Polaris

Turin-dwelling musicians of southern Italian descent (Oreste Forestieri, Franco Montanaro and Valeria Quarta), delve into traditional forms from the southern regions of the Boot, combining vocals, percussion, wind instruments and plucked strings with electronica mastered by the DJ-producer Daniele Li Bassi to create a unique soundscape. Polaris, the North Star, is ‘the star guiding an ever-changing route,’ the quartet declare, as they craft song and dance to bring them to a younger and more urban audience.

The opening title-track commands instant interest – a pizzica sung in Calabrian dialect where a castaway on the open sea pleads to the star for help finding his way back home. The powerful ‘Quant’ave’ immediately grabs and holds you, it's another pizzica given a Latin makeover. Following a borderless attitude, the instrumental part of ‘Tirullallero’, a Calabrian tarantella, receives a rebetika ambience whereas a glorious electronic groove pervades ‘Tammuriata’. Elsewhere, ‘Lu Trainu’ is a Balkan-flavoured traditional Sicilian carter's song while ‘Tira la Pinna’, whose lyrics are ascribed to a XIX century Calabrian highwayman, results in an unexpected tango mood. In their journey, they pay homage to Salento traditional classics with ‘Pizzica di Torchiardo’ and the closing reggae-inflected ‘Pizzica di San Vito’, featuring superb mandolin lines. A captivating folktronica offering, bursting with ideas and energy.