Saxophonist/experimental composer Lea Bertucci follows her extraordinary collaboration with cellist Leila Bordreuil with a trio of spacious tracks that reside within the realm of Dante.
Rising from a kaleidoscopic swirl, “Dragano Earworm” opens Axis/Atlas in a dreamy haze where charged electrons dance around tones and static, eventually syncing together for a series of cycling patterns that streams from ambient light. In stark contrast, the title track relies on the space between the sounds for its sparse texture, which builds tension as feedback, squelch and drone spin in a lop-sided gyroscope. An ethereal, angelic air quickly turns sour as the darkness of fallen angels comes to light, revealing the truly twisted nature of the beings in a sudden roar. “Cepheid” follows perfectly with a bell chime that grows into a monstrous cavern of darkness. A deeper bell chimes three times and it’s made clear that these are the lonely catacombs of Hell where forlorn spirits mourn their sins for eternity. Tone becomes a sheen of sorrow within the forgotten caverns of ghosts who never know they’re next to each other. It’s a journey from majestic heights to the deepest rings of the underworld, and all you have to do is listen.
