Armonite: Rock Progressivo Italiano • Italy – Rating ****
Over the last few days, the album The Sun is New Each Day from the band Armonite has been in my music rotation. It is an interesting instrumental progressive rock album. The band has a distinctive sound generated mostly by the sound of an electric violin. That violin is being played by one of the two founding members of Armonite, Jacopo Bigi. Bigi and composer Paolo Fosso. Together they founded Armonite in 1996, while they were still in school.The band released its first album Inuit in 1999. After which the band broke up. Jacopo pursued a career as a classical violinist and violin teacher, while Paolo started working in music administration. In 2015 they reunited and formed a new band, but used the old name.
Armonnite as it currently exists consists of Bigi and Fosso on violin and keyboards respectively with new members Porcupine Tree‘s bassist, Colin Edwin and Dutch drummer Jasper Barendregt. I must say that one of the things that drew my to Armonite was the presence of Colin Edwin. I discovered Edwin’s music not through his work with Porcupine Tree but from his work with Jon Durant on the album Burnt Belief!
About The Sun is New Each Day
The new album The Sun is New Each Day is produced by the first producer of Muse, Paul Reeve, with mastering at the Abbey Road Studios. It expands on the classical violin sounds of the first album. And adds a jazz/fusion energy, ethnic flavors and even electronic elements..
At ProgArchives the music of Armonite is placed in the Rock Progressivo Italiano genre. And while both Bigi and Fosso are both classically trained their music is definitely progressive rock. The band successfully blends classical music and rock to create that distinctive sound that I mentioned earlier!
I like the whole album. However,for me, the album seemed to really take off on four track, the Middle East sounding “Sandstorm.” As I listen to the album again, while I am writing this post some of the songs that I really like are: “Die Grauen Herren” and “Le Temps Qui Fait ta Rose”. Hell just go and check out the whole album!! While I go and check out “Inuit”!!
Links for Further Explorations of the Music of Armonite:
Here’s the video for the beautiful “Le Temps Qui Fait ta Rose” from Armonite’s The Sun is New Every Day. Music by Paolo Fossso and animation by Silvia Emme