YUGEN: Picture #2

Following their 2023 release Tears and Light (Dodicilune), Italian trio Yugen continue to refine a distinctive sound world that defies rigid genre classification, blurring the lines between jazz, ambient music and rock, all infused with cinematic imagination. It is an approach that has already earned the group numerous awards.

The nine compositions on Picture #2 are all written by pianist Katya Fiorentino, who provides both the structural and emotional blueprint for the band's sound. Rather than adopting the familiar piano trio format of soloist supported by a rhythm section, her arrangements give bassist Stefano Compagnone and drummer Maurizio De Tommasi the freedom to function as equal partners in shaping the melodic landscape. Their sound is further enhanced by guest guitarist Alessandro Dell’Anna, while Valerio Daniele serves as artistic producer.

Fiorentino's writing is built around strong ostinatos that create hypnotic, evolving textures, providing the foundation for her fluid piano melodies. Electronics are used to add further color to the core instrumentation, creating an open, contemporary soundscape that shifts in mood as musical patterns deviate and turn aside from the established path.

"The Night Spoke To Me" opens the album in mesmerizing fashion, driven by inventive percussion and a repeating piano motif over which Compagnone builds a commanding electric bass solo with understated electronics that add further depth. The intriguingly titled "From The Bin To The Sunrise" is one of the album's highlights, beginning with a catchy, folk dance-inspired piano figure before gathering momentum through swift bass lines and crisp brushwork. Dell'Anna makes a telling contribution, his eloquent solo gradually weaving itself into the interplay between piano and bass.

Fiorentino's skills as an arranger are evident throughout. "When Order Fell In Love With Chaos" evolves from a classically influenced solo piano opening into De Tommasi's driving rock rhythms, creating a wall of sound behind the pianist. Elsewhere, "The Diver U-Bow" explores a succession of musical ideas as it builds to a crescendo.

The transitions between contrasting musical themes are handled particularly well, although the electronics occasionally feel overused, most noticeably on the title track, where Fiorentino's slowly unfolding piano melody requires little additional embellishment. Elsewhere, Compagnone's appealing bass lines are central to both "Time" and "Risveglio Di Settembre," while De Tommasi drives the dramatic "On More Than Meets The Eye" with energy and invention.

Yugen has clearly poured considerable thought and passion into their music, and are well on their way to a signature sound, one whose spacious, atmospheric aesthetic leans far more towards the Nordic jazz tradition than to their Italian roots. Throughout Picture #2, ostinatos provides the bedrock for the band to layer their narrative and cinematic approach into a sonic landscape that is difficult to resist.