Plastic Art Foundation – Massauu (Golton AG)  Massauu is a 2 CD set (titled “Massauu” & “Odin”) and features founding member, Carlo A. Crameri (E-Guitar, Piano, Key-Boards, Synthesizers, Moog, Vocals, Words), Martin Tillmann ( E-Cello) and Svetlana Sokolova (Vocal, Words). The Swiss pairing of Crameri and Tillman have notable credentials. Crameri is classically trained in guitar and lead “The These” in the late 60’s, and has dedicated the past four decades to music and art. Tillmann’s composition and performances for scores have featured in films The Fan, Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, The Pledge, King Arthur, Passion, Cold Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Armageddon, Everlasting Piece, Mission Impossible 2 and Sacrileg. His experimental cello is highly sought and he has performed with the likes of Sting, Elton John, Alison Krauss, Beck, BB King and Tracy Chapman. “Massauu” is predominantly pop driven extended pieces onto which free jazz, improvisation and musique concrete are layered.  It has quite a 70’s/80’s feel owing to the choice of instruments and crisp and clean sounds (think Rhodes piano, fretless bass and Weather Report). The treatment of the cello on “Venice Beach Track 1” provides a short stab of dirgy darkness in this CD of chintzy motorik. “Odin” delivers more electronic drum beaten works in much the same vain as disc one. “Venice Beach Track 2”, like it’s processor from disc one, presents the highlight being (again) the darkest and shortest piece. “China” (…an artistical (sic) processing of Carlos’ personal experience of the Tiananmen Square massacre 1989 in Beijing) does not rise to deliver an aural representation of the conflict, desperation and the horror which should be associated with the atrocity. The CD’s packaging is magnificent. Unmistakably Eastern European quasi-religious imagery provided by Crameri, housed in a box with rounded corners makes this quite a thing of beauty – shame that the music housed within doesn’t quite live up to it! www.plastic-art-foundation.com Willsk Next