaries that now, with so many electronica productions, try to find a way out of minimalism. In Semeion, they functionally succeed, even though the raw materials aren't very new, skillfully mixing analog and digital fascinating sounds which partly reflect the extreme tensions of their motherland, mysterious and subdued, but also full of energy, romance and passion. It's a collection of atmospheric and hypnotic tracks that confirms the talent of these two artists, whose qualities are maybe underestimated in their home country, but fully recognized abroad.ITALIANO

Tagli e frequenze quelle di Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono, meglio noti come Retina.it, combo dalle seminali radici tecnoidi (nella famigerata scena napoletana e per qualche tempo a braccetto insieme a Rino Cerrone) poi evolute verso combinazioni maggiormente sperimentali e glicciate, sempre ritmiche nelle strutture, non immuni da anticorpi future-funky, marcando quei confini di genere che adesso nel sovrapporsi di tante produzioni elettroniche, cercano la giusta strada fuori dagli accatastamenti prodotti dal minimal. Ci riescono funzionalmente, in Semeion, se pur rimaneggiando materiale non del tutto recente, abili nella mescola di maniere analogiche e digitali, con suoni di gran fascino, riflettendo in parte delle estreme tensioni della loro terra d'origine, misteriosa e sommessa, ma anche energetica, struggente e passionale. Una raccolta di brani atmosferici, ipnotici, che conferma il talento di questi due produttori, forse sottovalutati in patria ma all'estero riconosciuti nella pienezza delle qualità fino in fondo espresse.

ELECTRONIC BEATS

In 2001 I bought their outstanding ‘Volcano Waves 1-8’ album, but somehow lost track of this intriguing electronica act from Italy. ‘Semeion’ now offers a fine collection of rare, previously released original works, as well as exclusive, unreleased tracks. The ‘Volcano Waves 1-8’ LP is compared to this collection sort of darker and more stripped-down Techno. This music is Electronica in the truest sense of the word: covering a wide range of electronic music, from Electro over even Dub-Step-alike rhythms to their stripped-down Techno-approach. My impression is the following: The ludicrous Glitch-Electro-Funk of ‘Tetsup’ with twittering sounds and background crowing carried on a low-key string-alike melody is somewhat deviant. Because after that opener it immerses you in an industrial world – to me reminiscent of Metropolis where exhausted workmen do dehumanising and painful work. But even in such a mechanical and unspiritual cosmos one of the most archaic emotions is given due to human existence: the longing for affection. They keep in their music an extraordinary balance between human being and machine. As much as the machine gives the rhythm, the human element creates warm and deep atmospheres. Rhythmically rather linear and sound-wise multilayered, virtually undetermined like a human mind – partly odd, partly profound. The result is Industrial-Electronica with soul!

MUCCHIO SELVAGGIO

TRIGGERFISH

Meister der ReduktionDen Blick für das Wesentliche nicht zu verlieren ist eine Kunst, die in der Musik nur eine Minderheit beherrscht. Zu den Glücklichen, die zu dieser gehören, können sich Lino Monaco und Nicola Buono aka RETINA.IT zählen.Auf dieser Werkschau gibt es einen Einblick in das bisherige Schaffen des Duos in Form von raren Tracks und älteren, jedoch bis dato unveröffentlichten Material. RETINA.IT reduzieren elektronische Musik auf drei grundlegende Merkmale: Warme Flächen, minimaler Beat und nicht minder zurückhaltende Melodien. Klingt erst mal für alle, die sich mit elektronischer Musik jenseits von Blümchen und Co auseinandersetzen, nicht sonderlich aufregend, da durchaus gängig. Die beiden Italiener schaffen es jedoch diese drei Elemente derartig gekonnt zueinander in Beziehung zu setzen, dass man sich nach vergleichbaren Acts durchaus ein wenig umschauen muss. Die frühen Autechre schimmern mehr als einmal durch, hier und da ist eine Prise Coil auszumachen und an manchen Tracks scheint die Unerbittlichkeit des Plastikman´s Pate gestanden zu haben.

Damit jedoch keine Missverständnisse entstehen – RETINA.IT´s Tracks besitzen ihre ganz eigene individuelle Handschrift, die zwar Vergleiche zulässt, jedoch stets unverkennbar ist: Minimal, funky, experimentierwütig.

EXCLAIM

Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono are Italian duo Retina.IT, who have been making spacious, stripped down techno for almost a decade. Their recorded songs are not made for the dance floor, although there are flavours of Plastikman’s driving, psychedelic minimalism, instead the morphing, murky, rhythmic textures induce more of a state of abstract armchair contemplation. Semeion is a collection of rare, previously released works, as well as exclusive unreleased tracks. Some are from the Hefty label’s infamous compilation series Immediate Action, while others are singles off of their earlier EPs, giving the listener a feel for the full range of their output. “Tetsub,” an example of some of their recent work, begins the album with snippets of hip-hop-infused vocal samples spilling through the deep, gurgling sub bass and dry, slicing percussion. “Uranio” is a highlight, with its creepy ambience of blistery, gusting wind and chirpy percussion, and a chopped up, funky, slapping bass line breakdown. “Tren Ri Cosi,” a soundtrack for a video done by Claudio Sinatti in 2005, gives way to somewhat sterile psychedelia but quickly warms with a layer of synth-y ambience. Composed uniquely using a variety of analog drum machines and synths, improvising a performance that’s digitally recorded then transferred to the computer for tweeking and final editing, Retina.IT’s work is chock full of groovy beats that linger and develop into steady, poignant rhythms.

DISTORSOM

Retina.It é um duo napolitano composto por Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono – originalmente denominado apenas Retina, mas obrigado a mudar de nome por razões legais – que, desde 2001, se encontra ligado à editora Hefty, de Chicago. Semeion é uma compilação de temas retirados a EPs já esgotados, complementado por material raro ou inédito, dando origem a uma colecção de electrónica peculiar, que nunca recebeu a atenção que merecia. Os treze temas, datados de 2001 a 2006, mostram um som coerente que é um híbrido perfeito de techno austero e IDM com sugestões hip-hop, envolto numa produção esmerada, abstracto mas com o sentido da melodia clássica, apelativo na estrutura e nos samples. Semeion representa agora uma nova oportunidade de contacto com este material que resistiu incólume à passagem dos anos – seis anos, na electrónica, é muito tempo – sendo, simultaneamente, um excelente ponto de partida para a captação de novos ouvintes.

