TRAKS MAGAZINE #7

No.7 - January 2017

La fabbrica delle nuvole three notes in the room alberto n.a.turra the pier cromosauri

REVIEWS

marydolls dorom dazed

INTERVIEWS

NEWS

www.musictraks.com

contents 4

8

Interview La fabbrica delle nuvole

birthh

26

VIDEOS

28

Review Alberto N.A. turra “Filmworks�

interview marco germani

30

12

review Marydolls

14

interview the pier

18

review Movin k

20

review dorom dazed

22

reviews

24 26

interview ilsennodipoi interview cromosauri

TRAKS MAGAZINE www.musictraks.com Editor in Chief: Fabio Alcini info@musictraks.com

interview

La fabbrica delle nuvole three notes in the room La Fabbrica delle Nuvole (The Factory of Clouds) is the solo debut of Livio Rabito. A delicate album, for the singer who has a past beside Eneide, Randone and Baciamolemani.

We asked him a few questions.

4

You have a musical story already quite rich.

Is the idea to introduce yourself as a solo artist recent or “old�?

In fact I always thought that sooner or later it would be the time to create a personal

project; there are many ideas stored in the drawer, so many of my experiences to tell and so many musical tunes always running in my head. In the past I played the electric bass in the company of friends, brothers musicians

5

with whom I shared intense life experiences.

In 2013 I decided to open the drawer and I selected eleven songs that, little by little, have come to life within the walls of the “Fabbrica delle Nuvole Studio�, my house.

interview

You started working to the lp in 2013: what has prolonged the time, attention to detail, mishaps or other collaborations?

Anyone who knows me, knows that the realization of an lp for me is not easy. I would stay hours and hours listening to three notes revolve around the room, and if the notes

are the right ones, lined up one behind the other, and dressed in a beautiful sound, then all this becomes very attractive for me and at the same time dangerous . When I started to arrange the disk I closed my eyes and opened them only now, in 2017. I do not know what happened in those three years, maybe I’ve

6

been asleep at the sound of those three notes.

There is a dreamlike atmosphere that pervades the entire disc. In what type of moods and feelings they have grown and “macerated” the songs on the disc to get this kind of result?

Somehow the three notes mentioned earlier, floating in the air creating the dreamlike, synthesize the concept that revolves around eleven songs. I really like the simplicity of things, the authenticity and being completely naked in front of the listener, and already imagine the reaction of the she-readers ... jokes aside, I believe that the identity of these pieces lies in the combination of the intimate emotions I turned into words and notes embroidered around them. My songs

speak of bizarre dreams, clouds, lost loves and intimate experiences that have touched the strings of my creativity. The sound of La Fabbrica dei Sogni has been enhanced thanks to the collaboration of many friends musicians who have interpreted and reinterpreted the most of the instrumental parts that I had long been in the lead. Finally those notes found peace among the tracks on the lp.

How is it born “Polvere di Stelle”?

Sometimes songs come from a strong emotion that one feels during a moment, a moment in which you capture something that wraps and marks inside. You feel something, an emotion that you sense you alone, in front of a sunset, during a meeting, in the pages of a book. Something marks and moves to the point of writing a poem or a song. “Polvere di Stelle” was born during one of my nightly readings, a time when I still had energy to dive in a building of twelve hundred pages novel. The book in question is Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, a gift that a few years ago made me a special person. At page 598 something hit me, I found myself walking towards the pier in Colaba Khader Khan Company and its interesting arguments about the universe.

Who is or who are the Italians independent artists you esteems the most right now?

I like to follow music festival and concerts everywhere and my bulletin board in the kitchen tickets can prove it. I am happy that the music will never cease to amaze me, and, from time to time, new musicians, bands and songwriters are mushrooming on the lawns of my listening. In Italy many artists play outside the mainstream basin, including DiMartino and Colapesce, Sicilian too, are artists who now follow for a few years.

7

review

alberto n.a. turra “Filmworks” Music for moving images, whether to use film, theater or ballet, is an aspect of the production of Alberto Turra which has occupied a period of fifteen years and never before has found a way, and the need to be collected.

