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LP
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VSP 002LP
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After forty years, the enigmatic Italian collective Capricorni Pneumatici's lost opus, Über Artaud, finally emerges complete. Originally conceived in 1987 as an electronic sonorization of Antonin Artaud's censored 1947 radio work "Pour En finir avec le Jugement de Dieu," this mysterious project showcases masterful use of FM synthesis via the iconic Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, creating dark ritualistic soundscapes akin to Throbbing Gristle and Nurse With Wound. In the widening realms of uncovered Italian outsider art and cursed musical enigmas, few discoveries prove as compelling as the resurgence of Über Artaud. After nearly four decades from its original conception, this work returns in a completely remastered LP edition and, for the first time, in its definitive and complete form via Vasopressin. Capricorni Pneumatici emerged from the Italian underground during the late '80s as one of the most mysterious and elusive projects of the era. Little is known about the collective beyond their dedication to researching the esoteric and ritual implications of music and sounds. The name itself, derived from Aleister Crowley's work, hints at the radical and visionary approach that would define their influential existence, evolving from acoustic/concrete music toward the darker territories of electronic manipulation. Composed between November and December 1987, Über Artaud was born from a temporally charged coincidence: exactly forty years after Antonin Artaud's apocalyptic radio work Pour En finir avec le Jugement de Dieu (November 28, 1947) was censored and never aired due to its blasphemous content and violent critique of Western civilization. This piece, featuring Artaud alongside Roger Blin, Maria Casarès, and Paule Thévenin, represents one of the most radical expressions of his "Theater of Cruelty" philosophy. The album demonstrates an extraordinary mastery of FM synthesis, extracting from the Yamaha DX7 a universe of complex timbres and intricate stratifications. Capricorni Pneumatici's electronic manipulations function as both artistic statement and esoteric ritual. The original cassette edition of Über Artaud was produced in an extremely limited edition through underground channels but remained incomplete, lacking the sonorization of Artaud's final "Conclusion" section. After almost forty years, the work finally finds completion with an additional track, recorded in 2024, that blends seamlessly with the original material. This new LP edition was sourced from the original tapes, remastered by Capricorni Penumatici, and optimized for vinyl pressing by Andrea Marutti. Coming as a black vinyl housed in a poly-lined sleeve, released in a limited-edition of 150 copies, Über Artaud transforms Artaud's censored radio work into a revelatory aural experience, connecting the prophetic vision with the dark electronic sensibility of the Italian underground.
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