ILUITEQ – The Loss of Wilderness
ILUITEQ is an ambient music project founded by Italian duo Sergio Calzoni and Andrea Bellucci. The Loss of Wilderness is their second full length release but their first for the n5MD label. The pair augment their layered synthetics with piano, guitars, field recordings and sampling to create dreamy, contemplative downtempo IDM. The album title, The Loss of Wilderness is a clear reference to global warming. The whole album in fact, its themes and songtitles are a musical lament to mankinds neglect of the ecosystem. It isn’t the only release to do so this year. I’m especially thinking of Clarks Playground In A Lake. However that record is far more abrasive and challenging. The Loss of Wilderness has a dreamy, nebulous approach.
The album spins a subtle web. Clouds of music emerge, merge then clear away. I wanted to engage with it from note 1. Actually, just gazing at the utterly stunning cover artwork whet my appetite but this is also a cohesive collection that takes us on a journey. There’s plenty of warmth as well but the album isn’t without bite as witnessed on centerpiece ‘Ocean Ghosts’. This is a far more daunting proposition than its billowing predecessors. As the music swirls and shifts we can be forgiven for losing any sense of time or place. Like ILUITEQ I can only hope that the albums gentle minimalism facilitates the listeners contemplation of our planets plight. The twinkling finale to closing track ‘A Possible Tomorrow’ leaves us with a modicum of hope but the responsibility sits with all of us to make that possibility happen.
The Loss of Wilderness is offered both digitally and on coke bottle clear vinyl. The digital has two bonus tracks. The vinyl also gets you a download coupon.
Clark – Playground In A Lake review