CORRADO RUSTICI/Interfulgent [ENG]

Corrado Rustici doesn’t need any introduction: you can simply take a look at the list of all his collaborations with international artists (just to name a few, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Elisa, Ligabue, Andrea Bocelli, and let’s not forget his long-time partnership with Zucchero) to figure out how much fundamental Corrado is for the Italian music scene.

However, after 40 years of distinguished career, there’s still desire to surprise. If his role of music producer is not enough, his huge ability on guitar, together with a remarkable creative genius, lead this artist from Naples to explore new horizons, since his debut in the ‘70s, before with Cervello and then with Nova, essential bands in the Italian progressive rock background. Rustici defines himself as “transmodern”, able to place his chosen instrument and voice, the electric guitar (including his own range of signature pedals and effects), into a more contemporary musical context, influenced by fusion, progressive and electronic music.

Last album, “Interfulgent”, makes no exception: following a sort of path started with previous album “Aham”, Corrado’s guitar takes us by hand and, maybe into a more gloomy atmosphere, bring us into a future in which light eventually overcomes (latin word “interfulgent” literally means “shining through”), light as harbinger of better times ahead, light as a symbol, beyond that there’s this profound desire to transcend the socio-cultural darkness that surrounds us, as declared by Rustici himself.
Interfulgent’s cover, exceptional artwork made by Michal Karcz, perfectly reaches the scope of bringing the listener into the beginning of a new journey.

So, after a sort of “warm-up” intro, represented by the first track, Halo Drive, Night of the Jackal, first single released, sounds like a rhythmic dance, in which two opposite sides are continously blended: on a “bright” side, the electric guitar, and on a “dark” side, the use of keyboards and synth, expertly played by Alex Argento (Icefish), at his first collaboration with Rustici, but with a lot of human and artistic common grounds.

The journey continues with The Man from Yorkshire, ballad dedicated to Allan Holdsworth, one of the most important guitarists in the fusion and jazz rock scene, proceeding to the strong and positive Black Swan, up to track Anna, permeated by a melancholy mood, 3 pretty different tracks, but with something in common: they share a masterful job made by both performers, reaching the top with the title track, in which pursuit for perfection into each single arrangement is almost maniacal.

More experimental (and appreciated) work has been done for Khetwadi Lane (here Synthaxe makes its appearance – and Holdsworth was one of the pioneers of this instrument) and ZuZu Blues, which evokes African landscapes.
As closing tracks we find The Waters of Enceladus and G. On a Sunny Day and once again keyboards, guitar, pedals and synth mix all each other in absolute harmony, with a sort of “another world” effect, injecting into the listener this much-needed certainty: that light, that hope, beyond us, is not far away at all.

Tracklist:
1. Halo Drive
2. Night of the Jackal
3. The Man from Yorkshire (Dedicated to A.H.)
4. Black Swan
5. Anna
6. Interfulgent
7. Khetwadi Lane
8. ZuZu Blues
9. The Waters of Enceladus
10. G. On a Sunny Day

CORRADO RUSTICI online:
SITO WEB UFFICIALE: CLICK HERE
FACEBOOK: CLICK HERE
INSTAGRAM: CLICK HERE
YOUTUBE: CLICK HERE
BANDCAMP: CLICK HERE

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