Nunzio Fattini - Album Primum (2011)

You're not gonna find this on Altered Zones or Gorilla vs. Bear. Fanuelle is an elusive artist and likes to keep his sounds underground. I have been waiting 6 years for some new material from one of the most innovative and talented pop musicians currently making music, Matthew Fanuelle. His self titled album is probably my favorite release of the of the 2000s. It's definitely in my top 5. So for those of you who are familiar with him might have been wondering what he's been up to lately after his disappearance several years back. Well thanks to Anh Do from Owley Patrol and The Tyde, I was informed today, much to my dismay and excitement that he has a new project under the moniker Nunzio Fattini. His debut album under his new incarnation isn't quite as good as his album as Fanuelle, but its still better than anything else to come out this year so far. The only gripes I have are minor ones, and they involve the quality of the recordings on his free album download. There are splotches and skips galore and some of the tracks cut off short. I'd imagine if you were kind and well off financially you could buy the album off iTunes and it would sound smoother than a baby's bottom, but I can't afford to right now, so I'm stuck with the damaged version for now. Another thing worth noting is he's changed his sound a bit, but not necessarily in a bad way. I do miss the "synthiness" of his previous efforts, but the new direction is good too. This is definitely a record you shouldn't miss and he's working on a follow up album which should be released sometime this year as well. Highly recommended stuff here.

Rating: 9/10

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Fanuelle - Fanuelle (2005)

What a beautiful name this man has. "(Matthew) Fanuelle is a peculiar guy. Living in New York, he wears earplugs most of the day. In this silence he finds his song. Loud and clear." I really don't have enough good things to say about this guy. I wish he'd write more music, quite frankly, because this may be the best pop album of the past decade. Almost every song on the album is one you can nod your head and tap your foot to. Much like a subdued Go-Kart Mozart, this is a truly eccentric and unique pop masterpiece. His voice is dynamic, yet seemingly effortless and organic, his music ubiquitous and compelling, at once familiar and distinct. Pleasant piano arias, over well-composed synthetic sound sculptures accompanied by ambiguous. drifting lyrics are a few qualities which define Fanuelle. Another noticeable aspect of this album is the occasional inclusion of spliced cuts of various television/movie samples, which add a strange dimension to the already multi-layered tracks. This is an extraordinary album, and heads in a direction that I only wish more modern DIY musicians would follow.

Rating: 10/10

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