Koneskin – Liberty Place

On Liberty Place, their new EP, the Italian three-piece band Koneskin conjure up a groove, fall into place, and never seem to look back as the three pieces (one in three movements clocking in over 20 minutes) unfold in cinematic quality. The sound– delivered by Gabriele Zoccolan (guitars), Sergio Ponti (drums/samples), and Feryanto Demichelis (keyboards/vocals)– lumbers along hypnotically, creating soundscapes that are at first intriguing but eventually grow a bit monotonous as thematic development is somewhat lacking in the music. The sparse and whispery vocal passages are heavily treated, buried in the mix, and performed in such a way that most casual listeners may not feel prompted to make any attempt at deciphering the lyrics in the muddy, wounded delivery. Appreciators of Pink Floyd’s pre-Dark Side sound will find in Koneskin a comparable approach to atmospherics and a seeming desire to suggest certain visuals (very dark ones) through music, but if one isn’t properly primed for a trip through their dreamscape, one may find that any grasp at their music tends to slip off the surface.