Throughout my many adventures of writing and music I have been lucky enough to stumble across treasures. Some I’ve had to dig for and some have been presented to me plainly and simply, as was this new EP from Dino Malito. Quite honestly, there is really nothing plain about it, more close to extraordinary. Getting to know Dino through his music has been a really nice experience for me. First with his band Serum from the late 90’s-early 2000’s to his current band Captain Black Heart and now with this solo offering. Dino and I had only come into contact with each other maybe about a year ago mainly because of Music-Survival-Guide. It’s just one of the cool perks I get from doing this wonderful thing.
On May 4th Dino will release his first solo EP through Domo Music Group. For a debut it is somewhat unusual as it is a collection of covers from Japanese New Age artist Kitaro. Nothing short of a sensation himself (Kitaro) being a Grammy and Golden-Globe winner for his compositions which use a variety of synthesizers and sounds. But for Malito, on this release, he has stripped down the walls and brought something peaceful, something of the earth and soil. Being a master of many a stringed thing he presents this tribute in such a reserved tasteful manner, bordering on perfectionist but pulling back ever so slightly before the true soul of the work becomes compromised or mechanical. This is a recording that makes you want to leave the chaos behind…of the world…of a hectic life. Music in so many ways heals. It’s something we can all relate to universally and that is truly beautiful. And there is plenty of beauty to be found in this small 5 track EP. What Dino set out to accomplish reminds me of a bit of my appreciation for John Wesley Harding who did something similar with his release, Trad Arr Jones, which was a tribute to Nic Jones, a London born folk singer. Harding compiled covers of Jones’ whimsical craft and presented them in such an irresistible way that I had to immediately hook myself on either of their works. And here, with Malito’s new EP, he may just do the same for anyone of us as this recording presents something truly magical. He even has the approval of Kitaro himself, “I was pleasantly surprised by these warm interpretations of my music…” So discover this with me as I peel back more layers of this wonderful release which is clearly from the heart of a truly talented individual. Thank you for sharing this with me…with us, Dino.
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