Marcello Giombini Astromusic Synthesizer

2015 release. Fifth Dimension present a reissue of Marcello Giombini's Astromusic Synthesizer, originally released in 1981. Another great synthesizer artist and pioneer, this time from Italy, Giombini's work date back to the early '60s and maybe even beyond considering he was born in 1928. In the mid-to-late '60s, he became quite active in the field of western movie soundtracks. Astromusic Synthesizer is a concept album on the zodiac signs and the music it contains could not be more diverse. The elements that unite all the tunes are the entirely synthetic, yet warm analog sound and the surreal, spaced-out atmosphere. Several different basic genres deliver the inspiration from which Marcello Giombini forms his melodies, harmony patterns, and rhythm structures. There are tunes you will easily recognize as pop songs with a typical '60s approach, concerning the melody writing, there are baroque elements, and even pure soundscapes that make you feel like being trapped in the interior of a thinking machine. The synthetic sound adds a futuristic shine to each composition. The mood changes are dramatic: You will float down a peaceful river of dreams at one point and then become swallowed by a vortex of musical fury that projects a galactic battle before your third eye. Indeed, the whole album could work as a soundtrack for an epic science fiction movie whose story drags you far out into space. If you love movies such as The Black Hole (1979) and enjoy the compositions of other synthesizer heroes such as Mort Garson, you will treat Astromusic Synthesizer as a precious musical treasure. Fans of '70s synthesizer music should give this a listen.