Fuzznaut Premiere “Conjunction and Ellipsis” Video from Form is Emptiness EP
Posted in Bootleg Theater on March 19th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
The debut EP release from Pittsburgh’s Fuzznaut, Form is Emptiness, is comprised of four tracks written for and performed by solo guitar. The project is the work of Emilio Rizzo, who brings a strong current of Earth-style meditative riffing to the 21-minute offering, which begins with “Form is Emptiness” and moves into “Emptiness is Form,” sounding less indebted specifically to HEX: Or Printing in the Infernal Method than many of the more Americana-minded entities who might take on a Dylan Carlson influence, but still capturing an emotional ambience even if, by its very nature, it’s something of a stark one.
Of course, that is to say, Rizzo‘s on his own throughout “Form is Emptiness,” “Emptiness is Form,” “Conjuction and Ellipsis” and the two-minute finale “Midnight and Shadow,” and in solo-drone fashion, the results are duly lonely. Without the anchor of drums, it’s tempting to float off on Rizzo‘s thickened tonal undulations, and I won’t necessarily recommend against it — Form is Emptiness is a short-enough journey at 21 minutes even if you sign up for the whole thing — but there are distinct riffs that emerge through the surrounding patterns of effects and atmospherics, and one finds that as the tracks play through, the more grounded rhythms, even without percussion, give the listener something to grasp onto where otherwise the music might simply drift.
He’s not the first to strike this balance, obviously, but Form is Emptiness is a first release, so it’s worth remembering that this is the point from which future work will spread outward, and in that capacity there are multiple encouraging factors here, whether it’s Rizzo‘s not giving in to all-out indulgence in the material or the fact that the blend of spaciousness and tonal weight he conjures here leaves himself an open context for which that future work might grow. That is, should he wish to add effects, instrumentation, whatever it might be, there’s room in the sound for all of it without it seeming out of place, and frankly, the emptiness sends a message unto itself as well.
You can see the video for “Conjunction and Ellipsis” — most of which was recorded live and is accompanied by scenes from around Pittsburgh — premiering on the player below.
Please enjoy:
Fuzznaut, “Conjunction and Ellipsis” official video premiere
Pittsburgh Doomgaze Fuzznaut Premier New Video “Conjunction and Ellipsis” Off The Debut EP “Form Is Emptiness”.
FUZZNAUT “Conjunction and Ellipsis” shot and directed by Fuzznaut entirely on the iPhone is in exploration in sound vision, and experimental video documentation. Taking scenes from Fuzznaut’s hometown, experimental video, and the first year of life performance. This video encapsulates the origins and development of the solo artist. That reflects the tones and textures of the soundscapes.
FUZZNAUT is the solo electric guitar project of Pittsburgh based composer Emilio Rizzo. Using the guitar as means to summon sequences that are a complex clamor of timbre and power ambiance. That engages the listener to discover ominous sounds from minimalist architecture.
Fuzznaut live:
May 22 Cattivo Pittsburgh, PA