BARCODE ZINE

Italian DJ pairing Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono continue to evolve having made their mark on the southern Italian club scene with a string of experimental electronic 12” releases. Italy does not have solid foundations throughout electronic music, let alone within the glitch-based leftfield techno offered on Retina.It’s Semeion. But this album could open a few doors for the band and the Italian scene, if not a smidgen of respect at the very least.Retina.It produce a gritty, anxious slew of tracks here, sifting through the remnants of minimalist techno and patching it with fragments of melodic electronica. Doffing their cap to Detroit’s techno masters, and in particular leaning on Hawtin’s Plastikmann project for support – Semeion retains a sense of freshness and maybe even relevance in the face of a fairly redundant scene in terms of consumer popularity. This lengthy, angular album, with its crisp digital rhythms and tender melodic shards often makes for compulsive listening, especially as it evades the repetitive brusque that dissolved the genre through over-saturation alone. There’s plenty of vigour and atmosphere here, and a flash of elegance too.

Maybe Semeion works because Retina.It are Italian and their culture naturally throws a new ideology on minimal techno, or maybe because that music reached a peak, nose-dived and now sounds appealing again. If it’s nostalgia you’re after then followers of Detroit Techno’s second wave might regard this as the fourth coming.

CUEMIX MAG.

Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono are pioneers of the South Italian electronic scene. They first met as DJ’s in a club in Naples in the beginning of the Nineties and found out that their view on music is nearly the same…. After releasing a few 12” on various Italian and foreign labels as the Qmen they changed their name into Retina.it about 1997. With changing their name their music changed, they felt more attracted by experimental music, but never forgot where they came from. Their music became a hybrid of Electronica, a sort of Hip Hop, based on the rules of Techno and a big portion of funky sounds touched by some soulful hooks. In 2001 they get signed to the Hefty label! Volcano Waves 1-8 was their first long player, which can be named a milestone… a mixture of sounds and styles not heard before. Numerous releases and live gigs followed.
Now with “Semeion”, which can be translated as sign or signum, you receive rare material in your hands, a soundtrack for a Video from Claudio Sinatti, an unreleased track called “Uranio”, and material from EP’s and 12” all recorded from 2001 until 2006.
So how do we call this child? Compilation, …best of… , rare material?
To be honest: I don’t care. This album is bewitching like an album; it captured the essential sound and feelings of Lino and Nicola. You can feel the way they work, every track is a new birth, and a new road they took but never leaving their way. An awesome collection, which could only be done by men with a clear vision. Maybe the secret of Retina.it bewitching music is the fact that they life near one of the most active volcanoes in Europe. I think people in Naples can’t rely that the things you own, created or love. Each morning when they wake up everything can be covered under ashes. And that’s the secret they have to have a plan a vision without leaving their paths. But every day could be a new start…
“Semeion” is a 100% approvable record, not just for fans or collectors also for those who care…

NEW-NOISE NET

"The album exists as a collection of their rare original works and some new material, but whether you come to it fresh or as an expert there is something here that requires an educated listen rather than an open-minded one." Everybody has different tastes. The world would be a very dull place if everybody liked the same things. For every person that enjoys cauliflower there are plenty of people who think it is the devil’s vegetable. For every person who enjoys the output of daytime Radio 1 there are plenty of others who would rather have root canal surgery all day than listen to a single second of Jo Whiley and musical taste is a great leveller in conversation. You’ll be hard pressed to find an album that is loved by everybody, but there will plenty of albums that can be filed under the acquired taste category. One such album is 'Semeion' by Retina.It. The album exists as a collection of their rare original works and some new material, but whether you come to it fresh or as an expert there is something here that requires an educated listen rather than an open-minded one. Some could listen to this all day and never understand the point of what they are listening to whereas others will nod appreciatively and almost certainly stroke their chins. This is dance music you can’t dance to. In fact, it'd be an effort to tap your foot. Here is stripped-back techno til its almost naked, modern electronica as it whooshs and whoops across the soundscape and hip hop in its purest beat form alongside classic melodies and song structures. To the uniniated, it will all sound the same but there is plenty difference to hear here as thought and idea come together for an inspiring listen.

Hefty was the only place this record could have really been released as it fits perfectly into their roster and the label ethos. Anyone who likes the work off Prefuse 73, early Autechre and Plastikman will find things they like here as it stands through influence and new ideas. Enjoy and revel in the fact that you get it and the others don’t.

DJ MAG

ONE WEEK TO LIVE

SUBBA CULTCHA

Twitchy, minimalist electro rarities from Italian experts Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono, a.k.a RETINA.IT

Newcomers to RETINA.IT (like myself) won’t notice it, but Semeion is a collection of rarities- either brand new or previously released by these two Italian musician producers. That the thirteen tracks that comprise the collection hang together so well is testament to the consistence in quality here and the instinct for set compilation and mood creation that time spent as DJs has given the pair. Particularly in opener Tetsub, the more you listen, the more the sounds begin, for just a moment, to resemble everyday noises morphed into intertwined threads: detuned radios, whistling kettles, bird twitters, the strange knocks and echoes that houses seem to make. The next moment, the more tangible and familiar are gone again and RETINA.IT are back into the abstract. Underneath it all lies a bed of hypnotic (and sometimes almost imperceptible) hip hop heart-beats and electronic twitches.
As with most minimalist electro, the name of the game is repetition and this may grate on some listeners, but most of the tracks here have their own individual mood and characteristics that ensure variety as well as coherence. Zilencer is, as the name might suggest, barely-there whispers and warps, contrasting with the layered, delicate rhythms of Pick. And where Tren ri Cosei and Uranio are fairly paranoid, comprising tripped-out pursuits, closer Civilta Meccanica has a warmer, denser sound, fading into nothingness to finish. The making of this music must have been as much about relying on instinct as on technical knowledge for RETINA.IT, and it is an instinctual response that will govern how you feel about Semeion. Turn it up, listen again and again: does it make you move, or rather- does it move you? My answer would be ‘yes’, but I’m afraid I can’t speak for everyone.

