Classically-influenced progressive instrumental synth pop artist Andrea Remondini is an Italian musician, sound engineer, and music composer who has worked with hit-making dance artists over the past few decades. From Verona, Italy, he has been writing music since the 1980s, when he was 12 years old. He seems to have been quite the astute and determined artist, as he taught himself how to play piano and, from an early age, experimented heavily with electronic music with whatever computer he could get his hands on. Remondini was working as a staff songwriter, studio musician, and sound engineer at an indie dance label in his native country by the age of 22, which allowed him to collaborate with many Italian and European disk jockeys.
He has been involved in producing many hits throughout the years including “Ocean Whispers” with DJ Mauro Picotto in 1996, “Communication (Somebody Answer the Phone)” with DJ Più in 1999, and 2001′s “Komodo,” a dance single with DJ Picotto. While making dance tracks was both formative and rewarding, Remondini was yearning for something more fulfilling as a musician. He set up his own recording studio and, after some time, gave birth to his debut, full-length album, Non Sequitur.
Wikipedia defines non sequitur as Latin for ‘it does not follow’. In formal logic, it is an argument in which its conclusion does not follow from its premises. In a non sequitur, the conclusion could be either true or false, but the argument is misleading because there is a disconnection between the premise and the conclusion. The title of the album fits well its contents. This instrumental, piano-driven album is one long track just shy of 45 minutes that treats the listener to baroque, classical, electronic, Eurodance, funk, pop, and rock music. The result is an intriguing and engrossing listen to an album that does not follow any music premise that I am aware of, and is, for the most part, positive. Andrea Remondini is able to link together all these very different, sometimes contrasting and potentially clashing genres in an intriguing whole. The album is hypnotic at times, as the different sounds seem to swirl around, briefly touching, then avoiding each other, only to meld together before each going their own way.
The various music sequences are interspersed with slower, quieter breaks of sorts, allowing the listener to catch his or her breath. I found Non Sequitur to be complex in the array of music genres it touches upon, intricate in the way Andrea Remondini put them together, and yet consistent in the mood it sets. It reminds me somewhat of the concepts behind cooking Thai food, which is a juggling act between at least three and up to five contrasting tastes in one harmonious dish: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy. If done wrong, it results in a dish one can’t help but throw out, despite the waste. But when done right, it becomes one consistently delicious plate with some bites heavier in one taste than the other.
The resulting album takes you on a unique journey with frequent stops at uniquely colorful places. I almost found myself wondering if I am listening to the soundtrack of a movie, rather than just a music album. I was reminded, for reasons I have to confess I have yet to pinpoint, of the experience of listening to the soundtrack to Gladiator, The X-Files, and Harry Potter. I am curious about Andrea Remondini’s thought process as he created this album. Whatever it was, Non Sequitur is a great mood album to play while working, working out, entertaining, or when you want to settle in a comfortable couch with a drink, close your eyes, and let your mind wander.
First published here on Blogcritics.