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Review: Carnivorous Curtains by Mirko Pirozzi

The prolific Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Mirko Pirozzi is not someone who does things in a traditional way. His discography so far sees him combine a slew of wild instrumentation with a jazz and prog-rock inspired compositional style, along with elements from psychedelia and world music. His complex and multi-layered style allows his tracks to exude soul and spirit, and none more so than on Carnivorous Curtains, the final track from his 2020 album Ghost Park.

Carnivorous Curtains is a sprawling seven minute epic that closed out Ghost Park magnificently. This track is quite a trip, and instrumentally utilises a plethora of different sounds from dulcimers, 12-string guitars and vintage synthesisers to classical and jazz instruments too. As an introduction to Mirko Pirozzi's music though it's perfect, as the track explores a multitude of styles, all of which Mirko Pirozzi blends together in a way that can be both beautifully harmonious and deliberately discordant.

The track begins with a blend of various strings before shifting into some jazz saxophone, spacey synths and psychedelic guitar lines. There's an unyielding sense of drama as the track changes gear into a prog-rock style section of organs, flutes and jarring reverberated guitars along with some intensely incessant drumming. There's a period of reflection when things move into a quieter ambient passage, and it feels like a calm moment to let the listener take in all that they've heard so far.

Not before too long though things quickly cut into an off-kilter melodic section that reminds me of something Foals or even The Mars Volta might do. This is followed closely by a legion of trumpets that gloriously introduce the next melodic section. This passage gradually flows into a superbly catchy riff and then, just as you think you've hit the groove, things take another left turn and those Keith Emerson style organs return, leading us into the the final moments of weaving melodies and mind-bending licks.

It's a track that leaves you both breathless from the journey, yet also desperate to do it again. It takes a while to get your head round, but the more you experience it the more things start to fall into place. After several listens the initial abrasiveness which pervaded from the twisting narrative of the track starts to fade and there is a newly found sense of convergence. All of which makes this piece remarkably deep, and it's clear how much thought and development has gone into this track. Despite it's purposefully disconcerting title, Carnivorous Curtains is a joy to listen and only makes me want to delve further into Mirko Pirozzi's fascinating discography.


Listen to Ghost Park and more music by Mirko Pirozzi on Bandcamp


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