Since the hiatus of Calla taken back in 2007, Aurelio Valle has been keeping himself busy. Filling his time with new ventures such as becoming an apprentice motorcycle mechanic, as well as those more in keeping with his artistic past including work on film scores, most notably 2009’s German film Zarte Parasiten, Valle’s proactive approach has resulted in Acme Power Transmission, his first record since embarking upon his solo career. Named after his landlord’s auto-parts store, it represents an artist who is composed and calculated in all that he touches. Everything from the gothic keys to Valle’s hushed vocals drip with notions of temperance and deliberation, with levels of intricacy and depth sowing the threads of his compositions into a wonderfully dense canvas. Valle is wise enough however to prevent this approach from sapping the humanity from his music. Acme Power Transmission is full of senses of desire, fear, and hope. It is a record which, despite its lack of translatable effects at times, is never lacking for a sense of experimentation.
Connections to Calla are bound to be made, particularly when bearing in mind the fact Valle was the vocalist, as well as guitarist, for his currently static band. However, Valle moves into a domain which rubs shoulders more with the New Romantics than that of the more guitar based work of his previous releases. The underlying sensuality and desire to be found upholding the sleazy bass and keys on “Deadbeat” ring a similar tune as would be found on a Depeche Mode track, espousing notions of fulfilling fantasies only conceived of in the dark. When Valle breathes “I’ll raise you up/I’ll bring you down,” it is this sense of domination which secretes this concept full of both appeal and fear. It is constructed with such panache and well-judged seduction that it becomes deliciously engaging, and makes for an impressive show of Valle’s ability to imbue various contrasting notions into one, cohesive piece of work. “Cowboy” similarly brings to the fore this creepy, atmospheric concoction of noise which Acme Power Transmission contains at its core, though this time takes a more emotive, hopeful concept into its composition. “I don’t want to wait for something better/I don’t want to wait for something more” is the refrain, smothered in synths and the gradual inclusion of strings to cut through the smog. What Valle is achieving is a poisonous mix of lust, hope and any other range of emotions one can conjure, and throws it against a backdrop of black. The result is often horrifyingly addictive, with a loss for ideas never an issue.
However, for all of the gothic sprayed over his work, Valle is able to induce some moments of serious fun into his music. Best expressed on my favourite track on the record, “Movement,” which features a wonderfully excitable strings refrain and Valle’s vocals at their most alluring. “Every movement that is made is mine” pronounces the same seductive domination presented earlier, but this time a level of funk is chucked in to deplete the sense of unease found on other tracks. It’s three minutes of twisted joy, and stands tall as a highlight on the album. “Electraglide,” which features Nina Persson of The Cardigans and A Camp on vocals, sounds like a deathly rendition of some sort of dancehall number, with an essence of a classic ballroom track, but as always, covered in a glaze of Valle’s trademark eerie drizzle. “Superhawk” similarly drops glistening flashes of fun amid the haunting keys and vocals. The brass section which crops up is enough to incite some shapes from even the most unwilling co-operator. It further builds upon the sense of refinement which runs throughout the record as a whole, with Valle never allowing himself to dip into a degree of integrity. His atmospherics and moody instrumentals are composed with a confidence which is infectious, and adds to the pleasure one can extract from Acme Power Transmission.
Acme Power Transmission exhibits an artist who is comfortable in his own musical skin. Valle’s compositional skills and ability to forge atmospherics, which can be both moving and enticing simultaneously are an art unto themselves, and the move into a more key-driven sound adds to the effect several times over. His time spent composing movie scores reflects via the two instrumental interludes, “Centuries” and “Kino,” both of which build upon the longer tracks around them, and are skillfully inputted in a way which only adds to the mastery elsewhere. Whether Calla do eventually get back together or Valle decides to stick at it alone, one thing is for certain; Acme Power Transmission ensures that either course will be a fruitful venture.
Rating: 3.5/5
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