Completing a 25-year career and around 2 million albums sold, composer, keyboardist and producer Corciolli has consolidated himself as a unique artist on the instrumental music scene in Brazil.
A perfectionist – a legacy of his training as an architect – Corciolli brings to his work influences of classical music, jazz and rock, but broadens the range of sound possibilities by incorporating elements from various cultures, from Tibetan to Celtic music, through Flamenco, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern sounds as well. His compositions and arrangements seek to create sacred spaces of perception for the listeners, acting as windows that open to the inner world.
In his new album ILUSIA, the musician rediscovers his rocker origins, in vigorous and intriguing performances on synthesizers, using acoustic and electric guitar samplers, string ensembles and epic percussions. “My main influences came from progressive rock bands like Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd, but also from hard rock bands like Van Halen, Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin,” Corciolli reveals. At the same time, as a teenager, he was fascinated by the sound possibilities provided by analog synthesizers, in albums by artists such as Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Isao Tomita. Over the years, to a greater or lesser extent, the musician has incorporated these various influences into his albums, but in none of his earlier works is this as evident as it is in ILUSIA.
Featuring 8 instrumental themes, Corciolli created and produced all the layers and textures of each song, inviting drummer Ramon Montagner and bassist Mauricio Oliveira to participate in the recordings. To the drums, he added more weight, by means of timbres, programming and layers of orchestral percussion. The electric and acoustic guitar samplers demonstrate the keyboardist’s fluency in the arrangements: “It’s not enough to get great guitar timbres, it’s necessary to think like a guitarist, adapting your fingering, scales, feeling and timing to the keyboard language; only then can the desired result be achieved,” adds Corciolli
The songs, with suggestive titles such as “The Man Who Disappeared in the Painting” or “Light Spheres in a Stephen King Mist”, evoke imaginary stories and scenes. ILUSIA is a powerful feat for Corciolli, a progressive rock soundtrack with its own narrative, epic solos and a remarkable palette of timbres and textures.
TRACKLIST
1. The Man Who Disappeared in the Painting (5:52)
2. Secrets of the Invisible (6:43)
3. Distant Living Memories (5:22)
4. Ghosts of the Perpetual Mansion (6:18)
5. The Imaginary Principle (5:5?)
6. The Misery of Fear and the Battle Against the Immortal Dream (6:18)
7. Light Spheres in a Stephen King Mist (6:06)
8. Midnight of the World at the End of Time (5:42)
Composed, arranged, produced and performed by Corciolli
You may check out the album on Spotify.
Press release by the artist