Richard Barbieri - Hauntings

‘Hauntings’ is Richard Barbieri’s first studio album since 2021’s ‘Under A Spell’ and deepens the pensive, dark instrumental aesthetic of its predecessor. A diverse collection of immersive sound worlds, both dark and uplifting in equal measure, ‘Hauntings’ is influenced by a nostalgia for the past and future, and for things that didn’t happen yet still manage to haunt the mind and soul. What is real and what is simulation? The album finds Barbieri at the height of his powers, his deft keyboard and sonic architecture conjuring a shadowy, creeping Lovecraftian atmosphere. The music wanders through the streets Victorian London and drifts into Belle Époque Paris. These journeys into the past are contrasted with nihilistic but euphoric forays into the future, “Traveler” and “A New Simulation” bristling with the itchy modern anxiety that often runs through his best work. The Blu Ray version includes a Hi-Res Stereo mix plus a 5.1 Surround, Dolby Atmos & Binaural mixes.