aaamusic | On 10, Feb 2011

Mannequin is seriously proud to announce the release of the first full-length vinyl of Mushy, the stage name of Valentina F., a 26 year old sound-experimentalist rising from the dusty ruins of Rome, making music all by her lonesome since the year 2003.

After 7 years spent in the Italian underground experimental scene doing important live appereances (like the PRE 2009 festival with Current 93, Mouse On Mars), releasing various cd-r and tapes productions for labels like Bleak (in a compilation along-side with Coil, Attrition and Portion Control), Clan Destine and Cold Current, and fixing outstanding collaborations with names such as Thierry Müller (Ruth, Ilitch) and Mater Suspiria Vision, Mushy finally unveils her double sided synth-wave and kraut-psychedelic soul, being deeply influenced by the works of Cocteau Twins, Minimal Compact, Hope Sandoval, Grouper, Angels Of Light, Nico, Crime & The City Solution.

Using the medium of Valentinaʼs musical expression, ʻFaded Heartʼ is able to produce soundscapes which open the listenerʼs doors to strangely nigthmarish illuminated “nocturnal sacrality”. The sound architecture reveals a charming world, made by the mixture of analog drum machines loops and an effect-processed bad off acoustic guitar found in a flea market with only 4 strings, burgeoning cold drones, tempestuous noises, spectral chants which rise at the surface.

For the lo-fi atmospheres and the tales of lost loves, ʻFaded Heartʼ might be considered the italian answer to the magnificient Zola Jesus release ʻThe Spoilsʼ on Sacred Bones (NY). Home-recorded, ʻFaded Heartʼ was lately mixed and processed at Mannequin studio by Alessandro Adriani with a full analog setup. Valentina describes the album thus “The songs are a one-sided dialogue with my soul, a desperate and melanchonic psychedelia. The music is a repetitive and obsessive loop drum/ synth / acoustic guitar pattern with an ethereal processed by effects voice on it. You can consider it as my personal second reading of blues music”.

Dangerous Minds included ʻAdriftʼ video in their top 20 video list and Mishka blog included Mushy in the free download ʻGuide To Grave Waveʼ, besides bands like These New Puritans and Salem.

Apart music, Valentina is an architect and an highly regarded graphic designer for the italian label Mannequin. Her cover artworks were exposed in many art exhibitions around the world, such as Zumba & Goliath EXPO 2010, Australia.

A1 – Child Of Light Will Burn
A2 – Losing Days
A3 – Too Far
A4 – Burn Me
A5 – Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
B1 – I Will Not See It
B2 – Faded Heart
B4 – Moan
B3 – No More (with Newclear Waves)
B5 – She Was Elsewhere

http://www.myspace.com/mushyrhum
http://mushyyy.tumblr.com