DIGITALIS PURPUREA

One-man Italian industrial project Digitalis Purpurea, AKA Cristian Marovino, returns with the sequel to 2014's Giallo audio suite 'Palindrome Shapes Of Mold' in the form of 'Pastel Dissonances'. The latest album marks Marovino's fifth album release under the DP moniker and one of his most ambitious releases to date.

Another swerve in direction, 'Pastel Dissonances' sees the harsher black metal form of 'Palindrome Shapes Of Mold' supplanted to a degree with blues elements, guitars, space-age synths and vocoders coming together to form a sound that sounds like a much darker and more vulnerable take on Marilyn Manson's 'Mechanical Animals'.

It is atmospheric, hypnotic and sinister, but still catchy and accessible with songs such as 'The Mesmeric Lights Of Vegas', 'Oerhrt', 'Firmament Scales', 'Rated – R Bubblegum (Danny Saber Alternate Mix)', 'Marzipan Dream', and 'White Stars Are Phosphenes (Acoustic Version)' showing off the most accessible end of the album. While the likes of 'The Telephone Rings In The Middle Of The Night', 'Night Hag [Reprise]', and 'Second Sight [Noise Mix]' ensure the more experimental arm of the Digitalis Purpurea sound is catered to.

The production walks a fine line between Marovino's previous pop dalliances and his more experiential leanings. The result of which is a slick but gritty mix that balances the harsh and more melodic elements of the songs in a very effective way.

This is a much more accessible album than its predecessor, with more traditional electronic and guitar constructions and only slight forays into out-and-out experimentalism. As such this is a balanced listen that shows off the depth and emotional resonance of Marovino's songwriting and compositional abilities. It is another twist from a very talented musician that hints at more to come. - Intravenous Magazine

Digitalis Purpurea is a flower our grandparents commonly knew as foxglove. The foxglove got transposed into a very weird music band from Italy. The debut album of this project is a kind of cyber-rock free interpretation.
The main elements that appear are the provocative and porn-minded lyrics. Over the years it’s a recipe that has been used and abused in the underground scene and yet it still fascinates some new bands and (hopefully for them) also fans. Nothing seems weird enough to this collective like symbolized by a few extracts of their lyrics ‘if this song had a dick you would suck it hard’ or yet ‘I’m the groom of sound and the lover of noise’. Digitalis Purpurea rapidly appears to be a hybrid between Lords Of Acid and Sheep On Drugs.
The debut songs are quite convincing. The mix of electronics, punk and industrial works perfectly on “30 Hole And Fred Perry”, “Pussy Is Pret A Porter, Girls Ass Is For Elites”, “The Sky Is The Biggest Cunt Of Them All” and “I Don’t Give A Fuck Ye-Yea-Yeah”. The titles say enough about the provocative fun of the band. Musically it moves all over different musical edges, but it simply adds to the force of the release.
I have a little preference for, “The Sky Is The Biggest Cunt Of Them All”, which reminds me a bit of Zombie Girl. Electronics and guitar are in perfect harmony while the unavoidable porn samplings are resonating in the background.
Digitalis Purpurea sounds like sex and rock’n’roll! The good-old recipe is still working today.
(ED:7/8)ED. - SIDE-LINE Magazine

„Die Aufgabe von Kunst ist es, Fragezeichen beim Konsumenten hervorzurufen. Unser neues Album ist die Frage, unsere Fans werden darauf ihre individuellen Antworten geben!“ Pi Greco, New Yorker Musiker und Mastermind hinter dem Duo Digitalis Purpurea, ist um eloquent-philosophische Ansagen nicht verlegen. Er ist offenbar Literaturliebhaber, Cineast und Lebenskünstler – mit einem thematischen Schwerpunkt allerdings, den man womöglich mit ‚subversive Abgefucktheit’ umschreiben könnte. Charles Bukowski gehört zu seinen bevorzugten Inspirationsquellen genauso wie Film-Klassiker, deren Kern Sex und Gewalt darstellen. Musikalischer Rahmen dieser provokanten, fröhlich-aggressiven Kunst sind Industrial-Klänge von zuweilen slapstickgleicher Überzeichnung, irgendwo im weiten Feld zwischen Revolting Cocks und 16 Volt angesiedelt. Noise-Snares, lakonischer Minimalismus, der sich plötzlich in verzerrte Synth/Gitarren-Dichte verwandelt, dazu deftige Vocals, die von Wut und Sexsucht künden – aber auch von einer ordentlichen Portion hintergründigen Humors. In Lukas-K hat Pi Greco einen kongenialen Partner gefunden: Sie sind ‚verheiratet mit Klängen’, sagen sie – ‚doch heimliche Liebhaber der verruchten Lady namens Krach’. Na also, eine knackige Definition!
Kym Gnuch - SONIC SEDUCER Magazine

