“An island is not truly an island unless it becomes the place from which one departs and to which one returns. This is what Matteo Pastorino has done—and continues to do—in his attempt to define the boundaries of his thoughts. It has been happening for many years, as he journeys from his native Sardinia across today’s Europe, finally landing in Paris, where he encounters musicians of diverse origins from the four corners of the world. This demonstrates how the wealth of the future must lie in the hope inspired by migratory flows, which reveal the beauty of diversity. LightSide marks a return from a long journey through memory and time, as well as across latitudes. Built and brought to life with Domenico Sanna, Dario Deidda, and Armando Luongo, his reeds paint a landscape that spans the varied colors of a Mediterranean in dialogue with the Old Continent. It is a work that seeks to affirm the importance and originality of language and the function of the archetype, capable of building and generating contrast and light in an interplay of midday brilliance and misty dusk. The sound of the bass clarinet brings me back to my first encounters with music of the 1980s, particularly "Scales" by Manfred Schoof, with the inspired contribution of Michael Pilz. It was 1976, and that music, emanating from the heart of Europe, echoed the contours of a new geography being shaped within the creative process of Central Europe. I don’t know if Matteo has drawn breath from that artistic moment, but I am certain his eyes have captured the precious moments of his journey, and that this has been nourished by the sounds encountered at the crossroads of the planet. This is LightSide.            A fluid work, dynamically in motion, expanding time and offering space to silence—so that we can still imagine what does not yet exist."

PAOLO FRESU