Iuliano – De-Algorithm (2022)
Iuliano drew us into a cryptic, intimate and eclectic sound while swirling frustration and disillusionment around us in ‘On the Radio’. He is now offering up a sardonic critique of the digital world that borders parody with his EP De-Algorithm. Through the five tracks, he brings the plight of analogue humans navigating the algorithm-based world of artificial reasoning.
Each track is a new chapter in the story of a character who suddenly vanishes, but to where is only revealed as you listen. Packed with complex harmonies and his delightful contrasting of digital and organic instrumentation, this EP will have you looking at the world in a different way. Progressive and spectral, this EP instils a quirky tone into the cinematic movements of Iuliano’s music.
The EP begins with his previous single release ‘On the Radio’ which opens the critique of the digital world. The scratchy beat and strummed organic tones swirl with something almost out of this world. There is an experimental edge to the music as the organic instruments rest in the core of the melody with the electronic tones closing in around it. The vocals are both intimate and dreamy as they draw you close to them. The fusion of sound comes through in the vocals as they bring an accessible touch to something that is rather elusive. In the context of the EP, it is a perfect opening track that sets the tone of what is to come. Through the lyrics, you feel the logical march of the algorithmic digital world while a flair of organic creativity swirls between the straight lines of computers.
‘How Did It Go’ has a groovier feeling to the opening that thrums through your chest and gets your shoulders moving to the sound. The vocals retain some of the dreaminess of the opening, but there is a sharp edge to them. This turns into a lulling movement that tries to calm and relax you. The melody lightens and almost sparkles at this time to enhance the dreamy lull of the vocals. This turns with a touch of paranoia that has you looking over your shoulder for movement seen out of the corner of your eye. As with the opening track, there is an amazing interplay between electronic and organic instrumentation that brings the story of the track to life.
Iuliano’s vocals draw you into ‘Uranous or Mars’ while the melody has a very different feeling to it. There is a quirky vibe to the opening tones that set you off-kilter before the beats push you into the intimate twang of the guitar. This rises into a groovy vibe as the vocals call for something familiar. There is a heavier touch of the organic to this track as the electronic tones are a light tug at the edge of your senses. As the song progresses, the electronic tones start to become more prominent as the vocals realise that something is wrong. It is an infectious movement that you can’t help but move to as it sweeps through you and draws you into the sound.
‘The Last Time’ sweeps you into the soundscape with an electronic tone before you are dropped into a really eccentric tone. The clapping beat has a strange traditional folk vibe to it that offers an acoustic thread to the sound. Other than these tones, the soundscape is filled with warbling electronic tones that make you think of vibrating colours and electrical pulses. This is possibly the most eccentric track on the EP, but it works so well with the rest of the tracks. The quirky nature of the song lets the duality of emotion woven into the lyrics more powerful. While a bit strange, there is something delightfully addictive about this track that makes it impossible to stop listening.
The EP comes to an end with ‘Stay Where You Are’ and its dreamy vocals. There is a pop and titter to the electronic tones that fill the melody. This enhances the dreamy and hazy vocals that seem to be just out of reach. The vocals have an interesting touch to them as they call you toward them only to evaporate into the electronic tones. There is a building in the melody that makes you think of something overloading and cascading into parts of a whole. It is like the electronic tones are coming to an end as the organic bursts through it. While this is what it feels like, everything has an electronic tinge bringing the merger of organic and electronic life to our ears.
Iuliano draws us into the story of analogue humans fighting against the algorithm-driven digital age in the tracks of De-Algorithm. Each track is filled with his balance of organic and electronic tones that come together to draw you into the story of the EP. This story is thought-provoking and will have you considering the world we live in through a different lens.
Find out more about Iuliano on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
