Stefan Ruggeri is a classically trained pianist “with a core of teenage rebellion, and a love for rock’n’roll.”
“I was used to going to the conservatory with Pearl Jam on the headphones and, a few seconds later, trying to climb to an impervious prelude of Rachmaninov”.
As afarOne, he has been working for three years on his debut release “Lucen“, recently released by German label Karl Records.
“Lucen“ is one of those albums that immediately stand out on the very first listen – the kind that get stuck on ‘repeat’ almost automatically.
The piano is Stefan‘s main instrument, and the way the notes are embedded in the subtle electronic background is somewhat reminiscent of the music of Murcof .
Some of the bright piano sounds (on “Gordon” for instance) feel like if they have been taken directly from Arvo Pärt‘s “Für Alina” yet placed in an entirely different context.
But Ruggeri is not “just copying” these styles, he definitely creates his own here, using his musical education to create subtle moods and compositions, combining the acoustic piano with layered string sounds and glitchy rhythm tracks.
Although the cover image suggests a rather dark mood, whether you perceive this music as ‘dark’ of ‘light’ will probably depend on how you feel yourself. The tracks manage to be ‘dark’ and ‘somewhat threatening’ while at the same time ‘light-hearted’ and ‘optimistic’.
Some artists stand out from the crowd; some albums just jump out from the pile –“Lucen“ is definitely one of those albums.
AfarOne – Gordon