Repetita Iuvant – "3+1"
Quadrophonic Sound Art
Repetita Iuvant is a group of friends who found each other through their love for great instrumental music. Their new EP "3+1" is their natural, musical and mathematical consequence of their 2020 work "3". It is also opening the next chapter of their trilogy. All three records combined will make their first LP.
The post-rock/noise band from La Spezia, Italy, consists of Andrea Testa (drums), Christoforo da Costa (guitar, synthy), and Daniele Isetta (guitar).
Their musical interplay reflects their shared sense for the correct dose in the right place. Also, they like exploring recording techniques of the past decades when rock music was invented.
Repetita Iuvant experiment with the Stereo8 format
The last song on "3+1", "Piuno", was recorded with four ambient microphones and transferred into the quadrophonic Stereo8 format in seven copies. Repetita Iuvant guitarist Christof describes it like this:
"There is a numerical justification for this approach, and it is our praise to the era of quadraphony and psychedelia".
Do you think this sounds pretty exciting? Well, it is. Released on June 18th on Loudnessy Sonic Factory, the record is more than just one of those EPs you can listen to once in a while. It opens the door to a diverse world of sound that you want to walk through again and again.
A colourful overall picture
The first song, "Sagiadi", is electronic, eclectic and versatile. Hypnotic rhythm mixes with playful drums. The multi-layered synthy sounds create a colourful overall picture. Despite its numerous elements, this and also the next track sounds pleasantly simple and not overloaded.
The second track, "Polloni", adds a surprising tenderness to the versatility, making this song my favourite on the record. It is pretty challenging to put into words what is happening here; the back and forth between harshness and fragility is reminiscent of the play of tides.
"Metloping" forms a dignified transition to the finale of the record – onomatopoeia included. "Piuno" is, as described above, a quadrophonic experiment – that happens to be a complete success. The 1970ies are sending their regards. Attentive listeners should also immediately notice the changes in perspective. What particularly fascinates me here are the beautiful percussion highlights, which leave some colourful paint splatters on the sound carpet here and there.
A cliffhanger to the next record
With a total of four pieces, "3+1" tells a story that doesn't need any words at all. In the end, you even think you recognize a cliffhanger to the next record of the trilogy. It's the same as it was with "3". In any case, I'm already curious to hear what Repetita Iuvant have in store for us next.
"3+1" by Repetita Iuvant has been released on tape and all known streaming platforms. You can also find the first EP "3" there.