During the year in which two important films-documentaries, docu-fiction by Francesco Fei “Giovanni Segantini: ritorno alla natura”

starring Filippo Timi and “The Origins of Music” of the Mexican Daniel Arvizu and Sam Madrigal, have seen the light, the need has arisen and also along the way. Felmay label, that with Turra in recent years has forged an important partnership on fronts of Turbogolfer, Mahmoud Band and Nippon Eldorado, decided to take a reasoned look, hyper-selected but very representative of the work that the guitarist-composer has put in service of cinema and arts. Turra describes this selection with these words: “Fifteen years of music written on commission - factually - not immediately puts you in a position to seek a listening consistency outside of the work for which it was written. It’s not obvious that ‘the’ music has the power to be heard outside ‘that’ context and it’s even less obvious that the chosen songs, coming from distant worlds between them, are able to form a decent ladder for an album. In this sense, the sorting was technically and emotionally a nightmare for the bulk technically and emotionally to the story.

I mean that when you write for a film you’re actually trying to accomplish the sound ima-

gination of the director, you have to do this, this is you always do; why I almost always had the feeling that many musics were born out of no less than two people, even in cases in which the songs were written long before the conception of the film: it seems a nonsense but when the director heard that your old song and he says ‘fuck, it’s perfect!’ happens a special and disturbing thing, your song is about the re-birth for new meaning and you stay there as a father trying to remember what were you thinking when you wrote it. In two cases (Dustin and Trevor) I have therefore taken the liberty of also witness the inverse dynamics, that wonderful time when songs that you think svolteranno the work, in the end, are not included in the film. “ Alberto N.A. Turra track by track Lp starts with aggressive Otto Haiku sulla morte (il primo), a minute of roaring guitar. Ideas entirely different ones of Seconda lamentazione, which supports the discourse with arches, in an environment that suddenly becomes classical and meditative. The guitar

10

review in Japanese. The “full” version of Otto Haiku sulla Morte shows the guitar in solo, between echoes and sunny landscapes. Dreamy atmospheres are the ones of Dustin, that goes in psychedelic land but without losing a grip on the earth, indeed spreading horizontally.

Papa Legba is My Sensei explores wastelands, with guitar and minimal percussion.

Prima lamentazione moves into dark territories, with continuous loops and variations that can invoke ambient artists. Lp closes with Col di Lana, a climb with slow ways, with the jazz moods and dark colors of bass that contrast with the crystalline speed of six strings.

Traces condensed into this work of Alberto N.A. Turra, although born in times and for different purposes, approach side to side like a good puzzle. The overall result offers a varied and interesting picture, not only highlighting the excellence of talent as a guitarist, but a very rich vision.

tries to mess up the plans, but not so much. A suffered course is drawn in Irish Mississippi, with ideas that flow with a much “played” guitar that does not seem to miss a beat fraction.

Another change on the horizon that of Cellule, which is guided entirely by piano, with a soft and melancholic air. Human voices instead appear to punctuate the passage of Darvish, in which the guitar fits with kindness and harmony. Tones a lot more determined the ons that characterize Trevor, with some hints of tex-mex and a fluid performance, in constant confrontation with the horns. Curfew Go Go Go returns to the piano, but in a nervous and accelerated manner, waiting for some sudden epiphany, that opens and closes in an instant. The song is definitely among the more traditional for a “soundtrack” album. After the brief interlude of Dirottato Variazioni, there is the cover of Blue Velvet, classic standard a little more than hinted.

Talking about covers: what about Bolero by Ravel, played with great agility.

Atmospheres otherwise very leaden that ones impending Sakura, which moves substantially in noise territories, to make room for a striking and disturbing recited

11

marydolls keeping your promises

Tutto bene is the third Marydolls lp, to be released on January 31, registered at the Red Carpet Studio Brescia by Lorenzo Coperchi. The album sees the participation of Nicola Manzan (Bologna Violenta, arcs), Daniela Savoldi (Dente, Calibro 35, Muse etc, cello), Marco Giuradei (piano / accordion) and Paolo Blodio Fappani (Sed-

review

review dy Mellory, on guitar). Further away from rock-grunge coordinates that had characterized the early work, Marydolls are moving now towards closer atmosphere to the Italian indie-pop scene, albeit maintaining a rock attitude and leaving plenty of room for experimentation.“We come from half-life (played) together. From high school with the first “gypsy”live at sixteen, up and down Italy and the nights in the van... Dawn of thirty years, always with the music in our heads. Thirty years is all a bit different and “Tutto bene”, our third album, marks this step, this new awareness. Do you know that feeling that the more time passes, the more you seem to take from questions only assists other questions, accumulating one over the another? All you can do is probably telling yourself: it is all right...

