Con l'Artchipel viene tutto naturale, non c'è pressione ed è l'ambiente che io cerco. Ieri leggevo in un romanzo di Javier Marias un passo sulla fragilità dell’esperienza umana: l’autore scrive che "tutto è costantemente in procinto di andare perduto". E' un pensiero triste; ma è vero anche per la musica? Forse per la musica che è stata dimenticata. Ma la musica che è ricordata, suonata e risuonat
a, esiste in una specie di eterno presente. Sia lode all’Artchipel Orchestra, che aiuta la musica di Mike Westbrook, Dave Stewart, Fred Frith e (specialmente) Alan Gowen a raggiungere questo stato di beatitudine». Well, those old tunes have been given a new life, and they sound utterly fresh and wonderful again. A great many sublime touches have been added, something I don't think anyone else has done to date. Such a beautiful listening experience turning over the 'mud under the bridge' - who would've thought? Heartfelt congratulations to Ferdinando Faraò & Orchestral Friends - you've done them proud! All too often create great works means doing it without great appreciation. Well, this old Soft Machine lover was 'over the moon' thanks to this listening experience. To me ears this IS the best version of this music. The more I think about it the more I realize that the music of Soft Machine is like a beautiful flower that has touched many listeners across the world, and that what you and your lovely orchestra have done is turn that flowers into a gorgeous bouquet, with new colours. In this sense you have successfully realized the dormant potential within the original music, creating music that honours its creators by raising it to a level of great sophistication, and placing it in a beautifully expansive musical rainbow. For this unique accomplishment you, and your musicians, deserve great recognition, and I sincerely hope you receive it». Mike King
«(...) Covering Soft Machine compositions is a hazardous undertaking in pursuit of which many have come to grief because it’s hard not to wind up showing all the ways in which you are not like the Soft Machine. But because Artchipel have done justice to the compositions, amplifying them with solid, intelligent arrangements, this release is a pleasure to listen to – and casts, in passing, a fascinating light on the unique qualities of the three original protagonists, since the differences are particularly illuminating. So, thought provoking as well as satisfying».
