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Piccola Raccolta di Brani Mortali

by Mephitis Ensemble

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1.
Il Cinghiale 05:42
2.
Xoanon 07:21
3.
4.
Volcano 08:35

about

ENG

Music and words, a celebration in honour of the Goddess Mephites: saxophone, percussion, bass and guitars, four musicians, or rather, four adepts, whom with 4 pieces imbued with worldmusic and jazz sonorities will walk you by hand to the mouth of the hell: the Valle d’Ansanto in the green Irpinia, between cult and legend.

“East locus Italiae middle sub montibus altis, nobilis and fame multis memoratus in oris, Amsancti valles "
"There is a place in the middle of Italy below high mountains, witch is noble and celebrated for fame in many districts, Valle d'Ansanto"
Publio Virgilio Marone.
The "Mephitis – Piccola Raccolta di Brani Mortali” project arises from the need to tell a story, the one of the Mefite of the Valle d’Ansanto.
Little known to the most, this valley is situated in northern Irpinia near to the epicenter of the earthquake that devastated that land in the 1980s.The Valley was mentioned by many Lathin authors, Virgil above all, who in the Aeneid describes it as the mouth of hell because of political issues related to the population that occupied those lands at the time: the Samnites.

But actually what is the Mefite valley?
A solfatara, or almost. In the middle of the dense green of Irpinia it sinks into the white ash of the valley where rain, toxic fumes and the clay soil gave birth to these bullicant pools. Since ancient times, rainwater which was deposited in the Valley was used to cure all kinds of diseases and epidemics as a magical and divine remedy. In order to get benefits from this miraculous water it is necessary to go down into the valley, where both because of the geological conformation and the toxic fumes, it is really dangerous to enter.
"The bully pools are never dry. They always regenerate. As long as the animals will go to sleep at the feet of the Goddess, she will never stop crying the curse that afflicts her. A mocking and infamous loneliness the one of Xoanon, the woman who suffocated her affections in her own weeping."

The Record
An EP to tell this story, a "Small Collection of Deadly Tracks".
A real celebration in honor of the goddess. The development is supported on four pieces of worldmusic and jazz sonorities where melodies act as master. The traks will be prayers and their voice will be given from them, the musicians, in the guise of adepts of the goddess, alien to any kind of judgment. The arduous task of the priest was entrusted to an actor, Andrea Colangelo who, between a prayer and another will lead the public hand in hand to enjoy the sacred ritual, reading a sacred text written just for the occasion by Igor Geat.

The "De Mephitis"
Nature is the backbone of this Performance which sees the actor Claudio Spadaro on stage in the shoes of a priest "in love" with the Goddess who lives in the valley. He is stuk in the eternal conflict between the sacred and the profane, between pagan divinity and religious worship in a syncretic, animistic religious vision that perfectly recounts and extends the contents of this territory, a place of legends and incredible tales.
When Mefite roars in a strange way, with strong blows, she is about to kidnap someone's soul; or when the waters of the Mefite rise becoming dark, the mud boils excessively and the stench (similar to rotten eggs) becomes unbearable and nauseating, then some natural catastrophe is lurking. In fact, it is said that before the earthquake of November 23, 1980 the waters of the river had turned black and the smell was unbearable.
Finally, we can't forget to mention the myth of Irpinia linked to the Valley of Ansanto, which finds Pluto (god of Hades) and Proserpina (Demeter's doughter) its protagonists. According to this famous myth, the god of Avernus, Pluto, would have escaped from the depths of the earth (right where Mefite lies) to kidnap the beautiful maiden...
The earth broke to pieces and the herculean and vigorous god leaped out on a chariot drawn by four black horses and with his powerful arms he grabbed the young woman taking her with him into the realm of the dead and allowing her to return to Earth every year, but just for a short time: Spring. So, according to the myth, when Persephone is in Hades, the world is falling cold and nature falls asleep, giving rise to autumn and winter, while in the remaining six months the earth flourishes, giving rise to spring and summer. Death and life together, held by Love!

Mephitis Ensemble:
Four musicians, four friends, four adepts.
The project stems by an idea of Andrea Marchesino, born in Foggia, classical guitarist for studies, Jazz musician for passion. A year after his arrival in Rome he decides to found the group and to publish his original music for the first time relying on the magical meetings that took place in the Capital.

Matteo Marseglia:
The boar's voice. Jazz saxophonist and composer Matteo comes from Anzio, a small seaside town near Rome.
He traveled and studied composition and instrument in Germany where he acquired a purely jazzy language without ever abandoning his passion for WorldMusic.

Davide Roberto:
He comes from Andria, it is the beating heart of the project.
He formed in Rome as Percussionist, approaching various styles of World Music. Thanks to the Ethnomusicology studies he approaches the traditional apulian and central souther Italian music repertoire with a thesis on the Italian tambourine. Over the years he deepens his passion for rhythm meeting many different styles of ethnic music from klezmer to Brazilian folk music.
www.davideroberto.net

Giovanni Scamardella:
Bass player, Giovanni is the youngest of the band but he is gifted with a great musical instinct.
Born in Naples, son of lutist, raised up on bread and folk music. Since few years he has been studying Jazz in Rome where in a short time he started collecting a considerable series of concerts in the capital.

ITA

Il progetto “Mephitis – Piccola Raccolta di Brani Mortali” nasce dalla necessita di
raccontare la storia di un territorio, quello della Valle d’Ansanto e della sua Mefite. Poco conosciuta ai più, questa valle si trova nell’irpinia del Nord, nella provincia di Avellino. Pluricitata da molti autori Latini, uno
su tutti Virgilio che nell’Eneide la descrive come la bocca dell’inferno.
Ma cos’è davvero la valle della Mefite?
Una solfatara, o quasi. In mezzo al fitto verde dell’irpinia si sprofonda nel bianco
cenere della valle dove la pioggia e le esalazioni tossiche hanno dato vita a queste pozze bullicanti. Pozze dal terreno argilloso che, fin dall’antichità, veniva utilizzato per curare ogni genere di malattia come rimedio magico e divino. Per poter beneficiare di questo fango
miracoloso bisogna scendere nella valle, dove sia per la conformazione geologica, sia
per le esalazioni tossiche, è davvero pericoloso addentrarsi.

Andrea Marchesino: Chitarre, Concept e Composizione
Davide Roberto: Percussioni, Voce
Matteo Marseglia: Sax tenore, Clarinetto
Giovanni Scamardella: Basso Elettrico
Marta dell'Anno: Viola (Xoanon)

Questo EP è stato interamente registrato in presa diretta presso i Combo Studios di Lucera.
Registrazione e Missaggio a cura di Raffaele Fortunati, Mastering a cura di Max Paparella di Groove Sound Design.
Il progetto grafico è a cura di Adriana Gioia.

credits

released July 1, 2019

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Mephitis Ensemble Rome, Italy

La necessità è quella di raccontare una storia antica, divina: la storia della Mefite della Valle d'Ansanto. La dualità di Xoanon, sacra e mortale. Un ensemble di musicisti, una voce per dire messa. Lasciate che le esalazioni tossiche vi portino all'abbandono, fatevi guidare dalle pulsioni più profonde, lasciatevi cadere nella valle della Mefite. ... more

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