What does Francesca Guiccione sound like?
Watching the planet orbiting slowly from a distance to violins and synths.
The review of Francesca Guccione – Utopia Aerial View
Mixing together the violin and a variety of soft Moog synths is where you’ll find ‘Utopia Aerial View’, the new EP from violinist and composer Francesca Guccione. It’s one of those EP’s where the music paints an outline of ideas your mind to get lost in and Francesca does an excellent job from the EP title to frame where your mind will take you. This really does sound like a soundtrack to an aerial drone or space station shot.
In reality, that means there are tracks numbered ‘Utopia’ I – IV which all feel interconnected and part of a 20-minute suite. The violin lilts, waxes and wanes slowly through fluid notes and no sudden movements. Guccione goes to great lengths to have each sound carefully bleed in and out with no sudden jumps or transitions at all. This is a large part of what sells this idea of the music telling a story from a distance. Where the additional detail comes into play falls to the use of synths. Across each track gentle bleeps, organ resonance, soft warm synth hues and intricate arpeggiating chords busy themselves like a knitted jumper of sound. You can hear the complexity and interwoven nature of them but each pattern is muted. Francesca Guccione ensures nothing stands out whilst allowing the listener to tune into a different instrument. The EP would work for a space mission or a time-lapse project. Synths sound like distant busy networks you can barely perceive. It is subtle but captivating.
I picked up this EP largely out of curiosity from a single sample and I don’t regret a thing. There’s a crystalline presence to the music that I just connected with that reminds me of Michael Sterns and YoYo Ma. Whilst you could argue this work could score a serious Netflix documentary, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. There’s also not much progression between the tracks either but the distinctive mood balances that out. Francesca Guccione has made a musical oasis to find comfort in here that most modern classical fans will enjoy. ‘Utopia Aerial View’ is a great example of a title that impacts a listener too. Without that steer, my mind may not have formed the musical imagery it did.
Recommended track: Utopia I
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Francesca Guccione - Utopia Aerial View