Nice little relase by this Italian label. Stefano Pilia is a member of ¾ Had Been Eliminated, one of the most interesting groups coming out of Italy in the past few years. Blending elements of electro-acoustic, improv and rock, they released some great records, with amazing artwork/packaging (think Theology on Soleilmoon recordings). Recorded in New-York, “Last Days Vol. II” is part of a trilogy, being released on various formats and through different labels.

For this one, Pilia ventures into a realm of quiet improvisation, with beautiful melodic lines and well rounded notes. This set is mainly performed on electric guitar and buzzing amps, bringing out the percussive aspect of the guitar, with strings fully plucked, making his instrument sound a little bit like a piano. Multiple layers of guitar respond to each other in such a subtle way, that an unfocused listen makes it hard to decipher. But when your attention allows you to plunge into the depths of his playing, you can only emerge fascinated by the way he makes it appear all too easy. Made up of only two short songs, this ends abruptly. One would expect these pieces of music to expand into sonic realms of exquisite beauty, taking up to twenty minutes to unfold...But no, not here...too bad. 8/10 -- Frédérick Galbrun (13 January, 2010)