For us this is a sort of mantra that we repeat in the head, not to lose ourselves, to stay alive.

Because if you were twenty and promising,

14

now you have to keep your promises”. Lp starts from the single Voglio essere giovane, an anti-anthem that starts slowly but rises quickly enough. High is the electricity level with Dimmi la Verità, song with intense and almost garage resonance, with good doses of cockiness. Summer protests and electronic sounds, but also violin and drumming for a dismal D’estate al mare, which has a vehement and effective chorus. Submission, travel and relationships are at the core of the lyrics of Lei dice, proceeding with march rhythms and pop influences. Stelle cadenti requires a stronger pace, but also better built and variegated sonorities. It then goes on Tutto bene, title track with a vocal loop that dips into electronic sensations and that spreads a bit claustrophobic. After the rapid Intervallo, here is Berlino: indie tones, widespread electricity and a construction that grows gradually, taking the side of both explosions and intimating galleries, with some flash of Hammond. On the contrary, it comes the fanfare in the country in introducing C’è chi. Then here comes the acoustic guitar and a list that makes clear reference to Rino Gaetano. The soundscape then thickens and becomes richer. Oggi mi butto opens with acoustic sounds, but switches to pop scenarios very quickly.

A little acid and fast here then comes Rapina, which proposes solutions, let’s say, original to the pain of living today. There is calm with La parolina giusta, the last track on the record, whispered and unusually soft, at least until the song does not animate and becomes wicked. The third lp is, or should be, the one

15

related to “maturity”: leaving aside the uncertainties of the beginning, and a second record that is often a continuation of first, you understand how to come up with a clean head and the right ideas. Marydolls live up to this assumption and publish a consistent work, with good “tips” of excellence.

interview

the pier A debut, released by Faro Records, untitled but with a lot of energy and a sense of melody: The Pier have released the self-titled album in which they mix indie, math rock and post-rock. We interviewed them.

Can you summarize your story to date?

We put on the project in 2011. Originally the-

re were two (Gabriele and Davide, respectively bass and drums) and after a few gigs we felt the need to introduce a new element in the formation: so here came Danilo (guitar and vocals) with which we embarked on a uphill battle. After winning several local contest we began working with labels that have

16

reflect as much as possible, it was something more than just a demo and that would guarantee the possibility of having a good business card to give to local and promoter. So we entered the studio and with the support of Gigi Fasanella of Faro Records and Dario Tatoli, which during production, recording and mixing was very sensitive to all our problems, and we published our first record. This experience has made us mature a lot since until then we only had live experiences.

How did is born “Daedalus�, which also runs a video of a rather energetic version made live at the Circle of Artists in Rome?

The song was conceived by Gabriele on a classical guitar when we were still in two. Subsequently the same riff was brought on the low and further arranged with all the other instruments. The live version was recorded during our first performance in Rome.

Can you describe your concerts?

Our concerts have an average duration of 50 minutes and our lineup includes the tracks on the album along with other new songs.

Who are Italians independent artists that you value more right now?

Giovanni Truppi, because he is a musician able to range between 360 degrees different genres. Cosmo, because his songs are qualitatively interesting. We highly value also Verdena, historic group that has taught us a lot. Among new Italian proposals, we can mention Giorgio Poi, we follow him since the time of Vadoinmessico and current Cairobi.

We cherish a great esteem for two bands with whom we shared the stage: Valerian Swingand the Departure ave. as well as having imported a style never seen in Italy, are also our great friends.

allowed us to play even outside of our region and to produce our first record, released on December 2. Later we moved our base of operations in Rome, where we share the same apartment.