ZAP BANG MAGAZINE

Italians Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono had a long history of combining heavy rhythms to minimal electronica, with RETINA.IT their most successful project. It has brought their efforts to fine-tune their sound with soft vibrations, warm production and a keen sense of classic melodies, hooks, structures and samples. Semeion is a collection of the rare original works and unreleased tracks designed to introduce them to new ears or polish off fans’ collections. Fans will have no complaints, but, beyond those ready for their stripped down approach to electronic music, it is not the most welcoming of albums.One for RETINA.IT completists.Glitchy minimal techno and electronica is an alien music form to most — it’s barely recognisable changes in tone and layering make for a tough ride without the more obvious hooks found in other genres. RETINA.IT don’t like to give many moments of accessibility either: beyond the scattergun beats and vocals of “Tetsub”, the extremely deep and complex “Uranio” and the faster pace “Comunicazione Postmoderna” too many of their tracks fall into ambient meandering. Their dreamy sounds are smoothly produced to a high standard yet become almost indistinguishable at times.

RETINA.IT have been compared to artists such as early Autechre, Plastikman/Richie Hawtin and Prefuse 73, which is high praise indeed. Their live shows have seen them perform entirely improvised sets including Neapolis Festival in 2005 where they opened for Kraftwerk, and Barcelona’s Sonar Festival in 2006 where they were part of a Hefty showcase. But on CD the potential excitement of what they could do live is lost somewhat in a sound that feels far too mild and glossy to ever get a grip. The majority of Semeion feels far too planned and contrived to really become enveloped in Monaco and Buono’s musically intellectual pondering. One for RETINA.IT completists.

MUSIC DASH

RETINA.IT aka Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono are Italian electro pioneers and “Semeion” is a collection of rare releases and exclusive, unreleased material. Largely spanning their most recent work post-2001, the duo think pretty much outside of the electro box. The cut and paste rhythms are made up of ambient but quite industrial sounding samples. Whilst these jagged snippets create metallic clockwork beats, the synthesisers and other foundation laying sounds are routinely applied with a creative subtly and smoothness. “Apeiron” and album opener “Tetsub” are the tracks that resemble anything remotely near a dance structure, although the exercise here is not aimed at clubs, but rather the construction of emotionally spiked soundtracks. For the better part it works too.

MMM ½

CRASH TRAXX MAG.

TRAX STATION

SUPERFLY

DJ BROADCAST MAG. PLUS KINDAMUSIK

GAZ-ETA

Lino Monaco i Nicola Buono mieszkaja w Pompejach - niemal u stóp niewygaslego Wezuwiusza. Jak sami twierdza - fakt ten wytwarza niezwykla energie, z której oni dwaj korzystaja przy tworzeniu muzyki. Zaczynali od didzejowania w klubach pobliskiego Neapolu, by potem wraz z Rino Cerrone stworzyc formacje Qmen, wykonujaca minimal techno. Kiedy formula ta znudzila im sie, postanowili juz we dwójke poeksperymentowac z innymi elektronicznymi brzmieniami. Powolali wtedy do zycia duet Retina.It, który zainteresowal swymi dokonaniami amerykanska wytwórnie Hafty. To jej nakladem ukazal sie w 2001 roku debiutancki album formacji - "Volcano.Waves 1-8", a obecnie - kompilacja niepublikowanych nagran z winylowych wydawnictw - "Semeion".
Album rozpoczyna sie od rytmicznych nagran o funkowym groovie - polamane bity maja jednak masywne i metaliczne brzmienie, przypominajac bardziej estetyke IDM niz czarna muzyke taneczna. Wlosi ozdabiaja te breakbeatowe struktury cwierkajacymi syntezatorami ("Tetsub"), glebokimi basami ("Zucchine Alla Scapece"), kasajacymi akordami klawiszy ("Pick") i strumieniami onirycznych dzwieków ("Apeiron"). Dalsza czesc plyty przynosi bardziej eksperymentalne nagrania. Rytmy nie maja juz oczywistego charakteru, czesto sa zredukowane do metalicznych stuków ("T-UFO"), miesistych chrzestów i chrobotów ("Tren Ri Cosei") czy zbasowanego dudnienia ("Oiu"). Zmienia sie równiez brzmienie syntezatorów - staje sie bardziej mroczne, przypominajac analogowe dzwieki charakterystyczne dla wczesnego industrialu spod znaku Throbbing Gristle ("Zilencer") czy Cabaret Voltaire ("Civitas Meccanica").
Wszystko to tworzy mroczna i futurystyczna atmosfere balansujaca miedzy toksyczna psychodelia póznego Coila a matematycznymi strukturami rytmicznymi Autechre.

BOFAL

Bij Hefty Records kwam ik deze heerlijke nieuwe relase tegen. Retina.It is een duo (Lino Monaco en Nicola Buono) dat warme minimalistische klik muziek maakt in hun studio net achter de oude stad van Pompeii. Semeion is een verzameling 12"-es die eindelijk op cd zijn uitgebracht. Hefty Records weet nog te vermelden dat al hun ideetjes en inspiatie eerst op ouderwetse DAT wordt opgenomen en later wordt verwerkt op de computers. De voorproefjes klinken in ieder geval erg fijn. Hebbehebbehebbe dus...

DE:BUG

In einem neapolitanischen Club trafen sich Lino Monaco und Nicola Bruno einst. Daraus entwickelte sich nicht nur ihr Projekt Retina.it, sondern praktisch eine ganze Szene in Süditalien, die um minimale Electronica kreist. Flaggschiff bleiben Retina.it, auch, weil sie so unspektakulär HipHop, Experiment, Electronica und auch Techno vermengen. Und so herrlich hinter den Tracks verschwinden. Das ist nicht wenig in Zeiten der Postpostmoderne und des Pop-Neokonservatismus. Das Duo versammelt hier Tracks aus 2001 bis 2006. Diese CD ist also nicht neu und doch auch. Denn vieles ist rar oder unveröffentlicht. Viel wichtiger, es ist funky kopflastig (oder umgekehrt).

