JAPAN & PORCUPINE TREE SYNTHESIST RICHARD BARBIERI RETURNS WITH NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘HAUNTINGS’.
Richard Barbieri remains one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices. Emerging as a key architect of the late ’70s/’80s synthesiser revolution with David Sylvian’s art-rock ensemble Japan, his visionary synthesiser programming expanded the horizons of electronic music & left a lasting mark on artists from The Human League & Duran Duran to Gary Numan & Talk Talk. His subsequent & ongoing tenure with Steven Wilson’s legendary progressive outfit Porcupine Tree across albums such as ‘In Absentia’ (2002), ‘Fear Of A Blank Planet’ (2007) &, most recently, ‘Closure/Continuation’ (2022) further affirmed his status as one of the most intuitive & unique musicians of his generation.
‘Hauntings’ is Barbieri’s first studio album since 2021’s ‘Under A Spell’, deepening the pensive, dark instrumental aesthetic of its predecessor. A diverse collection of immersive sound worlds, both dark & uplifting in equal measure, ‘Hauntings’ is influenced by a nostalgia for the past & future, & for things that didn’t happen yet still manage to haunt the mind & soul. What is real & what is simulation?
The album finds Barbieri at the height of his powers, his deft keyboard & sonic architecture conjuring a shadowy, creeping Lovecraftian atmosphere. The music wanders through the streets of a gloomy lamp-lit Victorian London & drifts into grain-speckled snapshots of Belle Époque Paris. These journeys into the past are contrasted with nihilistic but euphoric forays into the future, “Traveler” & “A New Simulation” bristling with the itchy modern anxiety that often runs through his best work.
Contrasting the sound designs & electronics of Barbieri, the album features performances from renowned musicians Morgan Agren (drums & percussion), Percy Jones (bass guitar) & Luca Calabrese (trumpet).
This 2LP 45 RPM edition of ‘Hauntings’ is presented in gatefold packaging & pressed on classic black vinyl.
Side A:
1. Snakes & Ladders (05:33)
2. Anemoia (05:09)
Side B:
1. Victorian Wraith (03:02)
2. 1890 (03:58)
3. Artificial Obsession (05:07)
Side C:
1. Paris Sketch (05:47)
2. Perfect Toys (03:48)
3. Traveler (05:41)
Side D:
1. Reveille (01:54)
2. Last Post (02:23)
3. A New Simulation (04:38)
