kappakappa
Bought this Vinyl to support the artists in these troublesome times, found myself listening to it in different times in different situations and every time it's a different journey. What is for sure: this a 40 minutes long psychedelic journey that rewards you every time you listen to it. Safe travels.
San Leo's fourth album “MANTRACORE” features 2 long compositions, titled “MM” and “CORE”. Two long suites evoking pure natural elements and soundscapes, captivating grooves and heavy, hypnotic riffs. It took over 7 months to record the album in separate sessions at the small Blue Audio Studio in Gradara (another evocative location in the beautiful Italian hillside). The band believes that the album will speak for itself, as it channels all their energy and vision in what is arguably their more focused, articulate and best-produced album so far.
San Leo are sonic shamans and their uncompromising and often unpredictable musical landscape has always been the emanation of the 2 members of the group: Marco Migani (aka inserirefloppino) and Marco Tabellini (aka m tabe), respectively on drums and guitar.
Based in Italy and taking their name from an ancient medieval fortress shrouded in mystery, the band has been inspired by the imagery of alchemy books, the symbolism of nature and ancient architecture.
The extraordinary duo, who is exploring all kinds of various music elements -- from kraut-rock, psychedelic folk, free-form post-rock, obscure metal, electronica and ambient sounds -- is taking their musical vision to a whole new level on "Mantracore".
Started in 2013 with the idea of forming a kraut-rock chamber music ensemble, San Leo slowly but steadily built a reputation in the Italian d.i.y. underground scene thanks to their powerful and evocative style, often described as a trip characterized by a wide dynamic range, tribal grooves, eerie crescendos and magmatic explosions.
Inserirefloppino and m tabe have been previously hanging around the east coast scene for over a decade with their respective bands, solo projects and independent labels, exploring all kinds of weird music, psychedelic folk, free-form post-rock, obscure metal, electronic, ambient. San Leo is therefore a sum of various influences, with its minimal instrumentation of guitar and drums, a group based on the process of evoking pure natural elements and soundscapes, but at the same time strongly rooted in captivating grooves and heavy, hypnotic riffs.
During their first years of activity, constant touring and through the release of their first three albums, the band has been trying to hone a sharp approach towards music making, spacing from glacial to incandescent, always serving the piece even through hypnotic repetition, often preferring subtraction rather than accumulation. This attitude has taken the duo to a new level of confidence and intensity, with the band now ready to express a new musical vision after several months spent in the studio.
Dive into the mesmerizing sound of SAN LEO’s "Mantracore"
credits
released November 13, 2020
Recorded and mixed by Jury Pierini @ Blue Studio
Mastered by Giovanni Versari @ La Maestà
San Leo Drives to the Center of the Mind on “Mantracore”.
San Leo's meditative approach to fusing krautrock and ambient drone uses every second of that runtime to craft mind-spanning journeys out of carefully layered sound that can't be subdivided any further. " - Invisible Oranges
The extraordinary duo, who is exploring all kinds of various music elements – from ‘krautrock’, psychedelic folk, free-form post-rock, obscure metal, electronica and ambient sounds – is taking their musical vision to a whole new level on ‘Mantracore’. - Psychedelic Baby Mag
“Mantracore” é o desenho de uma atmosfera inquietantemente turva e sensivelmente visionária.
“Mantracore” is the design of a disturbingly cloudy and sensibly visionary atmosphere. - 4/5 Metal Hammer Portugal
"Chitarre e percussioni. Musica, follia, spigoli e tribalismo. Krautrock, Post-Rock, elettronica, oscuro metal e psichedelia. San Leo è tutto questo." - 78/100 Rumore
"Mantracore" va talmente "oltre" da sfuggire alle definizioni. ...la furia ossessiva scatenata dal tribale minimalismo elettrico del duo è spiazzante. (8) - Federico Savini
"Mantracore" goes so far "beyond" that it escapes any definitions. ... the obsessive fury unleashed by the duo's tribal electric minimalism is unsettling. (8) - Federico Savini
FAZIT: Sehr geiler Instrumentalkram in doppelten TV-Serien-Format - SAN LEO machen mit "Mantracore" ein Fass für Liebhaber des Intuitiven, Kreatürlichen in der Rockmusik auf. - 12/15 musikreviews.de
"Onirici ma materici, visionari ma densi e tangibili, i San Leo toccano un vertice della loro ormai sostanziosa discografia." 7.3 Sentireascoltare
"Due tracce: ventitré minuti la prima, venti e rotti la seconda, per un’esperienza di ascolto che prima ti stordisce, poi ti ipnotizza, quindi ti lascia per terra, tramortito. La ripetitività del krautrock incontra il tribalismo; la chitarra in perenne tensione di Tabellini crea una forza centrifuga/centripeta insieme alla forza (iper)cinetica della batteria di Migani." - Aristocrazia Webzine
Medicine is one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I've ever had to privilege to hear. It helped me get more in touch with my own self, spirituality and nature. It certainly lives up to its name. The flutes, drumming and percussion are just wonderful. This is a great album to let play all the way through. pimblycharles
Roaring space rock from this London group, with every instrument turned up to 10, and all of the songs reaching stunning crescendos. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2019
A stoner-rock opera with dystopian themes, the Italian band's third LP fuses apocalyptic fury with psychedelic splendor. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 29, 2023
Worth the long wait between albums! The music draws you in and then midway through Jenseits des Jenseits, rocket fuel is poured in. Lift off! Mike Kole