Ambient in nature, yet stemming from an electronic background, Sintetizzatrice is a departure for Donato Dozzy and a wonderful debut for Anna Caragnano. The album’s title is the Italian feminine for “synthesizer”, but in this case it’s more of a synthesis.  Donato Dozzy layers and loops Cagagnano’s voice into lovely shapes and sizes.  These from time to time resemble the work of a synthesizer, but also flute, violin, even drums.  Add the fact that the vocalist engages in whistles and onomatopoeia, and the results are remarkable.

Lisa Gerard comes to mind; Caragnano has that multi-octave range, most apparent on “Parallelo” but present throughout.  Katie Gately and Holly Herndon are other recent contemporaries.  With the recent resurgence of interest in a cappella renditions (for example, “Pitch Perfect” and “The Sing-Off”), it’s amazing to hear all of the parts performed by a single voice.  But of course it’s not a single…