Saro Cosentino - Ones And Zeros (1997)

At times albums are born out of an explosion of creativity. At other times they are a sort of musical distillation of ingredients, carefully selected and combined to create a tasteful and sensitive sonorous balance.

Ones and Zeros is a successful mixture of musical colours. A project that has evolved over years, lending itself to the contributions of musicians of very different musical and cultural backgrounds, each one leaving their own very personal touch on the project.

Ones and Zeros is the second solo album of Saro Cosentino. Already active on the electronic and musical fronts, with Ones and Zeros, Saro has widened his musical boundaries to encompass a fuller and more organic conception.

The first phase of this project started in 1992 at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. From the very beginning it was evident that the common denominator throughout Ones and Zeros was to be the close collaboration between Saro Cosentino and a select group of top level musicians of various extraction. But more importantly, a very tight artistic affinity was to result between this group and the composer.

Among the participants on the album are Peter Hammill (former leader of Van der Graaf Generator), Tim Bowness (of No-man), Jakko Jakszyk (guitarist of Dizrythmia and Level 42), and the extraordinary Australian recording artist Karen Eden. Drums and percussion were entrusted to Gavin Harrison (whose credits include Mick Karn, Paul Young, Lisa Stansfield and Iggy Pop). On bass can be heard John Giblin (ex-member of Brand X, Simple Mind and more recent work with John Martin and Kate Bush), Trey Gunn (of King Crimson) on stick and David Rhodes on guitar (most known for his work alongside Peter Gabriel). Other artists perhaps less known to western audiences include Kudsi Erguner (who played with, among others, Jean-Michel Jarre) on ney flute, the singer/percussionist Pandit Dinesh (of Dizrhythmia and collaborations with Sakamoto) and Shankar (known for his work with Shakti, Gabriel, Bill Laswell and The Epidemics) on double violin and voice. In addition to the creation of various electronic elaboration, Saro also plays keyboards and guitar.

Accordingly, the job of putting the album together took several years. With, at times, long gaps due to the fact that the project is completely independent. Nevertheless, from a production point of view, the album is very rich. Saro himself affirms, "The formation of a series of close relationships, resulting from having to consider carefully the compatibility between the artists, has caused me to grow both as a musician and as a human being. I have been influenced by every person who has contributed, each in their own way, to this album." Ones and Zeros is therefore the fruit of a progressive evolution that has come about by the crossing of different cultures and personalities. Each one in turn luring the compositional process which is at times unexpected but always homogeneous and musically intriguing.

The album is comprised of six songs (Bite the Bullet, Phosphorescence, Days of Flaming Youth, From Far Away, Behind the Glass, Defying Gravity) and one instrumental piece (9:47 Eastern Time). All tracks are original compositions by Saro Cosentino. Although he preferred not to sing on this album as he did on his first solo album, he entrusted the vocal interpretations and lyrics to four different artists. They are Peter Hammill (Phosphorescence and From Far Away), Tim Bowness (Days of Flaming Youth), Jakko Jakszyk (Defying Gravity) and Karen Eden (Bite the Bullet and Behind the Glass). "My position with regard to the album," says Saro, "is closer to that of a director of a film than that of an actor. A director coordinates and selects the roles for the actors. For my project I chose the singers and musicians according to the pieces."

In spite of the diversity and variety of the participations and contributions there is a definite shared flavor that is evident throughout. It is a disk with a classic sound. That is to say it does not adhere to the current trends in sound. Its sound is not present or past but simply personal.

The availability of a personal studio was essential to Saro for the co-ordination of the entire project. He comments on the subject saying, "Recently the position of a musician has come closer to that of other artists (painters, sculptors, etc.) in that a personal studio is an affordable possibility. Musicians have always been deprived of this sort of creative self-management. Fortunately, today the conditions are such that there is the possibility of experimentation without the pressures of working in a traditional studio. It would have been impossible to bring together all the musicians who participated in my album, from all their various countries, into one single studio."

Ones and Zeros is therefore the fruit of a progressive evolution that has come about by the crossing of different cultures and personalities. Each one in turn luring the compositional process which is at times unexpected but always musically intriguing.

The mix was done by Saro Cosentino and Richard Blair. Ben Fenner and Chris Lawson collaborated in the various phases of the recording.

"All creative processes," says Saro, "have a meandering course. There is a growing energy that rises to a peak. When it arrives at the top it then suddenly begins to fade away only to begin again. Our aim must be to capture and retain that energy when its at its highest point."

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In the 1970's Saro began playing traditional North American acoustic music. At the same time he started collaborating with various Italian artists involved in the Italian Blues scene. In '79 his interest in experimental electronic music began and in the same year his first collaboration with Franco Battiato took place. With him, among other pieces, he wrote "I Treni di Tozeur". Afterwhich he wrote for both Giusto Pio and Alice. In 1985 he formed, with harpist Vincenzo Zitello, the duo A'sciara. The duo was to combine traditional Celtic music with electronic music. A'sciara toured extensively and their participation in the "Festival of Riva del Garda" won them the first place "Vela d'argento" for the best single of the year. In 1987 Saro wrote the music for the theatre production "Macchina dell'Amore e della Morte", written and directed by Taddeus Kantor and presented at the "Festival Documenta" in Kassel and other major European cities. Also in '87 he collaborated in the staging and realization of the opera "Genesi" in Parma at the Teatro Regio. In 1988 his first solo album, entitled "Saro Cosentino", was realeased on the Ottava/EMI record label. In the summer of the same year he participated in Battiato's "Fisiognomica" tour. Since 1990 Saro has alternated producing and engineering with writing. In 1992 he produced Battiato's album, "Caffé de la Paix", voted Best Album of the Year by the Italian Music Press During the same year Saro took part in the recording and realization of Peter Gabriel's "Secret World Live". In 1998, his second "solo" album, "Ones and Zeros", was released in Europe and North America,. Recorded at Real World Studios,with musicians from different musical cultures: Peter Hammill,David Rhodes,Trey Gunn,Kudsy Erguner,Pandit Dinesh and Shankar,among others. He has recently produced,Franco Battiato's new album : "Ferro Battuto ". The "debut" album of philosopher Manlio Sgalambro : " Fun Club". The first solo album of Massimo Zamboni: Sorella Sconfitta The new album of the band "Radiodervish" : In Search of Simurgh. He wrote is first film score for the movie"Sfiorarsi" by director Angelo Orlando. Production of two singles:"come ti va" and "la vita prfetta" and the forthcoming album"terra luna e margarita" of the band RIO. Production of the new album of the band "Bludeepa". Production of the new album of Massimo Zamboni "l'inerme è l'imbattibile."