SCE:NITE

Einst waren die zwei Jungs, die hinter Retina.it stecken mit Rino Cerrone als “Qmen” unterwegs und hatten damals eher heftige Rhythmen für die Tanzflure im Gepäck. Mittlerweile sind sie mit ihrem Retina.it Projekt auf experimentelleren Faden unterwegs - und das erfolgreich. Auf „Semeion“ findet sich eine kleine Zusammenstellung veröffentlichter und bisher unveröffentlichter Tracks, die alle eins gemeinsam haben – sie haben den Funk. Die trocken staksenden Beats und das was drum herum passiert wirkt beim ersten Hören recht leer, aber je weiter die CD fortschreitet, desto mehr finden Ohr und Beine Gefallen an dieser Musik und desto mehr passiert innen drin. Mit der Trackreihenfolge ist auch ein toller Spannungsbogen garantiert. Kein Wunder dass z.B. auch Richie und Ricardo aber auch Autechre bekennende Fans sind und Retina.it sogar schon vor Kraftwerk auftraten. Ein großes Werk. (BSCH)

MCD MAGAZINE

LONDON MILK

Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono first met in the mid nineties while they were both DJs in a club in Naples, Italy. They began making music as the Qmen, before turning to more experimental musical forms as Retina.IT. This resulted in a first series of EPs and an album, Volcano Waves 1-8, for Chicago imprint Hefty, all published in 2001. Since, there have been sporadic releases, including a few compilation appearances, a handful of remixes, an album released under the Resina moniker, and a second, self-titled album, released in 2003 and 2004 respectively, on their own Mousike Lab imprint.Semeion is not a totally new body of work as most of the thirteen tracks collected here have previously been published on various EPs released between 2001 and 2006. Only two tracks have never been released before, and a third one was commissioned for the soundtrack for a video by Claudio Sinatti, which was presented at the 2005 edition of the Videominuto festival.Monaco and Buono create elegant minimal electronic formations over typically linear beats, with occasional found sounds softening the overall angular approach. Retina.IT often build their compositions around very few elements at a time, focussing primarily on the impact of each sound on the mood of a piece and how each new component affects its balance. Yet, with so little to play with, Monaco and Buono manage to craft rather funky and hypnotic little numbers with irresistible grooves tucked away in every corner. Tracks such as Pick, Uranio or Violynth force their way through futuristic dance floors with rather sharp electronics and angular rhythmic sequences, while elsewhere, the pulsating beats and bass found on Zilencer, Per Assurdo or Civilta Meccanica, combined with sparse noises evoke experimental early sixties TV sci-fi.At times, the pair take stock, step back and invest their energy into slightly denser compositions. On Apeiron or T-UFO for instance, they carves complex rhythmic formations deep into beautiful haunting soundscapes, revealing a more meditative and atmospheric side of their music, while On Zucchine Alla Scapece, these hypnotic washes are applied in more subtle fashion as the pair work a lone drone against which they hang delicate processed vocal samples to emphasise the melancholic tone of the piece.

Semeion presents an interesting cross section of the work produced by Retina.IT in the last six years. While the band has remained rather the shadow of bigger electronic acts, Semeion demonstrates the consistency of the music produced over the years and how the pair have developed and strengthened their sound.

BLOWUP

BASEBOG

Terza uscita per Retina.it sempre sotto l'ala bella e rassicurante di Hefty Records della ventosa Chicago. Si tratta qui di una raccolta di 12'', inediti, singoli lasciati da parte, pezzi messi insieme tra il 2001 e il 2006 che vivono da soli ma che accorpati in un disco segnano la prosecuzione di un lavoro iniziato con 'Vulcano Waves'.
In alcuni casi si tratta di materiale sviluppato interamente in digitale, ma più spesso le tracce nascono dalla commistione di registrazioni archiviate nel tempo, suoni che spesso risuonano lontani. Sotto l'ombra lunga del vulcano (lo studio di produzione è sempre a Pompei) risuona ancora più marcata la stilistica che li ha fatti conoscere oltre confine: un'elettronica che trae ispirazione dalla ritmica pulita del suono teutonico ma che sulla batteria sa costruire e svolazzare con atteggiamento sbarazzino. A chi ha un orecchio fino risuonerà deliziosa la vena funcky di pezzi forse usciti fuori per caso come il primo 'Tetsub' o l'incastro elegante di campioni in 'Uranio' (una traccia con un significato oltre la musica). Si tratta come sempre di un'arte nella costruzione e il sacrificio quasi totale della vena melodica viene ripagato da un minimalismo sfogato all'estremo nell'articolazione delle batterie e dell'ambientazione sonora che le circonda (anche se, a ben vedere, in 'T-UFO' e 'Apeiron' si consumano diverse eccezioni alla regola). Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono non hanno pubblicato con 'Semeion' un contributo rivoluzionario per la scena elettronica, ma è come dire che le t-shirt stanno andando fuori moda. La loro, è una maglietta da tenere sempre nei primi cassetti.

URB

Grinding out tracks in a studio in the shadows of Mt. Vesuvius, Italian producers Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono know a bit about preservation and grim beauty. This singles compilation unearths older examples of the duo’s simmering mid-tempo techno, accented with a darker, ADULT.-like vibe and gentle scrapes and clicks.

