The original score composed by Paolo Spaccamonti for the eponymous theatrical production directed by Valerio Binasco and produced by Teatro Stabile di Torino. The music, both haunting and subtle, mirrors the play's minimalist and intense staging, immersing listeners in an evocative soundscape that blends ambient textures with guitar-driven melodies.
Ifigenia/Oreste marks the seventh installment in Die Schachtel Records' renowned Decay Music series, which has become synonymous with deeply emotive, abstract, and electronic/ambient music, which has so fare featured works of such names as Stefano Pilia,
Giovanni di Domenico, Sandro Mussida, Vértice, Damavand and
Claudio Rocchetti. Aim of the series is composing a fascinating scenario of the most interesting names of experimental musicians—mainly of Italian origins—working at the intersection of sound and music, abstract and visual, storytelling and abstract composition.
Paolo Spaccamonti has long been a significant figure in the contemporary music scene, known for his ability to bridge the worlds of instrumental, electronic, and experimental music. His most recent release, Nel Torbido (2023), is a testament to his ever-evolving artistry. With Nel Torbido, Spaccamonti delivered a haunting and immersive sonic experience that oscillates between tension and release, bringing together moody soundscapes, unsettling textures, and his signature understated guitar work. His exploration of silence, noise, and melodic tension has earned him recognition as one of the most unique voices in modern composition.
Composed by Spaccamonti, Ifigenia/Oreste is the original score for the theatrical production IFIGENIA / ORESTE, directed by Valerio Binasco and produced by Teatro Stabile di Torino. The music, both haunting and subtle, mirrors the play's minimalist and intense staging, immersing listeners in an evocative soundscape that blends ambient textures with guitar-driven melodies. The music was recorded and processed by Filippo Conti, with additional production and mixing by Stefano Pilia. The vinyl's design has been crafted by Bruno Stucchi of Dinamomilano, making this release a fusion of sound, visual, staging and cultural reference.
In reflecting on his collaboration with director Valerio Binasco, Spaccamonti said: "From the first meeting with Valerio, it was clear that we aimed to create a production stripped of any unnecessary stylistic embellishments. Ifigenia and Oreste had to be severe, devoid of visual distractions, simple yet extreme in its own way. I sought to follow the same path with the music. The foundation is always the guitar, but I wanted to avoid overloading it, either harmonically or sonically. Sometimes, I treated it like a fragmented background noise; other times, I ventured into more aggressive, melancholic, or even melodic terrains, but always in a very human way. The text demanded an atmosphere that lived in the alternation of silence and rarefaction, like in the films of Bresson and Lanthimos. Short scenes interrupted by moments of darkness. In a marked rhythm, a suspense constantly suggesting the advance toward death, announced from the very first scene. Hence, the emphasis I wanted to place on silence through the music, even within individual tracks. Long, granular tails, like the (few) lights on stage."
Paolo Spaccamonti is a Turin-based guitarist and composer. With an extremely rich discography, which sums up solo albums and collaborative works with some of the best artists around, both italian and international. Jochen Arbeit (Einstürzende Neubauten), Stefano Pilia, Roberto "Tax" Farano (Negazione). An intense body of work, enriched by scores to readings, television shows (Rai1's I mille giorni di mafia capitale with Riccardo Sinigallia), theatre plays (Tpe, Stabile, Ert), movies (The Cormorants with Ramon Moro, The Ruthless again with Riccardo Sinigallia) and live soundtracks to silent films produced by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (Vampyr, Once upon a time, Greed). He is constantly on tour, both in perfect solitude or collaborating with fellow musicians like Jim White, Julia Kent, Emidio Clementi, Enrico Gabrielli and artists and performers like
Jacopo Benassi, Masbedo, Balletto Civile, Donato Sansone and the sound designer Gup Alcaro. In 2021 he composed the score for the play Le Sedie by Eugène Ionesco (produced by Turin's Teatro Stabile) and The Nest, produced by TPE. Shortly after he produced the music for Valerio Binasco's Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore and Fabio Condemi's Nottuari (Thomas Ligotti). In 2023 he was a member of the band involved in the successful italian version of the Lazarus musical, originally written by Enda Walsh and David Bowie, and directed for the occasion by Valter Malosti.