Artist: Chance:Risiko
Label: Altrock
Release: 2009
Rating: 4/5
I first had the honor of meeting Chance:Risiko at the Altrock festival in Milan, where after a half-hour set I wrote them off as Radiohead clones. That was seriously unfair of me. Chance are way more than that, but you’d never guess it from a single listen, since the most obvious influences are exactly the ones I just mentioned. Dig a little deeper, though, and it’s clear these guys are nowhere near imitators. They shout some of their idols from the rooftops while keeping others tucked away in the background. And it’s precisely that hidden, infiltrating element that makes them such a treat for the ears.
Their debut, Sleep Talking, kicks off with a fairly alternative-rock flavor and blasts “Radiohead” at full volume, with a little Muse here and there. Everything flips at the track Oompa Loompa, when the musical backdrop turns much more colorful. From there on we get a far more playful sound that throws a stylistic surprise at you around every corner – from avant-garde to meditative vibes (My Plastic Jaw), post rock and, of course, still alternative rock, which hovers somewhere nearby if only because of the vocals. In this stretch the Italians show a bigger appetite for rhythmic variety than your average post rockers and alt bands. They’d rather pour their energy into a mix of simple forms and bolder moves.
So the basic, surface-level sound is more or less Radiohead. They build on that with a wider pick from the experimental-composition catalog, along with clever interweaving melodies and lush arrangements. At first their efforts come across as pretty dry, since the guitars and the other instruments seem rather basic, with no solos and no showing off. But wrapped inside that veil of fairly plain alternative rock is the depth of their musical expression. Once you manage to dive into the sea of interlocking melodies and superbly placed supporting instruments (the percussion deserves a special mention, like vibraphone, glockenspiel and xylophone, but also violins, cello and woodwinds), it dawns on you just how branching and thoughtful these compositions really are. Overall, their sky-high goals and big ambitions come wrapped in a small package. These short, action-packed tracks can be listened to on their own or as part of the album, which works as a kind of concept. They cram so much information and goodness into three or four minutes that analyzing even a single song takes longer than I’d have guessed at first.
When it comes to sonic manipulation, the guys don’t deliver the kind of standout moments you’d get from Radiohead, or from their own avant-garde idols. But they still invent something. As composers they’re very strong, and on that front they blow Radiohead away like it’s nothing (though the same couldn’t be said about the avant-garde influences). Their brew, which partly tastes of alternative rock (short songs and vocals) and packs a strong dose of compact avant-garde inflation (intricate compositions), always feels just right and refreshing like a spring breeze.
So if you like the basic look of Radiohead, with the weepy vocals (though less so than with Thom Yorke) and dreamy guitar and keyboard motifs, but sometimes feel there’s something deeper and more musically branching missing, these Italians could be the answer. Sleep Talking serves up just the right dose of post rock/alternative rock accessibility and hypnosis, plus a healthy helping of avant-garde musical mischief.
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I first had the honour of being introduced to the music of Chance:Risiko at the Altrock festival in Milan, where I wrote them off as a Radiohead clone after hearing about 30 minutes of their set. But I did them and myself a great disservice. Chance are much more than that, but it’s hard to pick this up from one listen because the most obvious influences are the ones mentioned previously. With a more detailed analysis it can be determined that these are not imitators, but a band which wears certain influences on their sleeves, while the others are more in the background. It is this secret, infiltration element which makes them such a mouth-watering prospect.
The album starts in a very similar vein to Radiohead or even Muse at times. The turning point happens during Oompa Loompa, when the playing and atmosphere changes from a mostly alternative rock one to a much more diverse musical setting, including avant-garde, meditative influences(My Plastic Jaw), post rock and still of course alternative rock, which is always lurking around due to the vocals if nothing else. These Italians show a greater hunger for rhythmic diversity than post rockers and alternative rockers. They prefer to mix it up with some simpler passages and some more daring excursions.
The basic sound seems to be moulded around Radiohead. They enhance this with a wide choice from the catalogue of more experimental composition, together with some clever interweaving of melodies and lush arrangements. At first their efforts appear fairly boring, as the guitars and other instruments seem fairly basic, without any real solos or instrumental bravado. But this veil of fairly basic alternative rock hides immense depth of their musical expression. Once you immerse yourself into the sea of intermingled melodies and cleverly placed guest instruments (pay close attention to percussion like the vibraphone, glockenspiel, xylophone and also the violins, cellos and the woodwinds), it becomes clear how diverse and intelligent these compositions really are. Their great goals and ambitions generally come in a very small package. These short works with a great deal of activity within them can be listened to separately or as a part of the album, which functions as a sort of concept. They fill so much information and wonderful music into three or four minutes that an analysis of even one song takes a lot long than I would have given them credit for at first.
In terms of sonic manipulation we don’t hear any of the highlights that Radiohead or their avant-garde influences provide. But the guys still invent something. They are very strong composers and in that sense they blow Radiohead out of the water (although the same couldn’t be said for the avant-garde influences). They basically take the best of both worlds and create a compositionally challenging yet melodic broth, where we hear elements of alternative rock (short songs and vocals), with a heavy dose of compact experimental ideas (intricate compositions).
If you like the basic outline of Radiohead, with a whiny vocal (though much less so than with Thom Yorke) and dreamy guitar and keyboard motifs, but you feel that they’re missing something more intricate and musically demanding, these Italians just might do it for you. Sleep Talking serves up the right amount of post rock/alternative rock accessibility and hypnosis and the broader compositional scope of avant-garde music. This album satisfies both the experimental and alternative rock itches and we can certainly hope of much more from these youngsters.
Lineup
Paolo D’ Alonzo – vocals/lyrics, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Rhodes, synthesizer
Giacomo Di Paolo – bass, vibraphone, xylophone, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer, Rhodes, glockenspiel
Gregorio Salce – electric guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, vibraphone
Emilio Trevisani – drums, vibraphone, percussion, Rhodes
Guests: Francesco Cassino – percussion and electric guitar, Gianfrancesco Falbo – violin, Tommaso Tesini – cello, Alessandro Scagliarini – trumpet, Carlo Di Paolo – bassoon, Elena Veronesi – clarinet, Francesco Zago – mellotron, Jo Marie Sison – violin
Production
Chance:Risiko
Track list
1. Sleep Talking
2. Beating a Dead Horse
3. Monday Morning Motivation
4. Dead End
5. Oompa Loompa
6. What’s Wrong with Salamander
7. 30/03/07
8. Active Life
9. My Plastic Jaw
10. Radiations
11. Aus Tokio