SUB URBAN

Lino Monaco y Nicola Buono son uno de los dúos más respetados de la electrónica y, en buena parte, catalizadores de la escena italiana desde que empezaron a pinchar a primeros de los 90 en Nápoles y sobre todo desde que establecieron su sello Mousikelab. A su primera aparición en el recopilatorio "Immediate Action" siguió la edición en el sello de Chicago Hefty de su primer disco "Volcano Waves 1-8" en el que daban rienda suelta a su concepción de la música electrónica, construyendo melodías minimalistas sobre ritmos rotos y samples en una producción cálida y vibrante, con toques de hip hop pero también de funky profundo, cambiando continuamente los ángulos desde los que podía analizarse su música. Ahora, desde su estudio en Pompeya, la ciudad a los pies del Vesuvio, y ocupando todo el tiempo libre que reclaman sus negocios familiares (sin segundas intenciones), han volcado en su nuevo disco una gran energía y armados con un dat como único instrumento analógico, han sabido darle empaque y buen cuerpo a este disco con la técnica del cut-and-paste.

AIDABET

A collection of odds and ends from this Italian outfit. Most of the tracks here appeared on earlier EPs or digital-only albums, so this is their first "wide" availability. The sound is strikingly minimalist electronic fare, with an emphasis on playful rhythms. Austere, to be sure, but somehow still warm to the ear. If there's a way for this kinda stuff to sound jaunty, this does. If you're still trying to place the sound, think somewhere between 70s krautronica (Like that? I'm not sure I do) and late 80s techno. Never overbearing...hell, this stuff is so unassuming that it could serve as background music. Of course, if you didn't actually listen to it, you'd be missing everything.And there is a lot to hear. Given the genesis of the tracks, this isn't really a particularly cohesive album. But the songs within are as intriguing as anything you'll hear this year.

BOKSON

C'est quand ils officiaient tous les deux à Naples, en tant que Dj dans les boîtes de la ville au milieu des années 90, que Lino Monaco et Nicola Buono se sont découverts beaucoup de points communs et ont décidé de se lancer ensemble dans l'aventure Retina.It. Désormais résidents de Pompéi, les deux compères semblent totalement à l'image d'une ville touchée par une véritable énergie naturelle dont le volcan n'est que le meilleur exemple, à la différence qu'ils parviennent à l'utiliser de manière concrète, ce que peu d'habitants parviennent à faire à cause d'une situation économique désastreuse. Ce qui nous amène à "Semeion", ce troisième album zigzaguant entre techno, electronica, quelques touches hip hop, ambiances profondes et subtilement funky, dont le tracklisting est composé d'extraits de maxis, de réalisations uniquement destinées au digital à l’origine, et d'autres sauvés de longues sessions d'enregistrement un temps oubliées. Car Retina.It compose, improvise, enregistre le tout sur DAT avant de le transférer sur un ordinateur et retravailler le tout, pour arriver à cette patte somme toute personnelle, riche en rythmique, en production chaleureuse et en mélodies lointaines et immergées mais clairement indispensables. S'ils sont à rapprocher de Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Autechre ou Prefuse 73 pour n'en citer que quelques-uns, les deux Italiens ne parviennent encore pas à les égaler. Ce qui ne veut pas dire pour autant que "Semeion" ne mérite pas votre attention...

FUSION 3

LINO MONACO and NICOLA BUONO helped trail-blaze a budding electronic scene in southern Italy during the first part of the 1990’s. They first met as respective DJs at a Neapolitan club and after finding that they had similar tastes and aspirations, promptly began collaborating. Performing as the Qmen, along with a third member, Rino Cerrone, their early music was defined by heavy rhythms and minimal electronica elements. After a string of 12-inches released with various Italian and foreign labels, Lino and Nicola became interested in making more experimental recordings. They changed their name to RETINA (more recently revised to “RETINA.IT”) and for the next four years, they devoted themselves to the research and development of uncharted sound solutions while seeking to retain the energy and essence of their previous work.In 2001, the fruits of their labour surfaced on wax as the fourth installment in HEFTY RECORDS’ now legendary Immediate Action 12-inch vinyl series and their premiere LP, entitled “Volcano Waves 1-8” soon followed. It is on this release that RETINA.IT fine-tuned their rhythmic vibrations, warm / full production and keen sense of classic melodies, hooks, structures, and samples. Their sound is a perfect hybrid of stripped techno, modern electronica with hints of hip-hop shining through, yet never forgetting to remain funky and deep.RETINA.IT continues to explore the boundaries of digital music and propose alternative perspectives in sound. They strive to change the angles from which it becomes possible to examine electronic matter. Their unique analog/digital process consists of performing and improvising all of their material to DAT, which is later transferred to the computer and re-edited. Their live sets, often entirely improvised, are not to be missed. The duo has performed at numerous festivals, including 2001’s Sintesi Festival (from the cathedral of St. Severo al Pendino), the Neapolis Festival in 2005, where they opened for Kraftwerk, and most recently, in Barcelona as part of the Hefty Records showcase at Sonar, 2006.

RETINA.IT's studio exists beside the ancient city of Pompeii, the city that was buried under the ash of the Vesuvio volcano 2000 years ago. Both men work daily in family shops where Mt. Vesuvius and the intense energy that resonates within the people living in the shadows of the legendary volcano consistently inspires them. Lino explains that the people there have great energy, but because of the poor economic situation and cultural struggles, they can't turn it into positive activity. He elaborates that he has a great fascination with the historic region, which is a big influence on RETINA.IT’s abstract, yet engaging, sound.

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DELICIOUS GOLDFISH REC.

