Stefano Rampoldi, a.k.a. Edda, is a veteran of the Italian alternative rock scene.

In fact, he was the mastermind behind Ritmo Tribale, one of the most influential bands in the 90s. After the band split up, Edda took a very long hiatus from music, but then started his solo career in 2012. This is his sixth album.

Edda’s music has always been out of the box and not really tied to the classical songwriting rules. His songs are straight expression of his troubled personality. Edda constantly feels like he never quite fits into this world and that he’s always out of place. He hates any kind of social convention, but this doesn’t mean he’s angry or grumpy. On the contrary, his soul is pure and his mind is open, and he doesn’t like this life because he would like to live with no kind of boundaries.

On “Illusion”, his songs are less unconventional than in the past: there are clean melodies, verses and choruses, and a nicely structured sound (the producer is Gianni Maroccolo, another respected Italian music veteran). So, we might say that, finally, Edda is sticking to some rules, but the truth is that he’s doing it in his very own way. In fact, his singing voice is still far away from formal cleanliness, and his lyrics are a powerful slap in the face to any kind of standardized thinking.

These songs have an incredible emotional power, and this album is a true masterpiece.

Stream “Illusion” LP on Spotify.