Aether – Trans-Neptunian Objects (Self-Released, 2024)
Aether’s Trans-Neptunian Objects is a musical voyage propelled by the breathtaking expanse of space and the limitless imagination of science fiction. The album’s concept is rooted in the enigmatic nature of trans-Neptunian objects. These are celestial bodies orbiting beyond Neptune, drifting in the vast unknown. Likewise, Aether’s compositions feel like signals cast into the cosmic abyss, searching for distant ears attuned to their dreamlike messages.
Musically, the album is an intricate fusion of progressive rock, jazz, and ambient electronic sound dimensions, seamlessly shifting between technical virtuosity and atmospheric serenity. The band delivers high-energy passages rich with dazzling guitar work, soaring keyboard solos, and intricate bass and drum interplay, creating a rhythmic engine that drives the compositions forward. Yet, between these bursts of intensity, Aether deftly drifts into weightless, meditative moments, where ambient electronic drifts, chilled electric piano, and spacey guitar lines expand the album’s universe.
Aether, a project based in Italy, crafts a sound that transcends genre boundaries, using progressive rock’s complexity, jazz’s improvisational spirit, and ambient’s ethereal depth as interstellar coordinates. Much like the ether of old, the band acts as a conduit for musical synthesis, weaving disparate elements into a cohesive and immersive journey.
Musicians: Andrea Serino on piano and keyboards; Andrea Ferrari on guitars; Andrea Grumelli on bass; and Teo Ravelli on drums and electronics.
Cover artwork by Mario Coppola