24.11.14

Rundholz Sep.21.1966: A (Not So) New Fragrance.

I was so excited by the news of a new fragrance from Rundholz. Their previous 03.Apr.1968 was an incredibly solid take on straight forward balmy incenses slightly softened by barely perceptible floral facets. Thick, bombastic and completely enveloping. As it weren't enough already, it came with one of the most interesting bottle / box design I've seen in a while. A little masterwork which, with much of my surprise, skipped the typical association between minimalism and inconsistency by presenting something monolithic and comforting at the same time.

I'm afraid 03.Apr.1968 hasn't been topped by the brand new Sep.21.1966. It's still a take on incense but this time, instead of the smoky opaqueness of their previous fragrance, they opted for transparency, ethereal floral notes and green elements. What comes out is something extremely familiar to those who know Buxton's or Duchaufour's works. It's a sharp synth oudy-woody-incense with the addition of rhubarb, heliotrope and magnolia. There's a subtle smokiness going on but the overall vibe it's definitely more luminous than Rundholz' previous delivery. Not something necessarily bad per-se and surely still pretty much in-line with the brand's aesthetic but it feels really too deja-vu to gain a completely positive rating.

I still have to properly figure out what it exactly reminds me of but, just to give you a rough idea on the territories in which Sep.21.1996 moves in, think about Mark Buxton's Devil In Disguise, Aedes De Venustas EDP (post-L'Artisan from 2012), a bunch of Comme Des Garcons (Girl above all) and basically most of the dry-woody stuff by either Duchaufour and Baxton.

Kind of a letdown, I'm afraid.

Perfumer is Arturetto Landi who previously worked on Rndholz' first fragrance and for other brands such as Linari, Biehl Parfumkunstwerke and I Profumi Del Forte amongst others.

Rating: 5.5-6/10

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