Area

Area stood apart in 1970s Italy through an unyielding mix of jazz-rock, ethnic folk, sonic experimentation, and political ideas. Leading this fusion was vocalist Demetrio Stratos, who layered yodels and growls over his operatic foundation. Following Stratos’s death in 1979, the surviving members issued a single instrumental album before splitting up.

Musicians drawn from pop, avant-garde, and jazz circles established the group in 1972. Its core lineup featured Demetrio Stratos (born 1945, Alexandria, Egypt; died June 13, 1979, NY – voice, organ, harpsichord, percussion), Giulio Capiozzo (born 1946, Boretto, Italy – drums, percussion), and Patrizio Fariselli (born 1951, Cesenatico, Italy – piano, electric piano, bass clarinet, percussion, ARP synthesizer). Guitarist Johnny Lambizzi and bassist Victor Edouard Busniello soon gave way to Giampaolo Tofani (born 1944, Florence – electric guitar, EMS guitar synthesizer, flute) and Patrick Erard Djivas (bass). Manager Gianni Sassi placed the band on the independent Cramps label, resulting in the 1973 release Arbeit Macht Frei. The album’s provocative title, artwork, and lyrics formed a direct protest against fascism; by calling themselves an “International POPular Group,” Area redefined popular music as music for the people. Its sound drew early inspiration from jazz-rock ensembles such as Soft Machine and Nucleus while incorporating Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern folk elements.

After that debut, Djivas moved to PFM and was succeeded by Ares Tavolazzi (born 1948, Ferrara, Italy – bass, double bass, trombone, pocket trumpet). The follow-up, Caution Radiation Area, refined the band’s singular approach by merging rock drive with the disorienting disorder of experimental music and sustained its political engagement. Dedicating a track to German guerrilla activist Ulrike Meinhof drew greater international attention to the group’s activism than to its recordings. Over subsequent years Area performed benefits for contentious political causes and aligned with Italian leftist youth and working-class movements, including the socialist and communist parties. Crac! (1975), which earned a progressive music award in Italy, offered the clearest demonstration of the band’s volatile fusion: frantic, disorienting rhythms and melodies offset by humor and avant-garde gestures. The live set Are(A)zione appeared in fall 1975.

Further experimentation proved difficult to sustain. Maledetti (1976) recruited outside players, a move that ultimately scattered the group’s focus. The live recording Event ’76 captured Area at its most extreme, consisting largely of harsh, tuneless textures. Anto/Logicamente appeared in 1977 as a “greatest-hits” collection while Stratos pursued solo projects centered on vocal experimentation. By 1978 the musicians had moderated their most divisive tendencies, producing Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno…, an album that remained melodic and playful without becoming conventional pop. The record stood as a high point of global melodies, jazz technique, and irreverent stance. Stratos’s death from leukemia in New York in 1979 halted the band’s momentum; a memorial concert featuring leading figures from Italy’s progressive scene was recorded as a double album. Area resurfaced with the largely instrumental Tic & Tac (1980), an energetic statement that favored celebration over mourning and leaned toward the prevailing jazz-fusion style. At the close of 1996, Capiozzo and Fariselli revived Area for Chernobyl 7991, enlisting jazz bassist Paolino Dalla Porta (aka Paola Dalla Porta) and guitarist Fabio Condorelli.

Additional live recordings have appeared since the band’s original run, and Area’s example continues to affect listeners willing to follow its path.