LINO MONACO and NICOLA BUONO helped trail-blaze a budding electronic scene in southern Italy during the first part of the 1990’s. They first met as respective DJs at a Neapolitan club and after finding that they had similar tastes and aspirations, promptly began collaborating. Performing as the Qmen, along with a third member, Rino Cerrone, their early music was defined by heavy rhythms and minimal electronica elements. After a string of 12-inches released with various Italian and foreign labels, Lino and Nicola became interested in making more experimental recordings. They changed their name to RETINA (more recently revised to “RETINA.IT”) and for the next four years, they devoted themselves to the research and development of uncharted sound solutions while seeking to retain the energy and essence of their previous work.In 2001, the fruits of their labour surfaced on wax as the fourth installment in HEFTY RECORDS’ now legendary Immediate Action 12-inch vinyl series and their premiere LP, entitled “Volcano Waves 1-8” soon followed. It is on this release that RETINA.IT fine-tuned their rhythmic vibrations, warm / full production and keen sense of classic melodies, hooks, structures, and samples. Their sound is a perfect hybrid of stripped techno, modern electronica with hints of hip-hop shining through, yet never forgetting to remain funky and deep.RETINA.IT continues to explore the boundaries of digital music and propose alternative perspectives in sound. They strive to change the angles from which it becomes possible to examine electronic matter. Their unique analog/digital process consists of performing and improvising all of their material to DAT, which is later transferred to the computer and re-edited. Their live sets, often entirely improvised, are not to be missed. The duo has performed at numerous festivals, including 2001’s Sintesi Festival (from the cathedral of St. Severo al Pendino), the Neapolis Festival in 2005, where they opened for Kraftwerk, and most recently, in Barcelona as part of the Hefty Records showcase at Sonar, 2006. RETINA.IT's studio exists beside the ancient city of Pompeii, the city that was buried under the ash of the Vesuvio volcano 2000 years ago. Both men work daily in family shops where Mt.Vesuvius and the intense energy that resonates within the people living in the shadows of the legendary volcano consistently inspires them. Lino explains that the people there have great energy, but because of the poor economic situation and cultural struggles, they can't turn it into positive activity. He elaborates that he has a great fascination with the historic region, which is a big influence on RETINA.IT’s abstract, yet engaging, sound.

Semeion is a collection of rare, previously released original works, as well as exclusive, unreleased works. It’s a wonderful, cohesive listen for longtime fans and a great starting point for newcomers alike. Recommended to fans of RICARDO VILLALOBOS, PLASTIKMAN / RICHIE HAWTIN, COIL, early AUTECHRE, PACO OSUNA, PREFUSE 73, FUNCKARMA, etc.

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MUSICSERVER

Postmoderní pohled zpoza Vesuvu
Z kraje devadesátých let se Lino Monaco a Nicola Buono vypracovali na vyhledávané dýdžeje neapolské scény. Prvním projektem se stal Qmen, ve kterém spolecne s Rino Cerrone vydali nekolik dvanáctipalcu na ruzných, nejenom italských labelech. Po této zkušenosti se Lino a Nicola vydali smerem k zevrubnejší alchymii a zacala je zajímat abstrakce zvuku; svuj sound postupne vystaveli na hybridu techna a electra. Jejich hudební obzor se rozširoval hloubkovými ponory do neprobádaných kraju a fanouškovské rady se zacaly rozširovat. Coby Retina.it (myspace.com) predložili svetu skrze Hefty! Records sérii vinylu "Immediate Action", z nichž je vetšina ve stavu sold-out. Debutová deska "Volcano.Waves 1-8" z roku 2001 znamenala malou revoluci ve svém oboru. Oba dodnes žijí pod Vesuvem, venují se muzice a letošek si vyhranili pro pohled zpátky.
Základ "Semeion" je postaven na dnes již nesehnatelných épéckách vydaných na klasických cerných deskách. Všechny tracky prošly ocistným procesem a je to témer dokonalá badatelská výprava. Více jak hodina experimentálních rovin zvuku a samplu vás provede skrze "Manifesto EP", "Nulla EP", "Immediate Action #002" a "Immediate Action # 009". K dobru jsou dríve nevydané kompozice "Uranio" (2006), "T-UFO" (2001) nebo krátká soundtracková záležitost k videu Claudia Sinattiho "Tren Ri Cosei" (2005). Pokud ujíždíte na ranních Autechre, Plastikmanovi, Richardu Villalobosovi nebo projektu Funckarma, budete pri poslechu "Semeion" chrochtat blahem. Partáci Nicola a Lino jsou sehraní a jejich minimalistická instrumentace, niterní sampling a italský duvtip vedle sebe fungují jak presne serízené hodinky. "Zucchine Alla Scapece" pulsuje v temnejším odéru a prvne publikovaná "T-UFO" vás vtáhne do rytmu; podobných vychytávek tu je ale vícero. Toto cédécko však nefunguje jako best of album, spíše je to na jednom míste seskupená prezentace vecí vydaných hlavne v roce 2001, kdy tato dvojka chrlila jeden release za druhým.

A pak že jsou špagetáci jen nudnými a ucaprtanými popari! Retina.it je mrštnou a predsudky vyvracející odpovedí, možná i dokladem, že italská klubová scéna má taktéž své vyslance. "Semeion" zároven poteší fandy, kterí marne shánejí zrušené tituly; zde je dostanou na jednom disku pekne vedle sebe.

