In the shadowed corners of North-East Italy, an experimental voice has been quietly refining a language of ritual and resonance. With the arrival of ‘Naebula,’ Julinko, the moniker of Giulia Parin Zecchin, emerges from the periphery of the dark ambient scene with her most expansive and psychologically dense work to date. Acting as the sole architect of this journey, Zecchin has crafted a record that exists in the interstitial spaces between heavy psychedelia and the skeletal intimacy of slowcore. It is an album that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a physical descent into a fog where the boundaries between the self and the environment begin to dissolve.
This specific sonic vocabulary is deeply informed by the landscape where the industrial decay of Venetian hinterlands meets the imposing, silent weight of the Dolomites. The geographical contrast between the mechanical and the monolithic is mirrored in the record’s production; the slowcore elements possess a stony, immovable patience, while the dark ambient textures evoke the damp, grey mists of the Venetian plains. The record initiates its atmospheric spell with “Osmos,” a track that serves as a visceral entry point into Zecchin’s world. The soundscapes here are thick with a sense of absorption, perfectly setting the stage for “Peace of the Unsaid,” where the weight of silence is given a tangible, sonic form that feels extracted directly from the quietude of a rural Italian winter.
What makes ‘Naebula’ so compelling is Zecchin’s ability to use her voice not just as a melodic instrument, but as a textural element that cuts through the dense layers of instrumentation. Her performance is one of profound vulnerability, moving from a haunting whisper to a commanding presence that feels ancient and entirely modern simultaneously. The mid-section of the album explores the mechanics of transcendence and the physical body. “Cloudmachine” functions as a track of mechanical dread and ethereal beauty, while “Skin Dress” delves into the claustrophobia of the human form. Throughout these tracks, the influence of the regional experimental community is palpable, yet it is consistently grounded by a slow-burning, psychedelic intensity that prevents the music from drifting into pure abstraction. “Unleash” provides a moment of cathartic release, a sonic eruption that highlights Zecchin’s command over tension and the eventual, necessary break in the clouds.
As the narrative shifts toward its more spiritual inquiries, “Jeanne De Rien” offers a fragile, skeletal melody that feels like a prayer uttered in an empty cathedral. This leads into the striking “Kiss the Lion’s Tongue,” a composition that balances danger with grace. The instrumental choices across the record, from the deep, resonant drones to the notched, delayed guitar lines, are handled with a precision that belies the album’s one-woman origin. Zecchin demonstrates a virtuosic display of atmospheric control, ensuring that the listener remains suspended in the particular nebula she has created.
The final movement of the record is a powerful triptych of ritualistic closure. “Throw Ashes!” acts as a violent purification, leading into the meditative stillness of “Samadhi” where the concepts of slowcore and ambient music merge into a singular, breathtaking state of repose. The album finally culminates in “Ora Et Devoura,” a title that cleverly subverts the monastic tradition of prayer and work into something more primal and all-consuming. It is a finale that leaves the listener in a state of stunned quietude, contemplating the journey from the physical to the metaphysical.
‘Naebula’ is a staggering achievement from an artist who has spent years perfecting her craft in the shadows. By writing and performing every element herself, Giulia Parin Zecchin has ensured that the record possesses a singular, unbroken frequency. It is a work of immense gravity and luminous beauty, confirming her status as one of the most vital figures in contemporary experimental music. For those willing to step into the fog, the rewards are profound.
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