Mike Patton, joined by the Brussels-based Ictus Ensemble, pay tribute to pioneering composer Luciano Berio with the July 3rd release of Laborintus II via Ipecac Recordings.
Berio, a groundbreaking Italian composer whose lengthy list of compositions revel in experimentation and intuitively fuse classical, jazz, and electronic music, created Laborintus II in 1965 to mark the 700th anniversary of Dante’s birth. The composition is based on the “Laborintus” poem by Edoardo Sanguineti. Laborintus II highlights the timelessness of love and mourning and is told in three voices.
In 1972, Berio performed Laborintus II at the Holland Festival, the Dutch premiere of the piece, with a set that included a giant blow-up doll and old car tires.
Patton has continually paid tribute to Italian composers, most recently with his 2011 album, Mondo Cane.