My Cat Is An Alien

They call their home studio the Space Room; they name their pieces after galaxies and nebulas; and their cat appears to be an alien. Please act surprised when you learn that this duo from Torino, Italy, plays space music -- not your ordinary brand, though: experimental space music. Maurizio Opalio and Roberto Opalio are exploring the cosmos through epic improvised journeys involving astral percussion, electric astral guitar drones, and space toys. Their territory is somewhere past the fringes of Psychedelia, Ambient, and Free. Until late 2005, most of the Opalios' music had come out on their own Opax label -- labor-of-love releases in very limited editions and handmade sleeves. Up steps Last Visible Dog, the U.S. label known for its extensive coverage of obscure experimental underground projects. The Cosmological Eye Trilogy is a three-CD set put together to reissue two Opax releases from 2003 and 2004 (parts one and two of the trilogy), plus tons of new material. From the spaced-out tribal feel of "The Helix Nebula" to the sleepwalking trek through the outer reaches of the universe that is "Into the Sleeping Beauty Galaxy," this is music to relax to, reflect on, and even get bored to. Each disc clocks in at over 60 minutes and contains only two or three tracks. No need to say, the listener must be in the right frame of mind (no, it doesn't mean the use of illicit substances is required) to tackle these creative takes on the "space music" form. The important thing is that the Opalios manage to change their approach with each track, which keeps the music fresh from listen to listen. Fans of Last Visible Dog's usual experimental folk be warned: this music is thinner than what you may be used to.