Following a number of exciting tunes released on the renowned Quintessentials, here comes Mat Chiavaroli's first long-player "No Stranger To Madness". Warm Fostex tape hisses and MPC swings, the guy from the Pescara hills delivers 10 tracks for both your dancing and listening pleasure. The A- and B-side tracks are drenched in dusty funk samples, gritty chords and syncopated rhythms. In "Aroma De Mi Vida" Mat chops obscure Rhodes riffs and layering them with more elements, just like in "Whoja Vu", a heavy-sampled disco juggler very close to his previous Quintessentials releases. On the flip we find some deep chords melting with powerful gospel vocals, giving life to a track that annihilates boring dancefloors. There's a similar vibe in "Jeep Ridaz" that reminisces about seminal Atavisme classics with broken detuned bits and agitated cut and pastes give a sense of randomness. The second part of this album shows Mat Chiavaroli's deeper side. "Double Pain" is a tune that progressively brings you to many aspects of what Mat loves: saturated female vocals stick out while gloomy chords gently develop. "Storia Losca" has a slightly different attitude with a huge synth presence, live percussion and dreamy pianos. The D side opens with "The Quiet Bobobo", a distorted floor delight and ends with something closer to Mat's early music, disclosing a fresh collaboration with the young studio fellow P.Lok. "No Stranger To Madness" fits many bills and is an impressive proof of what Mat's musical ability is.
