One of the strangest CDs ever to come your way, this eccentric collection by Sydney based composer Robert Iolini runs the gamut from political electro acoustic documentaries, to elegant classical chamber works, electronic manipulations, and post Magma histrionics.

Edwin Armstrong
Commissioned as a radio piece by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, this is a meditation on the life’s work of Edwin Armstrong, who invented the frequency modulation (FM) system, which forms the basis of all radio, radar and television reception. Armstrong failed to receive royalties for his invention, and committed suicide. The piece weaves together transmission sounds, electronic bleeps and whoops, interference, and melancholic piano and synthesiser.

Congo and Zimbabwe, Lingo Babel, Whyitiso
Scored for piano, soprano sax, clarinet and acoustic bass, these four pieces define a new genre somewhere between chamber jazz, Erik Satie and ZNR. Inspiration comes from the polyrhythms of African Music, and in Whyitiso the music of Robert Wyatt.

City In Between
Centered on the handing over of Hong Kong back to China, this piece was Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Company. It’s a musique concrete documentary which seeks to ‘transform into music and sound the more subjective experiences and ambiguities experienced by Hong Kong people’. Based on field recordings, its an extraordinary document of a key historical event. There are Instructions from angry officials, bizarre extracts from radio and television, sirens, and crowds. The piece was a prizewinner in the Soundscapes 2000 competition in Amsterdam in November 1999.

Secrets and Breaking the Seal
A homage to Mordachai Vanunu, and his exposure of some of Israel’s atomic secrets, leading to his imprisonment. The words of Vanunu himself lead to a bizarre rock/classical opera, with repetitive kraut rock beats and contemporary classical singing.

Anti-Apocalypse
A piece about the obsession of the human race with apocalypse. Every heroic final gesture you could imagine is packed into 6 minutes of subterranean distorted guitar, wailing flute, doom laden poetry, snatched and fragmented vocalising, black magic chanting, and huge distant electronic crashes.

Biography
Roberto Iolini was born in Sydney 1960. He has worked extensively in improvisation, pop, electronic and ethnic music. Commissions include works for local and international chamber ensembles, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, multi media projects and theatre. He holds and MA degree in composition at Macquarie University, Sydney.