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MUSIQUE FLUCTUAT

Metamatics, Norken et Retina.it : Let it Bleep

Les amateurs d'un certain son electronica intemporel, celui des 90's, peuvent se réjouir, deux best of de ce que je nommerais "classic electronica", sortent quasi simultanément ces jours-ci : My Favourite Kind of Irrelevance, réunissant le meilleur de Metamatics et Norken et Semeion des Italiens de Retina.it. Nous avons déjà tout dit, ou presque, de Lee Norris de Metamatics (et Norken) à Fluctuat. Un "best of" d'un artiste aussi productif semble pourtant étrange et aura de quoi étonner les plus "aware" d'entre vous, mais le travail de l'Anglais étant pléthorique, il est vrai que My Favourite Kind of Irrelevance peut se présenter comme une parfaite introduction. Celui dont les médias disent qu'il incarne "le meilleur d'Aphex Twin quand celui-ci décide de composer des mélodies", est l'auteur de pas moins d'une douzaine d'albums sous différents pseudonymes et le bonhomme n'est pas réputé pour ces "tubes". Ce n'est pas le genre. Difficile donc, de choisir dans cette production ce qui s'imposera comme des morceaux emblématiques aux yeux (aux oreilles ?) de ses auditeurs. Reste que Lee Norris, reste l'un des derniers fers de lance de cette electronica rêveuse et racée que nous encensions au milieu des années 90, à l'époque glorieuse des Plaid, LFO, Bola et autres Isan. Une époque et des sentiments que My Favourite Kind of Irrelevance réveille en nous de manière doucement nostalgique. Il faut dire que Norris n'a pas son pareil pour les ambiances et l'évocation de paysages synthétiques. Quand l'Anglais ne démontre pas sa science du break beat ("Man-Q-Neons"), il déroule un tapis sans fin de mélodies fractales (le grandiose "Here to Go (Days Are Gone)") et échafaude des cathédrales de bulles de savon ("So Many Ways"). Un palais des glaces dans lequel on trouve aussi une relecture très personnelle du "Personnal Jesus" de Depeche Mode, "Free Robots", une collaboration avec le pionnier de la synth-pop John Foxx, fondateur de la première mouture d'Ultravox! (avec le point d'exclamation) ou "Do it", un remix de A1 People. Autres moments forts : les joyaux pulsés aux harmonies plaintives composées sous le nom de Norken ("Motor Breeze", "Ty Canal" et "Southern Soul"), le groove cybernétique de "Motor Breeze" (Norken toujours) et les flirts poussés avec l'ambient ("Blue Water" ou "East"). Une question demeure : Comment Warp a-t-il pu passer à côté de tout cela à l'époque ? Dans une veine proche des travaux de Norris, Lino Monaco et Nicola Buono, duo italien à l'origine de Retina.it, réunissent avec Semeion une sélection de tracks initialement dispersés sur divers maxis, tous parus chez Hefty Records. Retina.it compose autour d'un son de basse nettement plus monolithique que Metamatics mais cultive le même amour pour le groove abstrait et les mélodies subtiles ("Pick", "Civilta Meccanica"). A la manière du Autechre des débuts, Retina.it parsème ses compositions de références electro funk audibles sur "Violynth" et d'influence hip hop ("Apeiron"), voir booty techno. De cet héritage le duo tire des morceaux hybrides, souvent sombres aux ambiances franchement envoûtantes (voir le prenant "Zucchine Alla Scapece"). Et quand ils s'expriment dans un domaine plus "techno" (comprendre, "à la Pan Sonic"), Monaco et Buono sont carrément saisissants. A l'écoute de "Per Assurdo" ou "Comunicazione Postmoderna", on comprend que le duo soit porté aux nues par des outsiders du dancefloor comme Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, ou leur collègues electronica de Funckarma et Autechre.

Metamatics & Norken - My Favourite Kind of Irrelevance (Hydrogen Dukebox/La Baleine, jullet 2007)
Retina.it - Semeion (Hefty/La Baleine, juin 2007 )

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DISC-JOCKEY

La collection dei RETINA.IT
Iniziano a comporre musica elettronica nei primi anni novanta avvicinandosi al suono romano promosso dai gemelli D'Arcangelo fatto di spezzettamenti farciti di effetti e rumori. Sono gli italiani Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono, inizialmente affiancati da Rino Cerrone nel progetto Qmen, tra i primi esempi di electronica made in Naples.Trasformatisi prima in Retina e successivamente in Retina.It i due musicisti sono devoti ad un suono sperimentale che in Italia nessuno ha mai preso troppo sul serio se non i veri cultori di uno stile anticonformista che mira più alla sperimentazione che alla vendibilità.Ad interessarsi alla loro musica è infatti la mitica Hefty di Chicago fondata da John Hughes III aka Slicker che, oltre a pubblicare una serie di 12", mette le mani sull'album "Volcano Waves 1-8" edito nel 2001 e nato da un ibrido tra techno, hip-hop, electronica, funk e deep. In questi giorni la stessa label mette in commercio "Semeion" con cui il duo esplora i meandri della musica digitale proponendo valide alternative che si mostrano alle orecchie dell'ascoltatore come possibili nuove visuali sull'evoluzione elettronica.Improvvisazioni registrate di getto su dat e poi trasferite su computer per essere editate rappresentano il punto d'inizio per la musica dei Retina.It, il primo anello di una catena che oggi trova modo di chiudersi attraverso una vera e propria raccolta di rarità, esclusive ed inediti particolarmente indicati a coloro che supportano la musica di Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin ed Autechre.Da Pompei, nota in tutto il mondo per l'eruzione del Vesuvio risalente al 79 dc, i Retina.It ci mandano un lavoro complesso da cui si ergono pezzi come "Tetsub" e "Zucchine Alla Scapece" in cui si manifesta vivido l'amore per il glitch e le concatenazioni dub a cui si aggiungono "Tren Ri Cosei", composta come soundtrack per un video di Claudio Sinatti, le inedite "Uranio" e "T-Ufo" e le gemme che segnarono il loro ingresso in Hefty (nel 2001) come "Per Assurdo", "Comunicazione Postmoderna" e "Civiltà Meccanica", tutte pronte a sottolineare la lotta dei Retina.It contro i cliché e le prevedibilità.Sono loro i veri anticipatori italiani di un certo tipo di glitch che oggi, grazie a molti artisti tedeschi, è riuscito a penetrare con forza nel settore della dance.

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BOOMKAT

The Italian production duo of Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono have been releasing records under the Retina.IT moniker for quite some time now (they were originally simply called Retina, but had to change the name for legal reasons), and since 2001 have been releasing with Chicago's omnipresent Hefty label. This latest disc collects the very best of the now long gone Hefty EPs and puts them together with some unreleased and rare material to create a diverse collection of quite singular electronica. I know electronica might be a dirty word right now, but there was a time when we were literally flooded with great material, and Retina.IT were always just under the waves, never quite receiving the attention they deserved. Hopefully things will be different this time around, certainly the music is interesting enough - the duo manage to distance themselves from the bland world of laptop bedroom producers by using real analogue gear and improvising, letting the music dictate its own path. This kind of ethic really pays off and leaves us with some seriously odd music - somewhere inbetween the minimalist dancefloor tomfoolery of Ricardo Villalobos and the abstract insanity of Autechre. Just check 'Uranio' for proof of this; with spooked, groaning pad sounds in the distance Monaco and Buono build up intense echoing rhythms with enough groove to make you shake your feet a little. It's powerful stuff and surprisingly forward thinking considering most of the material is over five years old. Hungry for electronic music? Well you're looking in the right place, Retina.IT provide the goods.

