Droptimes
Looking for the Sun
[Private]

The Italian Droptimes project consist of singer Alessandro Maranesi and Alessio Catozzi on keyboard, synthesizers, bass and electronics, Looking for the Sun is their debut album. This is my first meeting with their music, and although their MySpace page says "indie / pop / electronica", a rather wide description, I expected them to be in the synth pop duo vein. But I soon realized that Droptimes are not that easy to pin down. Additional musicians on the album help expand the musical palette, with Giuseppe Rizzo on acoustic drums, Michela Capriccioni on backing vocals and Antonangelo Giudice on woodwinds. Further guest appearances add brass and choir, so this album seems like a rather large project, and the result certainly sounds a lot more organic than your average electronic duo!

Musically this is also a colourful mix, with elements from 70's prog & fusion, 80's synth pop and 90's electronica, but also some influences from classical (piano) music. In many ways this feels like a concept album, a soundtrack to a scene production, complete with a children's choir. Some songs are more immediate and memorable than others, but taken as a whole, Droptimes have managed to create a sound of their own from their varied selection of influences - not too experimental, but not too retro either. I especially like the way they merge vintage synth sounds into their mix. With a crisp production, and moods ranging from the reflective, blue and contemplative, to dancable eeriness, it will be a joy to visit this album again. Nice digipack packaging too!

Copyright © 2009 Knut Tore Breivik