Scents & Sounds, part 1

the first of a series; three winter pairings

In addition to my passion for music, I am deeply interested in the exploration and experience of fragrances. Perfumers often seek to evoke specific concepts, emotions, or memories when crafting releases - especially in niche and independent perfumery. This is where most of my interest lies and I find myself consistently testing as many as I can get my hands on, both for the novelty and to expand my points of reference.

For some time, I’ve had a lingering idea to share fragrances that have either been in recent rotation or tested but instead of just doing reviews that inevitably won’t say much that hasn’t already been covered elsewhere, I want to give a brief overview of whatever context I can find, emotion/memory connections, and then look at music and/or art that capture a bit of the ‘mood’ for me. While scents are powerful storytellers on their own, I’m interested in the juxtaposition of them with other works of art.

This is the first of a series for this concept, which I assume will evolve over time.

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Orto Parisi - Terroni

Launched in 2017 from perfumer Alessandro Gualtieri, the famed nose behind the fragrance houses of Nasomatto, Orto Parisi, and MariaLux (with his wife), Terroni makes a bold statement.

While the name of this fragrance has some not-so-pleasant connotations — ‘Terroni’ or ‘Terrone’ is a term that can often be insulting or derogatory toward southern Italians — it, like the word ‘terrior’ in French, is derived from the Latin ‘Terra’ meaning soil, earth, or land. With the multiple interpretations of this name, it ends up being a clever tie-in to the theme of the fragrance.

Crater of Volcano, Quetzaltenango-Guatemala - Eadweard Muybridge (1875)

Inspired by Mt. Vesuvius and the land around it, Terroni smells like charred soil and birch trees, with a bit of sweetness and complexity from various resinous notes. To me, it brings back memories of disturbing an old campfire spot, catching light whiffs of ash, smoke, and charred dirt with the slight sweetness of the resins from unburnt, but warmed, wood scraps. After the smokiness fades away, the oxidized soil really starts to stand out. Ultimately, this dark, earthy, and slightly smoky creation feels mysterious and somewhat desolate, while still staying — quite literally — grounded.

A song that immediately comes to mind for me with this fragrance is ‘Untitled #1 (Vaka)’ from Sigur Rós, specifically the music video for it depicting a post-apocalyptic world with ash falling from the sky.

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Francesca Bianchi - Byzantine Amber

Inspired by the mosaics of Byzantium, Francesca offers her take on the amber accord in this beautiful creation. Byzantine Amber is a wonderful interpretation of a classic amber accord that is somehow cold, dusty, and ‘historic’ yet very much alive - from the ancient halls of long-fallen empires to modern spice markets. It’s a nod to Byzantium’s role as both a geographical and cultural bridge between the East and the West; Europe and Asia.

Salome dancing before Herod - Gustave Moreau (1874-76)

It departs from the contemporary approach to amber with, notably, the omission of vanilla that keeps it from becoming too sweet or syrupy. The geranium note adds a blast of freshness associated with the flower, but this also gives it a somewhat dusty feel, like cracking open an old wooden chest filled with centuries-old belongings, forgotten to time. It is radiant, yet dry. Sunrays beating through stained glass windows onto dusty bookshelves.

For me, the music that comes to mind with this one is the song ‘Reflections of God’ from Jaubi, a transcendent piece from an equally stellar album that features a fusion of Raga and spiritual Jazz — sounds of the East and West.

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Pineward - Sturbridge

Nick Nilsson, the owner and nose behind the fragrance house Pineward, is passionate about pines and conifers, so much so that the majority of the scents in his fairly large portfolio have at least one of these notes. His goal is to recreate the rawness of the forest and more often than not, he nails it. While I have quite a few favorites from the house — including the crisp ‘White Fir’ and the damp, fungi-infused ode to forest decomposition ‘Funerie’ — Sturbridge is my go-to from the house in the Fall/Winter seasons.

Christmas Market - Alexander Buchkuri (1906)

Spiced apples, incense, fir garlands, and pinecones combine in this resinous, almost-sticky creation that brings to mind a bustling holiday market, like the one in the painting above. The scent is both celebratory and yet reflective. The ‘cool’ aromatic nature of the fir/pine notes paried with the warm spices and resins really paint the perfect picture of the season.

‘巨木曾在的痕跡 (Remains of Ancient Trees)’ by Cicada is evocative of snow falling in the forest near a cabin in the winter, the warm orange glow from a fire seen through a window — inner warmth in a cold world.