Third CD from the acclaimed dark ambient collaboration between Andrea Marutti (Amon, Never Known, among others) and Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh).

Spread out over two CDs and totaling over 100 minutes, there's a lot to absorb here; organic, textural ambience that's murky and abstract, uncurling like tendrils of smoke before coalescing into a simulacrum of shadowy figures, to turbulent, more immersive post industrial sounds that prowl the depths of subterranean caverns and forgotten, still radioactive ruins.

At its core, this is dark ambient, but with its roughly edged, mildly corrosive machine edges and cascading factory whir, Hall of Mirrors moves into a much more active and cerebral sonic realm. Features contributions from Vestigial, New Risen Throne, and Pietro Riparbelli/K11, among others.

Two discs in a 6 panel eco-wallet, with four tracks on one disc, and one 45 minutes track on the second. A must for fans of Troum, Terra Sancta, early Zoviet France, and of course all related Andrea Marutti projects.

(label press release)

Published by Malignant Records, TumorCD54
www.malignantrecords.com
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"Hall of Mirrors is an experimental-subterranean droning project formed by Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh) and Andrea Marutti (Never Known, Amon, Sil Muir…). Their music is entirely devoted to playful blackened ambient with an intuitive interest for dreamtime ethno-sound ritualism. Hall of Mirrors operates the perfect symbiosis between Giuseppe’s unique ability to create entrancing-textured acoustic canvas and Andrea’s solid specialization in sonically rumbling dronescapes. The leading thematic and conceptual motives behind these sonorous-cinematic soundscapes are turned to solipsism issues, odd metaphysics from the nature, existential isolationism and to the subliminal dimension of the being. Their first album Reflections on Black (Silentes, 2007) delivered a formlessness otherworldly dark ambient panorama in a pure classy vein. Forgotten Realms (Silentes, 2009) approached a innovative combination between sonic minimalist electronics, complex and slowly expanding sound textures with an important presence of acoustic instrumentation, their latest encompasses the fields of mantric-archetypal atmospheric epics. The first Chapter of this double album provides what we can consider to be the most colourful-ecstatically visceral dimension of Hall of Mirrors musical universe. This typicall sound imaginary culminates on the heavily tranced-out “Immaterial bodies”. A mesmeric track, perfectly orchestrated between monolithic-meditative drone waves, ritual electronic scintillations and windy-crystal like effects which progressively come to the fore. Primordial-Mystical energies are surrounded the listener to enter the supreme astral dimension. The second chapter delivers gorgeously cinematic blackness made of spherical-bass frequencies, processed field recordings, grimy chords and various sound objects. An ultra doomy, brilliantly static and dreamscaping sound odyssey that reminds the best things published in the dark ambient field with something very dense and massive regarding the sound assemblage and more progression regarding the sonorous intensity. Tumultuous and hell-ish dronescapes which savagely rising and rumbling from distant supernatural seas. An unique musical signature which reinforce the magnetic potentiality of corrosive-aggressively noisy droning frequencies in usual amorphous bleak soundscapes. The perfect musical elaboration between Northern textured nocturnal ambient and the Italian facet of death industrialism with ethno-spiritual sound ritualism. Absolutely baffling and unique."

