For whatever reason, there’s a part of me that has a huge weakness for music that has any kind of Mediterranean vibe to it, so I obviously fell for everything A Wizard’s Perspective had to offer once I delved into it. Obviously it wasn’t just the mood and the demeanor of said kind of music that ultimately had me sold, but it was definitely one of the bigger factors.
Pier Piras took a unique approach to Mediterranean folk/world music, employing bass as the lead instrument of the tunes. The bass is joined by a fairly minimalist accompaniment, although it is very effectively used to fill space, leave plenty of breathing room, and conjure a vivid and energetic mood.
The whole mix has a very lively and aestival atmosphere attached to it at certain moments while at others, it retains a very relaxed and easy-flowing feel. In a certain way, I’m kind of reminded of The Omnific‘s tunes because of the bass getting most of the spotlight, although it’s also because of the music’s tendency to lean on grooves.
Another thing I found quite alluring was the way the vocal performance is peppered throughout the record. There aren’t any actual lyrics; the vocalists just create harmonic layers and almost percussive rhythm sections via a scat-like style of singing. Their delivery offers a very smooth and lighthearted nuance to the entire delivery of the music.
The way A Wizard’s Perspective feels as a whole is like being thrown into a different space and time, where, detached from modern madness, there’s only undulating and warm melodies that glide effortlessly on rays of light. This blissful atmosphere is very conducive to reconnecting with the soul and recharging your batteries, and I very much enjoy it.
In spite of the soft and peaceful appearance of the music, there’s a lot going on throughout its layers. There are many intricacies going on at a harmonic level, and just as many rhythmically. Our lead instrument also doesn’t shy away from showing off some veritable virtuosic prowess, less so for the purpose of showing off, but rather to aptly express certain ideas.
Taking into account all of the above, I feel like it’s safe to say that A Wizard’s Perspective works great as an active listening experience, digging in at a macro level to unearth all sorts of nuances and details, but equally as a more passive experience, where the aim is just to experience a mood with no strings attached (pun intended).
It’s worth noting that the production and all the surrounding tonal qualities are absolutely top notch. While I think ideas matter the most, a presentation that rises to the same level will offer a superior result. In this case, it definitely makes the entire experience much more appealing, organic, and immersive.
A Wizard’s Perspective is a lovely and charming record, through which Pier Piras is bound to receive some deserved attention, but will also be subject to future expectations. A Wizard’s Perspective sets a bar, quite a high one at that, and also sets it in our minds that it will have a sequel. To that I will be very much looking forward to; until then, I’ll give this one another spin.
