Founded in 2001 in Bologna, Italy, Accordo dei Contrari was conceived as an instrument for producing original instrumental music. For three years, the band worked as a trio with Cristian Franchi on drums, Giovanni Parmeggiani on the keys, and Alessandro Pedrini on guitar. In 2003 Daniele Piccinini joined the band on bass while Alessandro Pedrini retired. In January 2004 the band became a quintet – musical organ: Cristian Franchi (drums, drums), Giovanni ParMeggiani (keyboards), Danieles Piccininis (bass), Marco Marzo (guitar) and Vladimiro Cantaluppi (violin).
In 2006 Vladimiro Cantaluppi left the band after a month of recording. The band recorded their first work as a quartet and recorded it with Cristian Franchi on drums, Giovanni Parmeggiani on the keyboard, Daniele Piccinini on bass, and Marco Marzo on guitar Kinesis album. The album was critically acclaimed after two days of live recording in June 2006 in the studio and short overdubs of violin and saxophone in October and November 2006. It won the 2007 Prog Award for Best Italian Album for Progressive Rock.
In 2007 they focused their attention on improvisation and polyrhythms, playing and interacting on stage to grow as a live rock group. In 2008-2009 they began to play concerts throughout Europe, from the Altrock Festival in Milan, Italy to the ProgResiste Vervier in Belgium, the Cheese Prog Festival in Strasbourg, France, the Gong Festival in Parma, Italy and the Freakshow Artrock Festival in Würzburg, Germany and performed on new compositions both acoustic and electric.
In July 2010, they recorded their second album Kublai at Mauro Paganis Officine in Meccaniche, Milan, and released it as their production in April 2011. In the meantime, they started a collaboration with Richard Sinclair (ex-Caravan, Hatfield, North Camel) as a live act. They were engaged in 2010 for the prestigious 2011 Nearfest in Bethlehem, PA, USA, but it was canceled.
In one of the newly recorded songs, “Lombra un sogno,” Richard Sinclair sings.
In September 2012, they played their first trip abroad at the prestigious Progday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. In 2013, the band worked on new material with Loris Ceroni’s Le Dune Riolo Terme during a two-day and one-day recording period (17-18 January and 15 February 2014) and released their instrumental album ADC Altrock in 2014.
In August 2014, the electric quartet performed at the renowned Crescendo Festival in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, France. The formation was enriched with violin, viola, and cello. They also played with a trio of basses at the Berchidda Festival, organized by the famous trumpeter Paolo Fresu.
Bassist Daniele Piccinini left the band between August and September 2014. Stefano Radaelli (alto and baritone saxophone) joined the band in January 2016.
It is a testimony of the inspiration, efficiency, and diversity of the newly formed quartet of Cristian Franchi (drums), Giovanni Parmeggiani (keyboards), Stefano Radaelli (alto and baritone saxophone), and Marco Marzo (guitar). Her influences range from rock and progressive music, rock and jazz of the seventies, contemporary jazz, 20th-century classical music, Stravinsky and Messiaen.
Accordo dei Contrari is a music blog created to promote music that doesn't fit into any established genre, but rather is a mixture of different styles. The blog currently features reviews for albums, singles, and EPs by artists from all over the world.