Philippe Blache, Igloomag, July 2012

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Hall of Mirrors is a collaboration between two talented musicians, active in the ambient genre for a very long time: Andrea Marutti, who usually releases as Amon, and Giuseppe Verticchio, the man behind the Nimh moniker. As Hall of Mirrors they’ve released two albums so far (“Altered Nights” is the third), but personally I consider “Sator” (Eibon Records, 2007), recorded as Amon / Nimh, as their debut album. I must admit that this project is quite unique to me – it incorporates classy dark ambient elements often taken from completely different musical fairy tales, but without losing sight of the whole kernel even for a moment, ensuring that each piece fits perfectly with the rest of the puzzle, creating a dense monument, where even the smallest detail has been assigned its time and place. It is hardly surprising then, that news of Hall of Mirrors issuing a two-disc release via Malignant has provoked a reaction from me very similar to those defined in biology textbooks as “wet dreams”… “Altered Nights” begins with the brilliant “The Meeting”, where the tension is growing by the minute until the climax, intertwining dark ambient, industrial and heavy guitar riffs. Then comes a moment of relaxation, the excitement gently subsides, leading the listener to “Invocation”. The beginning of this song sounds like the wind raging over a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape – sorry about that painfully clichéd comparison, but listening to what’s going on here, I cannot come up with a better one. In the background the sounds of Thai flute (khlui) appear – this instrument has already indicated its presence on “Forgotten Realm”. This gives it a bit of a ritual feeling. Very subtle, but still – and this is a small step aside from dark ambient standards, as it is a rare situation when someone melts a ritual close to Mother Earth and post-industrial frost so neatly into one aural entity – this industrial aspect eventually takes control of the track’s direction. It reminds me a bit of Terra Sancta albums. But here also, in the final part of the track the tension gradually subsides preparing for the third chapter of “Altered Nights”. On “Magmatic Resonance” (what a beautiful title) we have congenial guests, namely New Risen Throne and Vestigial. The title captures very well what is happening here during the first few minutes. Resonant sounds of bubbling magma are the foundation upon which ghostly wailing, metallic reverbs and other attractions are imposed. It’s amazing how many paths are set here, with each new listen I manage to notice something new in the track’s structure. The fourth scene of the first disc, “Immaterial Bodies”, is of a more experimental nature, but it’s still dark ambient of course, where looped and shredded samples are just ornaments for rough but pleasant hums and drones. The second disc contains only one track, but it lasts about 45 minutes. We’re talking about “Late Night Ceremony”, that accumulates all the best features that can be found on the first disc – although the musicians have braided here a few more subtle sequences, where the drones are warmer and of a more human shade. Around the fifteenth minute a theme appears, straight from the most beautiful Raison d’être albums. The way a mechanical tsunami dominates, floods our heads and molten metal thickens in our lungs. Unfortunately, every madness comes to an end. The disc’s peaceful culmination does not bring relief. Only ashes remain… “Altered Nights” is obviously the most mature work of the two Italians. And also the most uncompromising – with a few minor exceptions – and generally devoid of melodic and melancholic passages, that were present on “Reflections on Black” and “Forgotten Realm”. Will it become my favorite? It’s still a matter to be resolved, because I bestow the previous releases with almost idolatrous veneration. The main thing is that Andrea and Giuseppe did not disappoint, they recorded almost two hours of industrialized dark ambient of the highest order. It was an abundant dark ambient feast, but I ask for more.

Stark, Santa Sangre Magazine, December 2012

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"The latest album of Hall of Mirrors is also their first one on Malignant Records. The duo Andrea Marutti - Giuseppe Verticchio even achieved a double CD, which sounds like a trip into an inferno. “Altered Nights” is a meaningful piece of dark-ambient music. The first disc features four long-duration pieces. From start to finish you feel directly invaded by dark waves of sound. Spooky whispering vocals emerge from the background. Field recordings, studio effects, guitar abuse and different electronic sounds have been manipulated to get the most obscure arsenal of sounds imaginable. It rapidly moves into an impression of horror characterized by “Night 2: Invocation”. The progression of these 20 minute long pieces is absolutely fascinating. It all sounds like a labyrinth of sounds leading the listener to visit imaginary cold and wet cellars. You feel like you are surrounded by evil forces and before you really realize that what’s going on is a kind of suffocation. The voyage throughout hell is just beginning getting its first climax on “Night 3: Magmatic Resonance”. We here have reached the darkest realms of dark-ambient music. It’s like a point of no return, the part of your trip where you’ll open your eyes again in a sarcophagus of sounds. From now on your only companion will be the shades of night. After the four tracks from the first disc, the experience and exploration goes on with the second disc featuring the single track “Last Night: Late Summer Ceremony”. This is a new experience made of field recordings, samples, studio treatments, radio signals and different sounds of instruments. This track is a pure soundscape going on for over 45 minutes. The composition is much more into noise than the first disc. The dark and oppressive atmosphere remains the common element, which again will lead the listener into a total stupor. The Italian duo got the help of multiple contributors to achieve this poignant release. Among the list of contributors I would like to mention New Risen Throne and the great Vestigial (which I hope will release a new album soon). “Altered Nights” is a visionary experience in sound, like announcing the dawn of an era of eternal night and darkness."

DP, Side-Line, August 2012

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