Albumine - Domestic Routes (Vinyl)

In the era of self-generated playlists and 20-second tracks on TikTok, here’s some music that goes against the grain: a 1970s-style concept album that includes a 24-minute suite of four songs featuring vocals that are interconnected by instrumental tracks.
“I started working on this project in 2022, together with Walter Marocchi (Action Shelley), who selected the tracks from all the material that had accumulated during the Covid pandemic and was buried in the recesses of a hard disk. Electronic sounds provide the canvas for various atmospheres, ranging from ambient to pop with moments that pay homage to the 1980s, as well as prog rock and experimentation. This album includes all the influences that inspired me to become a musician and a producer,” Claudio Giorgi says.
The underlying theme is the sense of alienation in various forms, and this is evident both in the lyrics and the sound atmospheres that are mildly melancholic.
This project came to life as a collaborative effort, as is the spirit of Shuttle Records.
Claudio Giorgi's keyboards and drum machines are accompanied by Walter Marocchi's (Action Shelley) guitars and bouzouki, the electric bass of Maurizio Suraci (Torrevado Project), and the drums and percussion of Alex Reeves (Elbow).
Mark Hadley is the lead singer and his warm, scratchy timbre is reminiscent of the Peter Gabriel of the 1990s, while Giovanna Ferrara acts as his sweet and sensual counterpoint.
FausIvan, who’s from Argentina, offers a clear, slightly wistful vocal style, while the Anglo- Iranian PaPa Shiraz provides some surprising Hip Hop-style phrasing. Their voices can, however, only be heard on the vinyl version of the album: these two tracks appear on its B- side.
And, last but not least, there’s a real treat for devotees of the music of the 1960s: the fourth section of the suite, The Club, features the voice of the great late Roger Bunn. During the course of an eclectic career, he played with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Roxy Music: he was the group’s first bassist, although he didn’t record with them. In 1969 he released a solo album, 'Piece of Mind', which has been described as “one of the great lost albums of the psychedelic era.” Roger’s carefully restored voice fits perfectly into the harmonic and rhythmic texture of the song, taking us back in time to the legendary UFO Club in Swinging London.
The streaming release of 'Domestic Routes' is accompanied by that of the official video clip of “By The Wall”. This is the seventh section of the suite: it follows the video of “In The Daylight”, which was released at Christmas.


Domestic Routes was recorded in Milan, Buenos Aires, London, Leeds and Portsmouth (UK).
The mix was edited by Claudio Giorgi at the Torrevado studio in Milan, while the album was mastered by Giovanni Versari at La Maestà Studio, Monza.
The sleeve design is by Alberto Bettinetti (Zanzara).

Source: Discogs