By David Puente on May 07 | http://www.clubbingspain.com/sonorama.php?lng=es&id=957

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.

2008 | http://gummigumi.blogspot.com/2007/08/retinait.html

Avec Retina.It c’est le leasy lag d’une electronica pour salle d’attente transposée dans une clairière, les clips claps inspirées de Bola, les rythmiques hip-hop de Funkstorüng, les symboles électro de la firme Skam. A la force d'une programmation aux vapeurs dub et aux contours ambient, entre deep'dark et beat crunky du goût des nostalgiques des premières années Warp, Retina.it propose un album découpé dans des photos noires et blanches. Plutôt une invitation à se laisser happer peu à peu dans un lit de mousse fripé …

By Briec 08 | http://www.electrone.net/aff_chronique.php?id=312

Retina.IT est aux antipodes de la variétoche italienne hyper sucrée qu’on nous sert depuis que le monde est monde, et tout aussi loin du revival Italo-disco certes parfois assez excitant. Non, Retina.IT c’est le minimalisme pur et dur, une hygiène de vie.

Plus accessible qu’un album de Pan Sonic, groupe réputé sans concession, « Semeion » peut toutefois laisser ahuri le dernier des fans d’Eros Ramazzoti. Il est pourtant une très bonne porte d’entrée pour ceux qui souhaitent comprendre l’attraction mystérieuse qu’exerce sur certains l’electronica minimaliste, et en surprendra plus d’un par le groove latent de ses superpositions rythmiques. C’est le cas notamment dans le morceau Pick, sorte de funk bancal d’avant garde. Obsédant.

La rythmique à base de sonorités industrielles et métalliques est justement époustouflante, les chevauchements de percussions digitales sur un tempo saccadé et déstructuré relèvent de la maestria et feraient pâlir d’envie des artistes comme Akufen et autres Autechre. « Semeion », troisième album du duo italien, n’est qu’une stratification de battements électroniques, aussi bien dans les samples que dans les fondations même du disque, autrement dit les basses et le beat. Il y a même des moments de grâce sublimes comme les nappes salvatrices de T-UFO ou Apeiron ou l’indéfinissable et évanescent Zucchine Alla Scapece, titre d’obédience dub.

Le label de Chicago Hefty records enrichit son catalogue d’un ovni de plus et affine sa vocation de tête chercheuse d’electronica lumineuse et exigeante. Après avoir signé les ineffables Telefon Tel Aviv et leur soul futuriste, l’audacieux label confirme son érudition.

By by Mike Diver 08 | http://discover.drownedinsound.com/articles/2790564

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

By Gianni Avella on July 07 | http://www.sentireascoltare.com/CriticaMusicale/Monografie/Retinait.htm

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)

By Gianni Avella on July 07 | http://pigmag.com

October 07 | http://www.mtv.de/artists/artists.php?char=r&artist=retina_it

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.

By Laurent Diouf on July 07 | http://www.wtm-paris.com/kroniks/kro_retina.html

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.

By Simone Caronno on 05/10/07 | http://www.rockit.it/pub/r.php?x=00007593

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?

By Paul Schlagk on September 07 | http://www.mkzwo.de/home/review.php?sid=1993

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.

By Oscar Brox on September 07 | http://www.supernovapop.com/disco/1378/Semeion-RetinaIt.html

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.

By Aurelio Cianciotta on September 07 | http://www.neural.it/sound/2007/09/retinait_semeion.phtml (EN) | http://www.neural.it/sound_it/2007/09/retinait_semeion.phtml (IT)

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.

September 07 | http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/cd_reviews/retina_it_semeion_hefty_records

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!

By on Agust 07 | http://www.ilmucchio.it/

By Sascha on August 07 | http://www.triggerfish.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9427&Itemid=24

Meister der Reduktion

Den 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.

By Stephanie Kale on Septmber 07 | http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=114&csid2=848&fid1=27085

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.

ByJuly 07 | http://distorsom.no.sapo.pt/webzine1/webzine07b.html

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.

on August 07 | http://www.barcodezine.com/revretinaitsemeion140807.htm

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.

on August 07 | http://www.cuemix-magazine.com/cuemix/inhalt.php?image=509

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…

By Andrew Dolton on July 07 | http://www.new-noise.net/album-reviews/retinait/semeion/retinait---semeion_2405.html

"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.

By August 07 | http://www.djmag.com

August 07 | http://www.oneweektolive.com

By Holly Barnes on August 07 | http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=5638

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.

 

By Mike Barnard, 2007-08-02 | http://www.zapbangmagazine.com/music/record_reviews/330/

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.

Glitc