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Celeste — Anima Animus
(Bandcamp Inner Garden Records no#, 2025, CD / LP / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2025-06-09

Anima Animus Cover art

Since their first run in the mid-70s up to their reformation in recent years, Ciro Perrino’s band Celeste is mostly known for their gentle, folky take on symphonic progressive rock, beautiful and dreamy — such was their first album originally released in 1976. On this newest release, Anima Animus, there is still a strong and solid foundation of that symphonic sound, although this time out many of the eight tracks seem to be informed more by elements of jazz, funk, chamber, and classical — not enough to push their sound off of its core symphonic trajectory, but still offering a fresh take beyond that which might be otherwise expected. As always, Perrino has composed and arranged all of the material, as well as playing a vast array of keyboards, including but not limited to Solina, ARP 2600, Minimoog, Mellotron, and EMS AKS portable modular. Joining him are drummer Enzo Cioffi, bassist Francesco Bertone, flutist Marco Moro, and guitarist Mauro Vero, the same core band members as 2024’s Echi di un Futuro Passato, and 2021’s Il Principe del Regno Perduto before that. Add to that a long list of guests, beginning with singer Ines Aliprandi, who only sings on a few cuts with wordless voice and scatting, but very powerful and effective, with other guests performing on piano, all manner of saxes, clarinet, trombone, bass tuba, twelve string, and percussion. The opening instrumental title track (which translates roughly to “Soul Spirit”), is nearly nine minutes in length and sets the stage for all the pieces that follow, starting out on a strong symphonic footing with flute and saxes taking the lead melody, while Vero’s acoustic guitar adds a nice touch over a strong rhythm section, with Perrino’s keys filling in all of the gaps. Vocals begin to feature on the fifth track “Lilith,” where a strong undercurrent of bass and synths churn over a strong drum figure, with flute sharing the spotlight. The piano figure that opens “De Rerum Natura” is complemented by strings from the ‘tron, though the catchy melody delivered primarily on woodwinds is perhaps the highlight of the tune as it approaches it’s nine minute conclusion. The album closer “Moon and Cloud Dancing” is a full twelve minutes in length, slowly building up from flute and piano until it hits its stride at around two minutes in, a gentle and beautiful piece that frames all of Celeste’s essentials so nicely, with Ines’ vocals coming in around the halfway mark. An outstanding album that will be cherished by all fans of Celeste’s oeuvre.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Celeste

More info
http://celeste4.bandcamp.com/album/celeste-anima-animus-2

 

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