Giole Marrino – Usual Crowd (Album)
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Somewhere between the 1920s and the 2020s, suspended between electro swing, swing & jazz hop, lounge house and funk, somewhere between ordinary and chic, lies ‘Usual Crowd’. An album by Giole Marrino, a Serbian flutist, guitarist and producer who creates his own style, treating old swing samples with respect whilst combining them with the modern, fresh sound of electronics and live instruments. Where the inspiration for each of these songs was an ordinary person – someone whose face was perhaps a short snapshot of everyday noise.

‘Usual Crowd’ contains 12 tracks, 12 different personalities, 12 musical moods… Each song reflects a different character you might meet somewhere along the way, in a summer afternoon setting inspired by old films from the golden age. ‘Intro (Around The Corner)’ is an introduction and an invitation to this world. Calm, atmospheric, full of quiet whispers from people you only catch a glimpse of.

This album is a little café just “Around The Corner”, filled with dozens of faces hiding their stories. “Enthusiast”, full of optimistic energy, frivolous, bringing a smile to the faces of the rest of the “Usual Crowd”. ‘My Baby’ – that girl who gives you a flirtatious glance and sways gently to a swing hop rhythm with a touch of ragtime. ‘Sweet Honey Boy’, which leaves you wanting more, trailing a mysterious aura of a lounge house vibe. ‘Casey Jones’ has popped in for a quick coffee – the eternal escapist who prefers to stay in his own slow, peaceful world, seeking an escape from the crowd. And from the corner, a restless dreamer watches it all, feeling the disco vibe, her legs itching to dance so much that all she can do is ‘Waiting For Tonight’. Meanwhile, someone asks “Will You Have A Cigar?”, and you already know that the atmosphere is starting to heat up and it’s time to let yourself be carried away by this electro swing groove, which will be like a sweet addiction for you.

Giole Marrino recorded the flute and guitar parts and composed and produced all the tracks on “Usual Crowd” himself. The exception is “Nice Is Ugly”, composed by Anana – a painfully honest confession that portrays a person who, under the cover of politeness and a smile, hides something dark and not entirely genuine.

Anana’s vocals can also be heard on the swing-pop track “NightLatch” – both in the original version and in the remix by the French beatmaker and pioneer of the swing-hop genre, ProleteR.

Giole Marrino’s “Usual Crowd” is an album about real people, composed with soul and a love of music. About those who stand out precisely because they are “Different”. Perhaps you’ll discover yourself and see your own face in one of these songs? Maybe “Around The Corner” is the soundtrack to your own story, inspired by the faces you see every day…