Motus Laevus Y
Felmay Records
Review by Maria Ezzitouni
Motus Laevus delivers a seriously diverse blend of new thinking and traditional melodies, ranging from slow and relaxing tunes to fast arrangements that makes you want to dance. The musicians behind the project, Edmondo Romeno, (soprano sax,clarinets, chalumeau and fluier). Tina Omerzo (voice, piano, keyboards) and Luca Falomi ( acoustic, classical, baritone,12 strings and electric guitars, acoustic bass) all have impressive backgrounds in playing, composing and researching a variety of musical genres.
Their experience and different backgrounds makes the trio a melting pot where each of the members contributes their own unique element. They create a natural mix of sounds with electric as well as acoustic instruments, and with influences from many different parts of the world. Y starts off with the album’s longest piece, “Smirneka,” influenced by Greek and Turkish traditional music and invites you to an hour of escapism. “Nekaj je na tebi” is the only track with lyrics, sung by Tina Omerzo in Slovenian. It is a calming and meditative piece.
The instrumental “3 days to go” gives the listener space for their own thoughts. It starts off with a dark passage on the piano, then gradually turns into a happier piece in a slow tempo. “Call for the winds” comes across as a conversation between the percussion and a soft wordless 'la, la lej.' “Novembre” does exactly what it says on the tin, providing an autumn piecethat is beautifully arranged with the piano and the flute in sharp focus. It’s easy to imagine the rain on the window sill on a grey day.
“Shanfara,” with Middle Eastern vibe, starts off slow and gains pace with the guitar and banjo. Tina Omerzo’s voice comes in half way through, adding the final element to album of depth and breadth.