Nico Guzzi releases new EP

Italian composer Nico Guzzi is a multi-talented artist who’s used his skills as a singer, guitarist and pianist to create music since he was a teenager. Beginning his musical journey at the age of 15 with his rock band Karman, Nico quickly expanded his repertoire, eventually fronting various metal bands and even leading an Iron Maiden tribute band named Air Raid Sirens.

However, it’s in his solo work that his true artistic voice has emerged, blending elements of rock, indie, electronic, ambient, classical and instrumental music into a sound that’s entirely his own. Nico first introduced his solo work to the world in 2019 with his ambitious debut album Instrumental Love and Disasters, an expansive thirty-track collection that introduced his own sonic vision.

Quickly followed up by his sophomore LP called Rec in Rum, over the last few years he’s shared multiple single releases. Now he brings us his latest release with his brand new EP titled Instrumental Love Pt. 2, a continuation of the themes he first explored in his debut that also opens a new chapter in his musical journey.

Instrumental Love Pt. 2 is a hauntingly beautiful six-track outing that draws inspiration from the ambient electronic and classical genres. Composed during the quiet, reflective hours of the night and early morning, the EP distils the ethereal and mysterious atmosphere of these liminal times.

Started off with the bright plucks on “The fly, the cricket, and the butterfly,” the bubble of synth tones adds to the atmosphere as a playful soundscape is met with the laid back rattle of drums. Flowing with staccato strings and the warmth of fuzzy synths, it’s a delightful jam full of quirky melodies and mood switch ups.

“Voices of universe” follows with soft piano notes to set a stripped back arrangement joined by airy string leads. Building with intensity, the flutter of strings and deep piano tones combine as the composition swells to an epic crescendo of modern orchestral music. “Midnight Walker” shines with cinematic quality as the ethereal choral vocalisations and bold instrumentation gives way to dancing piano plinks. With rhythmic stabs accenting the piece, the track glides into a groove of pulsing bass notes and snapping percussion, with all the elements colliding to deliver a gripping sound.

Songs like “After the rain, waiting for the rainbow” forms a spacey sound of plucked instrumental touches before tumbling into a laid back rhythm. “Wind and solar radiation Radio” presents a lilting sway of subtly moody orchestral layers with sharp string tones and bold horns, resulting in a unique and immersive listening experience. With the final track, “Chaotic soliloquy & the dark matter (Malus Track),” Nico serves up an avant-garde song using his voice to deliver a fascinating finale that stretches for over twelve minutes of lively vocalisations and improvised approach.

Listen to Instrumental Love Pt. 2 below