From Bassano del Grappa, Italy, comes a tantalizing mix of hyper-electronic and industrial sound. The new album from Torba II offers an amalgamation of inspiration from many points of view in various genres.

Torba is the solo project of Italian musician Luigi Pianezzola. Debuting with the single “Papers” in 2023. Torba has managed to form a solidified style since its creation. Even in Torba’s first release, one can hear the gritty danciness this artist has begun to be known for and the overdriven, maniacal vocals splattered on top.

Track one of Torba’s new albums, PRELUDE, quickly gives the listener an idea of what to expect from this latest project. It opens to a deep, resonating bass playing on a continuous loop. Kickdrums infect the audience’s head, and angelic vocal samples follow right behind.

The synths used by Pianezzola on this album have an undeniably galactic sound. Track two, “DEAL,” uses these synths to almost mimic the sounds of early video games of the Atari era. It is mixed with bellowing vocals, holding the listener’s attention and ensuring they are caught off guard when the song drops into wild and intense arpeggios.

Track four of the album, “WIRE,” is one of its brightest spots. More galactic synths to create what feels like the soundtrack of a cursed video game that kills whoever dares play it. At the same time, the vocals add to this chaos most satisfyingly; the overdrives on the voice worm into the ears of the listener until adequately burrowed.

All in all, this album is refined chaos. It deals with disorienting slaps to the face as one tries to follow it into whatever den of madness it is descending towards. The only suggestion is that whoever may listen will accept this intensity and follow it without question. They will come out the other side with an original and electrifying experience.

While reviewing this album, it was almost impossible to find information on its creator, Luigi Pianezzola, aka Torba. One can only hope this problem will not exist in the near future. Any fan or musician alike with interests in the weirder side of the art form will soon, with any justice, be familiar with the name Torba and all of the scary fun that comes along with it.