Press - Armenia - JUST BEFORE THE EARTH STOPPED US (Live)
Marco E. Airoldi - ROCKIT.IT review (May 25, 2020)
“Armenia JUST BEFORE THE EARTH STOPPED US (Live)
2020 - Sperimentale, Elettronico, Crossover
Just before the earth stopped us is a disc that collects five tracks recorded by Armenia in April 2020. The recording of the performance in question takes place at a museum of Oriental Art, to be precise the Chiossone of Genoa.
The performance is inspired by the work of Nakahara, Japanese illustrator of the twentieth century, precursor of that pictorial style known as "big eyes" which then resulted in the manga. Slender physiognomies and magnified eyes that referred to the female population of the second post-war period of Japan.
Armenia's music accompanies another performance, that of the visual artist Angela Mambelli aka Dollworld, creator of miniature worlds: the musical tone changes continuously, throughout the duration of the disc and this choice involves a continuous change of mood and feelings it causes in the listener. We pass from a slow, purely introspective rhythm to a tighter one that, without ever going further, increases the strength of the tracks.
The voice used for Beauty (Okinawa) carries a very strong hypnotic power and makes the song a unique journey. The sound of the Japanese language contributes decisively to sculpting the soul of the disc, full of implicit or explicit references to the country of the rising sun and to all that the idea of Japan brings forth in our western hearts.
Armenia contributes to making this performance a memorable event, with truly valid traces of great evocative power; active since the early 80s, he proves to be a versatile artist and makes this recording extrapolable from the performance context and able to stand on his own, for a more unique than rare listening experience.”
Live video
Video: Just Before The Earth Stopped Us (Live) (Extract) - Armenia [Official]
Press - Armenia - Beauty (Okinawa) (Live) (Reprise)
Editorial Staff - Boulimique de Musique (Apr 29, 2020)
“Armenia - Beauty (Okinawa) (Live) (Reprise)
Artist: Armenia
A truly inspired and deeply original electronic composition, bubbling of sounds and emotion. Its musically diverse influences range from Mum minimalism, Middle-Eastern elements and Indian (Editor's Note: Japanese) tinkered vocals. Both experimental and truly engaging, this song has a very accessible vibe to it with its familiar and out of this world sounds.”
Editorial Staff - ArtistiOnline (Apr 23, 2020)
“Armenia - Beauty (Okinawa) (Live) (Reprise)
Artist: Armenia
Hello and congratulations for the song! Although it is a live recording it is absolutely quality, it does not regret the technicalities of a recording studio.
The composition is part of an electro/experimental music territory with the right awareness of the means.
All this has a great transport, at times hypnotic and the intervention of the oriental voice makes it more international than music is already.”
Productions
New JUST BEFORE THE EARTH STOPPED US Live Album. On Bandcamp!
Live recorded at Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art, Villetta Dinegro, Piazzale Mazzini 4 - Genoa, on February 22, 2020, just before the announcement of the exceptional public measures established in Italy to fight COVID-19. Unpublished tracks recorded for the first time.
Live video
Video: Armenia with Dollworld - February 22, 2020 live --- Dressing with Nakahara (extract)
Live photos
Armenia Live @ Museo d'Arte Orientale Chiossone - Genova, February 22, 2020. Special effects. Pictures taken by Lucia Luce
Live photos
Armenia Live @ Museo d'Arte Orientale Chiossone - Genova, February 22, 2020. Special effects. Pictures taken by viewers
Video
Video: ENGAGE ME (BALLET) (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - WITH DANCER GIORGIA PONTICELLO
To my great honor and pleasure, Giorgia has created the "Ballet" version of "Engage Me" with me! Thanks to her cleverness and grace!
Kamancheh played by Amir Mofrat (Iran)
Backstage and video frames
PREVIEW! ENGAGE ME (Ballet) - OFFICIAL VIDEO - Backstage and video frames with dancer Giorgia Ponticello!
Opinion - Armenia - Condiziona Menti
Elettra Device - Elettra Device - Comment on Condiziona Menti (Jun 11, 2019)
“Dogma the frequency to follow - Condiziona Menti
I feel that this piece unmasks the everyday life that is inside and\or outside of us and that we persist in not seeing, because it's easier to welcome it and perpetuate it for a whole life as it's comfortable. It feels good, it's a safe place; rather than trying to think, even for a moment, of questioning everything, of opposing it, of going out and discovering something new or that was there but not seen; therefore to progress (because this is really not comfortable, uncertain, rather dangerous).
The music you composed could not be different: it perfectly evokes the right frequency to follow that is within each of us. To those who do not have it, the signal arrives, breaks in and opens the way. Giorgia and Mattia are very elegant; they lead us along this path and generously give us an aspect of their very intimate soul.
Music (hypnotic contamination!), the voices of the second movement (Sintassi Della Lingua Madre) are perfect for making the transition. The path is not easy but we like it, because that "dogma" is our friend.
In Divide Et Impera the dogma seems to open and explain itself to us; the effects on the voices are intended, also in this case, as a tool and frequency and this is the key; it's so for all movements, as in the first one which is both entry and exit at the same time, Dogma!”
Press - Armenia - Condiziona Menti
<KN> (kainobuko) - Yeah I Know It Sucks (Jul 25, 2019)
“Armenia - Condiziona Menti
Artist: Armenia
...the entire board computer seems to have come to life and flushes out sparks of electric energy & colourfully seems to invite us for a meeting of the minds and melt together with its artificial intelligence...
https://armeniamusic.bandcamp.com/album/condiziona-menti
<KN>”
Press - about CONDIZIONA MENTI
Editorial Staff - LifeStage (Jul 13, 2019)
“Very cool project mixing smooth electronic music with contemporary dance. Not the kind of things we show to our audience but we would love to see it live if the project comes to Belgium once.”
Live video
Video: CONDIZIONA MENTI - Première (Official Video) - Armenia with Giorgia Ponticello, Mattia Moro
Press - about DOGMA
Editorial Staff - HomeCooking Share (Jul 2, 2019)
“A real beautiful synthetic poetry! The work on atmospheres and atmospheres is excellent! As a futuristic and industrial ode... We feel full of ideas, without doing too much! Bravo!!”
Editorial Staff - SeekSickSound (Jul 2, 2019)
“I'm feeling this - the hypnotic aspect of it really works with the combination of minimal drums and the use of the vocals. I really like the way you handle the tension through the piece though. Good work!”