Ermete – Ermete

With his self-titled debut EP, Ermete, Italian artist Luca Umidi — under the moniker ERMETE — offers a masterclass in ambient and drone composition. Rooted in live performance and shaped by a deliberate minimal use of overdubs, this three-track release unfolds as a cohesive and immersive journey through meditative sonic spaces, retro-futuristic tones, and subtly shifting moods. The result is an elegant and introspective body of work that we are pleased to spotlight on our webzine.

The opening track, 29°00′N 13°44′W (I-II-III), sets the tone with a tripartite structure anchored by a slow-burning, tectonic drone. Its title suggests geographic precision, yet what emerges sonically is an imagined, alien topography: volcanic, shifting, and alive. Each movement within the piece reveals a new facet, evolving patiently yet purposefully. There is a seismic weight to the low-end frequencies that pulse beneath the surface, creating an immersive depth. Synth layers emerge and recede like heatwaves on obsidian plains, with harmonic tensions stretching and resolving almost imperceptibly. The rhythm here is internal and textural — not marked by beats, but by modulations, by slow crescendos of tonal pressure and release.

Magnetic Drift, the EP’s centerpiece, introduces a more discernible melodic arc. The title is fitting: everything seems in motion, pulled gently by unseen forces. Synths ripple and swell with liquid clarity, building into a floating melody that hovers above the droning base. There’s a sense of suspended gravity, as if the track is navigating between poles of density and air. The subtle interplay between sustained notes and minute shifts in timbre gives the piece its rhythm — not in the traditional percussive sense, but through dynamic movement within the drone structure. The emotional tone is ambiguous yet compelling, striking a balance between serene detachment and quiet longing.

Closing track Distant turns inward. The most melancholic of the three, it draws on soft, haunting synths and echoing chords to evoke a feeling of memory and reflection. The atmospheres are hazier here, almost like watching a distant landscape fade through fog. Chord progressions unfold slowly and deliberately, gaining intensity in a way that feels restrained yet deeply affecting. Even without a pulse, the piece breathes — a testament to the live-recording approach that ERMETE employs so effectively throughout the EP.

What sets Ermete apart is its commitment to organic spontaneity within the ambient/drone framework. Each track feels alive and present, as if it’s unfolding in real time — not just a recording, but a captured moment of sonic meditation. Umidi’s attention to texture, spatial awareness, and harmonic layering results in a release that is both contemplative and visceral. The absence of rhythm in the conventional sense is never a limitation — instead, it invites deeper listening, where each modulation and tonal shift carries meaning.

In a landscape crowded with ambient releases, Ermete stands out as a thoughtful, high-quality debut. It doesn’t overwhelm — it invites. And in that invitation, ERMETE opens a door to worlds imagined, remembered, and felt.

L'articolo Ermete – Ermete sembra essere il primo su Parkett.