Trying to make instrumental albums that, as an entity, do not stick to a specific genre, but at the same time have their own identity and character, is not something a faint-hearted artist should attempt to do. More simply put, such albums are an excellent recipe for a disaster because you have to have a full grasp of what you are attempting to do, as well as being truly knowledgeable about the genres you are trying to mix and match in such an attempt.
That is exactly what NYC artist Jason Vitelli is trying to do on amply titled 2. No Wave Gaze, a second in his series of thematic albums (his fifth overall) that started with 1. Ambient Corridors is supposed to continue with an album focused on classical pieces and will be recorded live.
But let us stick for the moment to what Vitelli envisions as No Wave, something that was and still is a truly New York musical concept. For Vitelli, it seems to be trying to find your own way in pieces of dark musical corners, piecing up pieces of chaos and trying to make a sense out of them.
Here, it all runs as a film noir soundtrack with its ups, downs, stress and calm, all placed in a seemingly perfect order, with Vitelli’s musical collage and instrumental capabilities (plays a range of instruments) getting its full sense when vocals conclude the album (“A Piece of a Sing Along’), making a sense out of the whole thing. Don’t let this one linger in the shadows.
