AIT! - Fiori di carne - 12" picture disc - 13 tracks - Punch Productions - 2004

The Italian cult band AIT! is back with a second full-length album. A new release highly awaited by those who enjoyed Tairy's crazy and original music on the rather confidential first album released on Ars Benevola Mater/Amplexus as well as the split 7" with Novy Svet on Punch Productions!

Before trying to describe the music (a rather difficult exercise in this context), I have to underline the beautiful artwork that features on this picture disc... Two wonderful and captivating erotic paintings (with a subtle liturgical and decadent inspiration) realised by the famous Italian artist Saturno Buttò... Such artwork is enough to allow this record to stand out as a piece of art.
As for the music, I will say that this new album is a bit less sixties oriented and a bit more 'bombastic' in its sounds than the first. But all that is just a subjective opinion... 'Fiori di carne' is a journey through crazy sound collages ranging from black-lounge, sixties sick beat, space-age, sex-a-delic to post-industrial... Old songs (with the charming and inimitable sound of vinyl cracking) mixed with strange deformed voices on a slowed down melody, movies and/or ambiguous sample also remain... to create a morbid and bizarre atmosphere, to say the least...
My preferences go undoubtedly to the track (or 'hit' should I say) 'Make War not Love' (for its groovy rhythm and the repetive whistle sound... not to mention the rather nihilist lyrics...), but also to 'Take an Oath' (its lounge ambiance and its off-kilter rhythm mixed with 'special' sample), and to the melancholic 'In Remembrance' and the airy 'Cosmic Swastika' to name just a few...

A record that, perhaps, will not be appropriate to all ears... but that will surely please those curious enough to listen or those who already take delight in experimental, neo-avant-garde music; but you can call it what you like...
This highly recommended picture disc is limited to 333 hand numbered copies and there is no reason that it will not become a collector's item... So if you do not want to have to pay a fortune for this record, you know what to do...

Nathalie F.
Spring 2004

Contacts:
Punch Productions : www.punchproductions.net
AIT! : www.punchproductions.net/AIT