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Very versatile. |
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Victor Cerullo comes from Italy and is a brand-new artist on the famous Dutch Groove-label. "Ludus" is a "rhapsody for synths & electronic effects" resulting in a ravishing electronic mixture with some very nice flavours of J.M. Jarre's 2nd album "Equinoxe" (sequences, rhythms and electronic effects). There's also a certain nice roughness to Victor's way of composing and sound processing, which makes the music really stand out. For those who would like to know how Jarre's music will sound when its turned almost inside out, just take an adventurous chance this one and be surprised yourself.
© 1998 Bert Strolenberg |
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Describing an artist as a 'clone' or as imitating a more popular musician might seem like an insult. Within the realm of electronic music, I think it can be a blessing. Most of the more influential synthesizer pioneers (Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, etc.) have changed their styles so much over the years that they leave behind musical ideas just dying to be exploited more fully. Jean-Michel Jarre, who showed so much promise with Oxygene and Equinoxe, became more erratic and bombastic in his subsequent releases (though he has done some wonderful music). Fortunately, Jarre's early style has re-emerged in a more mature and fully developed work by Victor Cerullo called Ludus. Victor cites Hermann Hesse's Das Glasperlenspiel (translates to The Game of the Glass Pearls, I think) as its inspiration, but I'm not familiar enough with that work to make comparisons. I am familiar enough with Jarre's Oxygene to drop everything I was doing when I heard Ludus' wind-swept introduction. Ludus is divided into three 'episodes,' each subdivided into smaller movements. The first episode, featuring the Oxygene-like breeze, makes a surprising jolt into a vastly different style of another synthesizer pioneer: Wendy Carlos. While inconsistent in tone with the rest of the album, it does make a superb overture. If you're going to depart from an album's main theme, it's almost always best to do it at either the beginning or end, as it's done here. The second episode clocks in at a bit over twenty minutes and brings in the Jarre-like synth melodies and dance rhythms. Another surprise: there's an electric guitar solo that brings to mind Pink Floyd's 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' in the midst of this. The final episode is slightly over eighteen minutes and is actually a continuation of the second episode. Again, it has a strong Jarre influence, and the second movement provides the album's 'single.' In fact, this infectious piece of dance music is also included at the very end as a more extended three minute bonus single. It seems that Jean-Michel Jarre could learn a few things from Victor Cerullo. © 1999 David Hassell Wind & Wire |
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This is a strange album, described as a "rhapsody for synthesizers and electronic effects freely inspired by Hermann Hesse's Das Glasperlenspiel" and created on the most limited equipment (Korg 01/w and PolySix, Roland R8 drums and E-Mu ProCussion) by a composer whose influences are obviously mostly classical. Regardless of the limited equipment though, the overall sound is HUGE - a vast multi-layered texture of orchestral instruments, church organs, bells, timpanis and choirs. In the "Ludus Overture" the synthy sounds hardly get a look-in, while in "SIlnet Prayer" there's much swooshing of white noise under a strange, detuned bouzouki noise. "Ego And Beyond" starts to introduce the holophonic sound effects credited on the sleeve, as a series of strange, distorted voices which zip through the listener's head if listening on headphones. "Castalia" is the closest to a "conventional" synthy piece, layering echoed clavinet over a Jarre-like sequence, while "Metamorphosis" returns to the orchestral feel, but with mucho phasing, shwooshing and ambience. In fact most of the album's like that - alternating almost conventional synthy pieces with strange, detuned soundscapes, striking holophonic sound effects, computer music noises and vast orchestral passages. If Victor Cerullo really has stuck to the two synths listed on his album sleeve, he's one of the most imaginative synthesizer programmers around. As for his album - well, with its unashamed mix of Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Stockhausen, JS Bach, Edgar Varese and a sound effects LP it's probably too demanding for many, but no-one can accuse it of not being adventurous. © 1999 E-Mix |
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This album, divided into three parts or episodes by the author, consists in a musical narration of a very free nature, inspired by Hermann Hesse's work, "Das Glasperlenspiel" ("The Game of the Glass Pearls"). The music, of a cosmic character, occasionally portraying certain traits near to pop, is no doubt suggestive, attractive and in some passages includes mysterious, dark touches, which take the listener to strange, imaginative soundscapes, in some moments with psychedelic reminiscences. Cerullo displays a superb skill with the instruments (KORG 01/W, KORG Polysix, Roland R8 Rhythm Composer, E-MU Procussion), as well as an inspired musical vision.
© 2000 MONTSE ANDREU (Amazing Sounds) |
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Several months ago I received an e-mail from Victor Cerullo regarding "Ludus," his 1998 CD from Groove Unlimited. I told him that I had not heard the disc so he agreed to send a copy to me. I was eager to hear the music, having received several wonderful discs from Italy over the past year or so. They are all very special. "Ludus" has a little something extra. With definite acknowledgement to Stefano, Andrea and Fausto (Alio Die, Never Known and Etere-o, respectively), Victor has infused his heavy sequences and drifting atmospheres with some hot rock and roll overtones. The extra attraction adds some oomph to this already delightful electronic marvel. Victor was freely inspired by "Das Glasperlenspiel," by Herman Hesse. I am not familiar with this work of Hesse but I have some recollections of his other writings from way back in my high school and college German courses. The flow and timbre recall the angst and confusion of Hesse's existential points of view. The highs and lows of the soundscape ask questions of no one and everyone. I went on a very bumpy ride with this one. While it is a great disc, it is not a relaxing set. The album demands focused attention and deep listening! Put it on the changer, hold on and buckle up! 2000 (c) Jim Brenholts, author of "Tracks Across the Universe" |
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