Putojefe Records is proud to present Vortice Rosso, the first album by Italian composer Flavio Bonometti: a tumultuous journey through the languages of the avant-garde masterfully synthesized in 12 pieces of contemporary classical. After a brilliant career as a violist at La Scala Theatre in Milan and in many other orchestras, Flavio Bonometti gave up the stage to dedicate himself exclusively to his music. The tracks of Vortice Rosso, produced and recorded over the last 10 years, are born from the creative isolation in his home studio in the Northern Italian countryside.

A powerful sense of rhythm animates each track thanks to relentless dynamics punctuated by pauses that always keep the tension high giving the record an atmosphere of cinematic suspense. “Cerchio” is an invitation for a contemporary ballet dance; the rhythmic obsessions of the title track, “Vortice Rosso”, unfold with an irresistible primordial force; and “Sospendo il Giudizio” with its ascending textures of organ, flute and harp is a crescendo of intensity that opens beautifully to devotional music. The closing track of the record, the sweet “Arturello”, is a song for children dedicated to the composer’s son Arturo.

Far from minimalism, Flavio Bonometti’s music is maximalist for its unpredictable structure and its theatricality: it unceasingly chases the listener, filling the auditory space with the most diverse elements but without the stale mannerisms that often make contemporary classical so difficult to listen to.

Despite the obsessive repetitions of the modules, the atavistic percussions and the devotional openings of some passages, Vortice Rosso’s compositions maintain a certain lightness: it’s not dark and hopeless music as is often the case with post-war avant-garde but rather a sound journey through the melancholy of its composer who always manages to rise towards the light. Disc comes in a lovely digipak, with photography by Anna Motterle.