Christian Marovino aka Pi Greco got his inspiration to this album from the film Fando & Liz by Jarodowski. (The film that provoked an whole world of film enthusiasts 1969 and caused a riot at the film festival due to its sadistic sex and vampire scenes.) In the intro track of “Emotional Decompression Chamber” we hear the sound of when Liz is eating the white rose in the beginning of the film. This album is an updated version of the story. Pi Greco is Black Metal from the beginning but he seems to have evolved into electro synthetics blended with real analogue sounds into some indie style for this album. (Yes, I know he is in the Italian EBM scene, called IBM there.) The only thing that seems remaining from black metal musically speaking to me is his voice which he uses in a Marilyn Manson inspired way. I noticed his vocals in the first couple of tracks “Muscle Bound” and “Dust Devil”. In the “Magic Cube,” there is nice intro of drums that thrills me. I see before me a drummer hitting hard as hell on them. “I am a looking for a job because I need an alibi,” is a catchy refrain. “The Shedding” also got a nice intro to the song and then it turns in to a Marilyn Manson rip off. Perhaps Pi Greco is updating Manson too and doing a Manson on Manson (Marilyn Manson did this with old music once.) “Fall of Rimmel” is about a slut vamp and is very suggestive. It makes me wonder if he met a digital mistress that freaked him out or perhaps it is Fandos frustration over Liz, when he torments her and abounding her on and off again and again, that gets it's updated version this way. It is here where we meet the secret singer girl and her voice is very distinct. I am hoping that someone will unveil this mystery pretty quick. The way Pi Greco sings “Decadent Glamour” here the pronunciation of “glamour” makes me wonder what hidden code that is about since he has told he is doing this “hide and seek” for us in the album. “Blear” is another Marilyn Manson reference to Antichrist Superstar album and it reminds me of Tourniquet song, but here Pi Greco sings about “another kind of gloom.” This is about when Fando tries to find the hidden town they search and never found. Just when we think this song is over, the Marilyn Manson sound disappears and we get a nice clear piano that ends this track. “Scotch-Taped Hours,” has a back ground sound of coming from an old vinyl player like the gramophone Liz brought with her into the desert and the guitar in this one is so beautiful. There is also a mystery sound as if from an ocarina with his heavy breathing at the end and the distorted sounds. He really captures the feeling from the desert scene in this one. Horror Pleni begins with whisker drums, then the girl and then him, in digital voices. It is like being brought into a video game. “The tears on my dress are same as on my heart” the girl tells with a giggle. This is what I call the feeling of “noir” and it makes me smile. This song mixes digital sounds with analogue ones in a very cool way. Devote - respirator breathing with drum stomp, then piano and guitar. He sings very close to the microphone and to listen this one took too much of my energy. Here, I lose interest even if I was curious. This man demands attention and you get a treat if you give this a listen. Black Metal still remains in its own way on this album. “Venus Eclipse.” ends the album and I feel like I have been to the cinema. I am leaving excited and want to buy tickets to next show right away. I am not done with this. - Grave Concerns

Cristian Marovinon yhtye Digitalis Purpurea on vuodesta 2003 asti tehnyt omanlaistaan industrial-musiikkia. Sen viimeisimpiä sointuja kuullaan pian, kun Danse Macabre Recordsin kautta ilmestyy "Palindrome Shapes of Mold" -niminen albumi. Se aiotaan saattaa lähitulevaisuudessa yleisön ulottuville niin digitaalisessa muodossa kuin kappalemäärältään erittäin rajallisena äänikasettipainoksenakin. Muusikon mukaan albumi on italialaisen giallo-leffagenren musiikillinen ilmentymä. Giallo on italiaa ja tarkoittaa keltaista. Saapasjalkamaassa on tapana painaa halpoja pokkarimuodon mysteerinovelleja keltaisin kansipaperein.
Cristian Marovino "Palindrome Shapes of Mold" on omistettu heille, joiden mielestä industrialin ei tulisi olla vain klubisoittoon painottuva muoto. Albumi esitetään tarkoituksella äänikasetilla, sillä se tuo soundiin kaivatunlaisen fiiliksen. Kontrastina sille albumin kansitaide on räväkkä, ja siitä muusikko kiittääkin elokuvaohjaaja Mario Bavaa, jonka tapa hyödyntää värejä filmeissään on samanaikaisesti häiritsevä että värikäs.
"Palindrome Shapes of Mold" on Digitalis Purpurean järjestyksessä neljäs pitkäsoitto ja seuraaja vuoden 2010 "Emotional Decompression Chamber" -luomukselle. Näiden kahden levyn välissä ilmestyi kaksi vuotta aikaisemmin EP-platta "30-hole and Fred Perry". - Gootti (FIN)