HERE you can read Stefano Bianchi’s excellent review of the Energumeni’s marvellous work / debut album, released last May 2025 by Rizosfera-NUKFM. Check the work at Rizoshop https://rizosfera.org/en/shop/
Stefano Bianchi writes :: The Energumeni – a beautiful name and equally beautiful title – are Fabrizio Tavernelli (En Manque d’Autre, Acid Folk Alleanza) and Manitù Rossi (Le Forbici di Mantù), both playing a good number of instruments including drums, guitars, organs and pianos, basses, all kinds of percussion, wind instruments, synth, harp, sampler, groovebox, and of course vocals (mainly by Tavernelli, who also writes the lyrics). Their collaboration – facilitated by mutual friend Vittore Baroni – gives life to this sprawling album where you’ll find many things that fall under the definition of out or avant rock: Kraut snippets (the Faustian groove of the manifesto-title track, the motorik of *Aaaa aquaba wave’s*), Canterbury vibes (*Va did va anyi*, I’d say leaning towards Soft Machine), reckless free-jazz-flavored improvisations under spasms of irony (*Un assedio*), nocturnal psycho-dub journeys (the splendid *Via Clavature, Via Marsili*, and *Forme nascoste della foresta oscura*), detuned slowed-down ballads (*Virulazo*), cosmic bursts (*Astrodrip*), a dutiful and duly Bowie-esque cover (The Associates’ *The Affectionate Punch*), and pieces where everything holds together (*Insurrazione ipodermica (Sommossa sottocutanea)*). Largely improvised and then painstakingly reconstructed in the studio by Manitù Rossi, careful never to lose the thread of the ‘song’, with *“Accecati dalle passioni come i ciclopi”* you spend an hour and a quarter trying to guess what’s around the corner and never get it right: the beauty is that you won’t be bored for even a second because the two bearded energumeni are excellent at keeping you on edge, continuously inventing flashes, gestures, twists, and strokes of genius. Splendid double LP packaging with included CD and LP-sized booklet – Unmissable. [8.2] Stefano I. Bianchi (Blow Up’s September 2025)
