''Technophobia'' by Rio Wolta

Technophobia

''Technophobia'' is the fourth album by the Zurich-based composer and musician Rio Wolta. It deals with our fears and sings about a fictional place where people have stopped believing in the future and progress. The album was created in collaboration with Domi Chansorn and is being released 10 years after the debut. Just in time for the anniversary, the dancing excavators from Rio Wolta's first release will also be back. This time on the big screen.

''Technophobia” is set in a fictional city with supposedly ideal conditions. Everything works, and everyone works. The streets are reasonably quiet, occasionally crossed by distant people (individuals!) with moderate emotions. Everything seems clear, rational, and explainable. Emotions are under control, and people are always ready for the next innovation, the next step.

I can hardly breathe today / I feel a distance to myself / I cover my chest to feel right / I cover my face to see right / I can hardly stand the way, I simplify the world today / I built my fence the way it feels right / I built my fence it feels so right... Rio sings.

Rio Wolta comments precisely on the threats of our time and creates a new sphere in each of his songs. In ''Merit”, people forgo sleep and instead run through the night in lockstep, ''Kara (Again)” tells of a love story that fails because of technology and in ''10 Paces”, programmed therapists advise us on how we can best combat technophobia. Rio Wolta cleverly transfers the machine to the instrumentation, texture and dramaturgy of the album. ''Technophobia” plays with repetitions, grids, samples and oscillating synths. And everything is subordinated to his voice, which can hurt so beautifully when sung and spoken and creates intimate moments when you least expect them (''Escape”).

This album is like a movie that has to be completed in your imagination. It's an album that you should get involved with as a whole, has depth, and you can take off a little further each time you listen to it. It was written at night in an attic in Zurich, not far from the Limmat river. At the best possible moment, the co-producer of the album, Domi Chansorn, came along to add what was missing and to mix the album. Rio Wolta composed the songs, lyrics and played most of the instruments.

Finally, yet importantly, ''Technophobia” is released 10 years after Rio Wolta's debut song ''Through My Street”. The video, which was created in collaboration with the director Piet Baumgartner, features dancing excavators in an abandoned gravel pit. This work has achieved cult status. It won several awards, toured the world and was the beginning of a long collaboration. The excavators have stayed with Baumgartner over the years, as has his desire to tell the disturbing story of his family. In his feature film ''Bagger Drama”, both will be shown in cinemas this year.

Graham writes

For more information, follow Rio Wolta on Spotify, Soundcloud and Instagram.

Rio Wolta