Genre/Influences: Experimental, dark-chanson, cinematographic, industrial.

Background/Info: It took 4 years for Canaan to achieve their 8^th full length album, was released 20 years after their unforgettable debut work “Blue Fire”. Set up and driven by the creative spirit of Mauro Berchi (also the label owner of Eibon Records) this album also is the first one in 4 years.

Content: I can’t say that Canaan reinvented its own sound, but this album clearly moves through new experiments. The sound remains experimental, but there’s a surprising and noticeable ‘chanson’ approach, which I didn’t really know by this band. It sounds dark and sometimes pretty dreamy-like. The half-spoken vocals are sung in Italian. You sometimes get the impression this music was composed for an imaginary soundtrack.

Some parts are more intriguing and even a bit tormenting for moving into real spooky passages.

+ + + : No doubt about it, “Il Giorno Dei Campanelli” is for sure one of my all time favorite Canaan albums. There’s an intimate touch hanging over the songs while the dark-chanson style has been constructed with great electronic- and industrial sound sculptures. It also becomes a diversified work covering multiple influences, and where all songs have been cemented by this captivating and exciting ‘chanson’ style.

– – – : I think that the lyrics are quite important so it’s a pity there’s no translation in the booklet. I now and then noticed a kind of experimental ballad style, which is not exactly my cup of tea.

Conclusion: Canaan strikes back with a true masterpiece, which remains a minimal and experimental experience in sound. This is the kind of sound ravishing fine music tasters who are listening to what others don’t hear!

Best songs: “Due Specchi”, “Canzone Per Il Nemico”, “Se Un Giorno”, “Libero?”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.canaan.it  

Label: www.eibonrecords.com / www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eibon–Records/113898028620718

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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The 15th track on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” (featuring 92 tracks) is by the Italian minimal dark wave act Colloquio. The track itself is a minimalistic pearl which reminds us of a young Paolo Conte mixed with cold electronics.

Gianni Pedretti founded Colloquio at the beginning of the 90s, with the intention to explore music territories where electronic/new-wave sounds melt with the Italian songwriting tradition. Following the production of several self-released tapes, Colloquio started a fruitful collaboration with Eibon Records, through which all the official albums have been released so far. Over the years Gianni Pedretti contributions can be heard on several albums of bands such as Atrax Morgue, Menarca, Alma Mater, Canaan, Neronoia, Detour Doom Project, Albireon. Check the band’s webpage for more info.

Splendid work!

Listen to “Sogno” below and download it right here.

Check our “Face The Beat: Session 4” page on Bandcamp to discover the other 91 bands. All donations will go to charity.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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