Review: Giöbia ‘X-ÆON’

The most captivating aspect of Milan’s psych space rock quartet Giöbia lies in their remarkable ability to continually shape and revolutionise their sound from one album to the next, showcasing a truly impeccable musical career since their formation in the early 2000s.

Their journey began with the release of Beyond The Stars (Ethnoworld, 2004), an album capable of taking you on a mesmerising ride through a blend of indie rock, shoegaze and prog rock, with singer/keyboardist Melissa Crema delivering songs in a fascinating way.

The album is a lush exploration of sound, rich with dreamy guitar riffs and atmospheric layers that capture the essence of introspection and wonder that shows what would become an evolution in their musical style, exploring their creative potential right from the start.

Five years later, they return with their second album, Hard Stories(Area Pirata/Jestrai Records, 2010). This was not just a follow-up; it marked a significant transformation in their sound, diving themselves into the world of ’60s psychedelic garage rock, absorbing influences that would shape their new brief direction. The melodies became bolder, and the instrumentation more vibrant, echoing the likes of the Pretty Things, The Seeds, etc. It showed their ability of how they can switch music genres, demonstrating a sense of growth, a stroll into a space filled with both nostalgia and fresh experiences that felt lively and immediate.

As the winds of change sweep across the cosmic landscape, Giöbia find themselves adrift in an untravelled space nebula, creating an atmosphere that fuels their creativity. Inside this magnificent cosmic expanse, the band begins to explore a new musical direction, releasing Introducing Night Sound (Sulatron Records, 2013). Here they stepped boldly into a new era, marking a moment of transformation that resonates throughout their future works. They have woven what feels both transcendental and grounding, mixing together elements of psych jazz and progressive rock, like a mantra echoing through the vastness of space. A sound that brings to mind festival faves Ozric Tentacles.

They have now established a musical trademark that is unmistakably their own. Like Julius Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon, the band recognises that their exploring journey has begun. Alea iacta est indeed – the die is cast, and as they venture forth, they embrace the excitement of what lies ahead, fully prepared to explore the infinite possibilities of their art. There’s a unique and profound satisfaction in journeying alongside a band, witnessing their artistic evolution as their music unfurls and transports you to a stratospheric sonic garden of their own creation.

This immersive experience is vividly exemplified by a band whose soundscapes have continuously expanded, initially launching into a disturbing, devastating, and forcefully turbulent heavy space sound with Magnifier (Sulatron Records, 2015), an unexpected hurricane delivered by Stefano ‘Bazu’ Basurto‘s distorted guitar, Pietro D’Ambrosio‘s hypnotic drums, Paolo ‘Detrji’ Basurto‘s pulsating bass, and Melissa Crema‘s intergalactic keyboard work that challenges the likes of New York’s White Hills.

The journey then subtly shifts, as the so-called calm after the storm arrives with Plasmatic Idol (Heavy Psych Sounds, 2020) where they gracefully embrace mantra and acid folk styles, while their contributions to a split album, The Intergalactic Connection – Exploring The Sideral Remote Hyperspace, with The Cosmic Dead offer light, yet welcoming, psych acid explorations.

Away from Giöbia, in 2021, Stefano and Melissa formed electronic space rock quintet La Morte Viene Dallo Spazio, delivering Tribal Vision (which I reviewed for pleniROCKium). Ultimately, it is with their penultimate album, Acid Disorder(Heavy Psych Sounds, 2023), that the true wonder of their imaginary universe fully blossoms; a little gem of cosmic stoner acid space rock, it feels plasma-like, sensual, and warmly enveloping.

turbulent fusion of insane psych-heavy space stoner…

Embracing the celestial aperture, X-ÆON unfolds as an adventurous journey to reflect a timeless cycle that transcends the conventional boundaries of past and future, guiding us into an indeterminate dimension beyond ordinary human perception. As singer/keyboardist Melissa Crema eloquently explains, ‘X embodies the unknown, the very unspeakable part of existence, while ÆON suggests an eternal cosmic recurrence, together conveying a profound journey beyond linear time, into a realm where sound itself becomes the sole means of experiencing infinity.‘

Giobia masterfully ushers us into this world of imaginary psychic perception, where our lived reality exists beyond conventional space and time, through a bleak future where cosmic sound emerges as the only viable means of human communication.

From the outset, we are irresistibly drawn into a restless vortex of emotional disintegration, brought forth by the turbulent fusion of insane psych-heavy space stoner in the hyperbolic form of Voodoo Experience. A track driven by an extraterrestrial charge that propels one into a frenzied voodoo dance that continues unabated through the relentless Fractal Haze.

A supersonic space power trip where one finds themselves ceaselessly channelled into a continuous hypnotic, turbulent sound, utterly unable to concentrate mentally or physically, attracted by an unseen monster magnet. A moment of relaxing respite gently arrives with the three-minute psych-rock ballad The Death Of The Crows, which continues to transport us in a translucent carriage of flowing spoken words of 1976.

The album reaches its emotionally compelling zenith with the four-piece suite, La Morte De La Terre (The Death of the Earth), a cosmic narrative that deftly blends science fiction with a strikingly prescient vision. Inspired by J. H. Rosny Aîné’s 1910 novel, this visionary tale of humanity’s last stand against extinction in a bleak future making its themes feel deeply personal.

Musically, the suite unfolds as a monumental sonic journey, from the immersive opening of Vers Les Terres -Rouge (Toward The Red Lands) through its expansive cosmic narrative, transporting one to the vulnerable and contemplative embrace of Dans la Nuit Éternelle (In The Eternal Night). This cosmic-spatial epic shimmers, fades, and explodes with a captivating beauty, brimming with both nostalgia and vivid experiences.

In true plain words, X-ÆON is their most captivating work that evokes pleasant emotions and stands as a breathtaking conclusion, a testament to the album’s ability to interweave grand cosmic narratives with the poignant anxieties of our own precarious present.

Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo