Album Review: Humanbeing – Humanbeing
Rossano Baldini has a background in soundtrack work and scoring as well as jazz. This new release takes his music somewhere that’s both consistent with those pursuits and pushing the boundaries of his styles. Wholly instrumental, Humanbeing is an album of gentle soundscapes, often realized using electronic instruments yet wonderfully organic in its realization. The music does indeed have a soundtrack feel, but not in any kind of a stagey way. The six tracks – each titled using a single evocative word like “Flesh,” Blood,” “Liver” and so on – have feel that might suggest to some listeners the aural components of Nordic noir television like The Killing, Wallander, and The Bridge.
The stasis of some of the tracks is entrancing and meditative, never boring. This is fascinating music that deserves a close listen. And see if you don’t find (as I did0 that the titles correspond quite closely to the particular ambiance found in each of the tracks. “Blood” does sound like the kind of music you’d expect to hear while visual images of blood pumping through veins and arteries are displayed on screen during some kind of PBS Nova science special. Fascinating stuff indeed.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.