Corde Oblique
Intricate classical guitar meets ethereal female vocals in a lush blend of Neapolitan history and shoegaze haze. Mediterranean chamber folk for deep contemplation.
Intricate classical guitar meets ethereal female vocals in a lush blend of Neapolitan history and shoegaze haze. Mediterranean chamber folk for deep contemplation.
Corde Oblique sounds like a bridge between the ancient and the modern, where the precision of classical guitar meets the vast, echoing spaces of dream pop. The music is anchored by Riccardo Prencipe’s masterful fingerpicking, which provides a rhythmic and melodic skeleton for a rotating cast of ethereal female vocalists. It feels like a sun-drenched afternoon in a Mediterranean garden that has been slowly reclaimed by nature: elegant, slightly overgrown, and deeply rooted in the soil of Southern Italy.
What makes the project truly distinctive is the 'FolkGaze' evolution. While many neofolk acts stay strictly acoustic, Prencipe introduces layers of reverb and subtle electric textures that expand the sound into something more cinematic and immersive. The lyrical focus on art history and Italian heritage adds a scholarly weight to the music, making it feel like a curated gallery of sound rather than just a collection of songs.
Start with 'A Hail of Bitter Almonds' to hear the project at its most balanced and evocative. It perfectly captures the blend of neoclassical arrangement and folk sensibility that has made them a staple of the European dark wave and ethereal scenes. If you prefer a more atmospheric, hazy experience, their later work exploring the FolkGaze sound offers a unique entry point into their evolving aesthetic.
Corde Oblique are one of the main ethereal progressive neofolk bands from Italy. They are the solo project of Riccardo Prencipe (composer, art historian) with vocal contributions from numerous female singers and actresses. After night studio albums the project began to change its skin and proposed "FolkGaze" sounds, a cross between folk and shoegazer. Corde Oblique have performed over 150 concerts in the following countries: Italy, Germany, China, Albania, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Bulgaria, France. Riccardo Prencipe also collaborated with Many vocal guests and musicians, featuring members from the following bands: Anathema, Daemonia Nymphe, Spiritual Front, Ashram, Fulci, Irfan, Miro Sassolini, Andrea Chimenti and more Graduated in classical guitar from the Conservatory of Naples San Pietro a Majella, since 2000 Prencipe has released eight albums, distributed in Europe and worldwide by record companies in different countries (Russia, China, Germany, France and Portugal), all excellently reviewed by critics. The original pieces proposed by the ensemble speak of the history of Italian art and of a "wild and talented" South.
Shares neofolk, neoclassical, violin, chamber folk (subgenre)
Shares neofolk, neoclassical, chamber folk, soprano (subgenre)
Shares neofolk, chamber folk, soprano, dream pop (subgenre)
Shares neofolk, neoclassical, violin, cello (subgenre)
Shares neofolk, reverb heavy, chamber folk, dream pop (subgenre)
Shares neofolk, violin, chamber folk, dream pop (subgenre)
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →