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TECHNODISCO

Retina.It “Semeion” (Hefty): prima formano, con Rino Cerrone, i Qmen, poi diventano i Retina e successivamente i Retina.It: si tratta di Lino Monaco e Nicola Buono, inseguitori di un suono fatto di spezzettamenti farciti di effetti e rumori che, dal 2001, trova appoggio sulla mitica Hefty. “Semeion” è una raccolta di rarità ed inediti come “Uranio” e “T-Ufo” oltre a gemme che segnarono il loro ingresso nella label di Chicago (”Per Assurdo”, “Comunicazione Postmoderna” e “Civiltà Meccanica”) pronte a sottolineare la lotta dei Retina.It contro i cliché e le prevedibilità. Sono loro i veri anticipatori italiani di un certo tipo di glitch che oggi, grazie a molti artisti tedeschi, è riuscito a penetrare con forza nel settore della dance.

ARTIST DIRECT

Retina.IT certainly don't sound like they're from Italy. There's nothing languid or romantic in their frigid breakbeats and glitchy, minimal techno, and unless maybe your name is Hannibal Lechter, you certainly wouldn't wash down the menacing synths of "Zucchine alla Scapece" (translation: zucchini cooked in vinegar) with a nice glass of Chianti.

The production team of Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono have been releasing their sparse-yet-spacey electronica on the Hefty label since 2001, and Semeion functions as a greatest-hits of sorts, compiling all their best material from various EPs and compilations, plus a handful of unreleased tracks. The oldest tracks here, "Apeiron" and "T-UFO," show the duo's roots in Goa trance and UK glitchcore artists like Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, but most of the disc is a refreshingly original take on minimalist electronica, where weird, otherworldly sounds bump up against unexpected touches of funk. Among the many highlights are the creepily infectious "Uranio," which unfolds like the soundtrack to a zombie dance party, and the piercing, pulsating "Oiu," whose hard-edged synths have the sleek lines and gleaming surfaces of a Lamborghini. Come to think of it, maybe Retina.IT do sound Italian.

TEXTURA

Hailing from Perth, Australia, Victor Bermon presents thirteen inviting organic tracks on his debut album Arriving at Night (he previously appeared alongside Retina.IT and Samadha on the Immediate Action #009 12-inch). Melodic constructions like “Farewell Lunch for Laura” and “We Face Each Other” waft in on a warm breeze of hazy acoustic guitars and lightly skipping beats. At certain moments, his music suggests a potential hip-hop-influenced direction (“On This Night”) but Bermon typically resists the urge and opts for a less frenetic amalgam that's more Savath + Savalas-styled ambient placidity (“Unprepared,” for example, is a particularly lulling moodscape) than a Prefuse 73-flavoured urban soundtrack. Though beats are present, they're more like afterthoughts in this sometimes subtly glitch-laden context, with the emphasis on acoustic guitar flutter, sunlit electronics, piano, and vibes. All of which makes Bermon's music stylistically kin to similarly tranquil collections like Keith Kenniff's Helios and Goldmund outings Eingya and Corduroy Road. Arriving at Night proves that becalmed needn't mean embalmed.

The 70-minute Semeion suggests that Retina.IT (Italy-based Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono), by comparison, is all about beats. Interestingly, after Monaco and Buono met as DJs at a Neapolitan club in the ‘90s, they began collaborating and eventually formed Qmen (with third member Rino Cerrone), an outfit whose material was defined by heavy rhythms and minimal electronica elements—much like the Retina.IT sound of today. The duo's current approach consists of performing and improvising all of their material to DAT, which they later transfer to the computer and re-edit into a stripped-down, funky electronic-techno hybrid. All of which sounds fantastic, and would be, if the duo crafted melodic structures as compelling as their impeccably tight beat constructions. Too much of the over-long Semeion (a collection of unreleased and previously-issued cuts from various 2001-06 EPs) is bereft of melody, making the tracks sound like sleek background music; too often, the listener waits in vain for something to happen and a dramatic compositional structure or development to declare itself but it doesn't happen. In those cases, though, where there is development, the group's polished and propulsive material impresses, like in “T-UFO” where a synth melody punctuates an intensifying two-toned attack, in “Apeiron” where a jazzy keyboard melody floats overtop the tune's swinging funk, and in “Uranio” where voice edits alternate with keyboard intricacy, commanding attention. Admittedly, too, even when a track is primarily about rhythm, it's sometimes so infectious (“Violynth”) and the activity level so engrossing (“Per Assurdo”) that the relative absence of melodic elements is something one can overlook.

MUSIC FOR AMERICA

Retina.It are also from Italy, but in their case they are an electronica duo, playing what they call "minimalist electronica". Semeion will appeal to fans who are into Jan Jelinek, The ORB, Coldcut, and early Kraftwerk, combine them and you have a very small hint into Retina.It's sound.

Even though there are 13 songs on the CD, I listened to it as 13 divisions of a whole. It felt that way as one song moves into the other, and you don't want to press stop or even look at the song titles. You will hear pulsations of the bloops and bleeps, but there's a level of warmth that they put into their music, where one may want to chill out or listen to at 3am while going into "the zone". Everything on this album is beautiful, and I'm sure all of this enhanced when they perform these works live.

BABY SUE

The folks at Hefty Records have a great ear for picking out some of the most unusual and original electronic artists around...and they've certainly hit the bull's eye again with Retina.IT. The band is the duo consisting of Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono. Rather than create club music or techno trash, these two individuals compose electronic music that has its own unique flavor and sound. Simeion serves as an introduction to Retina.IT. The CD features previously released and unreleased tracks...but due to some rather precise mastering, as a whole the album flows very smoothly. Monaco and Buono seem to draw their inspiration from various decades and locales...making it difficult to describe the music. Elements of ambience, techno, scratch, and cut-and-paste all find their way into these tracks. While not for everyone, Semeion is certainly an acquired taste for a specific eclectic audience. Uniquely crafted stuff. (Rating: 5+)