Melting Mind is comprised of the Italian free-improv, post-punk, post-rock Jooklo duo – sax player Virginia Genta, focusing here only on the amplified and processed sopranino sax, and David Vanzan, the drummer-percussionist of Jooklo But but with Melting Mind he plays electronics, plus fellow Italians – guitarist and electronics player Michele Mazzani and electronics player Matteo Poggi. Melting Mind released four very limited cassettes since 2017 and At GRND Zero is the quartet’s first release with a much wider distribution.

At GRND Zero captures a memorable performance Melting Mind played during their first (and so far last) tour in France at the Grrrnd Zero art space in Lyon in October 2019. The performance had been a heavy mass of around ninety minutes, of which only about a third was recorded. But At GRND Zero still distills the essence of this performance and of this band. It is an uncompromising yet hypnotic, electric storm filled with multitudes of sonic psychoactive information and multi-layered dimensions.

This is Italian noise music, raw, extreme and in-your-face, as in the old times. Old as conquering the infinite variety of noise-sounds anticipated by Italian futurist painter and composer, Luigi Russolo in his manifesto from 1913, The Art of Noises. After Melting Mind would exhaust its ear-shredding drilling through your body and mind, you may find yourself not only in a totally new state of mind but also as one who is addicted to such listening experiences.

Eyal Hareuveni

Virginia Genta (amplified and processed sopranino s), Michele Mazzani (el.g, elec), David Vanzan (elec), Matteo Poggi (elec)