Banjo Or Freakout - Mr No / Someone Great

Allowing disjointed drums and samples to hop over one another as seamless vocals float on top means that Banjo or Freakout (aka. Alessio Natalizia) has created something extremely original. Rhythms skip and jump before settling into a momentum under a thin veil of distortion. It’s a patchwork of sound which, until about a fifth listen, sounds like noise within noise but soon enough a simple melody emerges and the song takes on a life of its own. There is fragility to the music and a feeling that it could fall apart at any minute - but that’s also its strength, the ability to break and regroup with ease.

‘Someone Great’ is the result of experimenting with LCD Soundsystem. Natalizias use of loops and repeats verge almost on the brink of extreme yet this is what creates an entirely new sound. It’s almost like pure vocals and atmosphere. Unlike ‘Mr No’ this takes a more coherent approach to music with haunting vocals, simple Joy Division-esque atmosphere and lush refrains.

Both songs highlight a musician who isn’t just talented but who has an ear for being experimental without alienating the audience. Blissful.