Internazionale feels incongruous. Musically it is comfortable enough: a sea of gentle prickling, lapping and swirling tones. Their songs are clean and smooth like glass; all the edges buffed away to a sleek, glinting finish. But try and put one of their songs into a mix or playlist and the only place it seems to fit is alongside other European electronic acts like Croatian Amor or Rosen & Spydet. It focuses too much on rhythm to be properly “ambient” but its overt simplicity sets it apart from things like later period Emeralds. Something in it sticks with you though: the cool, airy notes and reverb heavy synthesizer work has a feeling of purity, like an early morning breeze or the first cold trickle of water over your face as you step into the shower. Perhaps the best word is “wistful.” There is a sense of being lost in thought or memory with the haze of electronics; a feeling of being disconnected from the present as time drops down a gear and slows to enjoy the scenery. That’s really the magic of this sort of music: it can stretch a little under ten minutes of sound into a vast, singular moment of contemplation.
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