The musical language of Fausto Romitelli is a characteristic and easily recognizable combination of the principles of the spectral school with its attention to the musical sound, its color and internal structure with the sound of psychedelic rock of the 1960s and 1970s. He was no stranger to the feeling of tonal center, however, in new sound conditions. Professor Bad Trip (1998–2000) consists of three “lessons” inspired by texts by William Burroughs and Henri Michaux. Using this work as an example, the article examines the harmonic problems of Romitelli’s music and suggests relevant methods of analysis. The key point of harmonic technique is the combination of spectrally reconstructed “electric” sounds and more traditional techniques of pitched composition. The main role in the organization is played by materialized, almost tangible sound, which embodies the feeling of distorted, unnatural, synthetic. Hypnotic, ritualized repetitions with gradual deformation creates a recognizable author’s sound of Romitelli’s music.
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