Alberto Rigoni is one of the best bassists that you may not have heard of. The Italian lawyer (yes he’s a lawyer too) is also one of the busiest players around. His solo output keeps growing and he keeps expanding his sonic palate in the process. His last outing was “Bassorama” which covered so many different genres including funk, electronic, prog and ambient. His previous works “Overloaded” and “Three Wise Monkeys” were more prog metal based and I did prefer those two over “Bassorama.”

Rigoni is back with “Duality,” an EP that is a bit more experimental but still has enough rock to keep you interested. It starts with the jazz tinged “Song for My Soul” that features the elegant keyboard work of Mistheria. It’s a really nice way to start out with some nice harmonics and fretless work by the man himself. The title track is next and has more of a muscular bass line along with a bass melody line. Add in a guitar solo by Frank Caruso and you have a heavy yet quite funky track.

“Message in Morse Code” is another showcase of what Rigoni can do with a bass. I’m sure most people wouldn’t consider the bass to be a good “lead” instrument but tracks like this one are proof of otherwise. “Kyoto’s Gardens” features Spock’s Beard keyboardist extraordinaire Ryo Okumoto. It’s a very atmospheric piece with the rain coming down and the mellotron as a perfect back drop, before it transitions to a pulsating bass heavy song.

“MAD 333” is a feature track for two guests, guitarist Matthias IA Eklundh of Freak Kitchen, who turns the track upside down midway through, and keyboardist Jonah Weingarten of Pyramaze, who closes the track with a fine solo. I wish the track didn’t FADE! I should give some props to drummer Doug Harris who holds down the fort on each track. When you have a bassist like Rigoni who wanders a bit, it’s important to have a rock solid drummer and Harris plays the part well.

“Obsessions” continues the experimental sounds that Rigoni can get out of a bass plus it’s a basher of a track. Good stuff. The final track is a bass solo piece called “Afterneath” which is quite ambient and makes for a nice finish to the EP. All in all it makes for a cohesive listen despite the experiments that happen from time to time. I do wish it was longer but I guess that’s just me being selfish. If you love virtuosos that not only can play but aren’t afraid to take chances, you need to check out Alberto Rigoni. “Duality” makes for a great place to start and it’s a nice addition to the catalog for those who know about Rigoni’s music.

Rating: 8.5/10
Release Date: September 20, 2017

Tracklist:

1. Song for My Soul
2. Duality
3. Message in Morse Code
4. Kyoto’s Gardens
5. MAD 333
6. Obsessions
7. Afterneath

Bandcamp: albertorigoni.bandcamp.com/album/duality