What was the mood of the recordings of lp?

We wanted to have a product that would

17

review gives way to Against, where the atmosphere is much more angry. In the song there are contrasts between male and female voice and guitar solos quite extensive. More overtly pop-rock is Faded.

Animal moves closer to the metal sides of the 80s (like Kiss), vocal range. Electric and obscure is Walk, which raises the tone. Disturbed introduces structural changes, but staying among hard rock sound. Beyond becomes more intimate, while Wild M.F. turns up the volume, with particular emphasis on drumming and vocals. Some Trains Never Come opens with electric organ, only to reveal other theatrical-baroque-pop influences. All is quiet in my heart definitely lowers the tone and point of intensity quite different. Frailty also focuses on the melodic abilities of the band, before Find Your Way changes the view and undermines the central rock sensations. After Ghost, the lp closes on The Dream is Over notes, marked by the piano and melancholy.

movin k

Waitin ‘4 The Dawn is the fourth lp of Movin’ K: the band publish fourteen songs from of prog rock sound with elements of hard rock, electronic and more acoustic moments for an existential and spiritual journey divided into three acts (Fall, Journey and Liberation ). Made with TdE Music Productionz and available on major digital platforms (iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon), the album opens with In the Silence of the Night, soft instrumental introduction which then

18

19

review

dorom dazed Dorom Dazed is a Sardinia duo: their post-grunge sound has come to surface with Shameless, record published by Crashsound Distribution. We put a few questions to the duo.

Can you tell your story to date and explain the band’s name?

Tiziano: The project was born from my idea.

20

I was recovering from a period of musical inactivity, I wanted redemption.

Many songs in the drawer and a great desire to get back in the studio. At the end of 2015 I called Villy Cocco of V Cagliari Studio and from there it was born the collaboration with Alessandro Castellano on drums and John Serra on bass. After recording the lp, the project grows up, with the arrival of Federico Diana on lead guitar. From there we began the promotion on the web and live. Currently we are a duo and we collaborate with different musicians, including where Mario Inghes (sound engineer, guitars). The band’s name is another my idea, my old nickname (Dorom) associated with an English word appropriate to my figure (dazed)!

Can you tell how they come the four songs that you have included in “Shameless”?

I wrote them five to six years ago. A fairly complicated period of strong emotional tensions. I chose not coincidentally those songs just because enclose a precise historical moment of my life.

What do they talk about your lyrics?

The Shameless songs are very instinctive and I have written in moments of great inner tension. I threw up my moods, my desires, my difficulties. Songs are very dark but with a great desire for redemption.

Can you tell the main instrument you used to play on this record?

I’m not at all this technical, because all the part concerning effects and sounds do not remember. I used guitar Epiphone Zakk

Wylde CAMO, amplifiers Mesa, jet city. Federico uses Fender Stratocaster (model Richie Sambora) but he has not played in the record.

As for bass and drums, as partnerships, I can not remember exactly.

Who is or who are the Italians independent artists that you value more right now and why?

I believe that Iosonouncane and Bachi Da Pietra are the two most interesting names in recent years. The first has made two exceptional lps, has excellent writing skills and different ideas than usual. The latter are a novelty in the Italian scene, they are versatile and I respect a lot them, even in their alternative projects.

reviews Are You Real? “songs from my imaginary youth” “Punk Fairy Tales to fight the evil spirits” so Andrea Liuzza AKA A. AKA Are You Real? introduces the nine tracks of his new album, Songs From My Imaginary Youth, due out for Sisma / Dischi Soviet Studio. Punk, actually, maybe it’s the spirit (maybe) but not the sound, mostly melodious and placed somewhere between pop and auteur rock. Song for a Stranger introduces the imagery of A., with a way to make between the shy and aggressive, with rock mode but a certain fluidity bottom. More pop, even with some brit tint, is We Are the Wild Things, chosen as a single. Run chooses entirely the melodic side, with closed only voice repeated loop. Melodic side also explored by Behind Your Eyelids, but unlike the previous song it relies almost entirely to acoustic and even more nocturnal sounds. Shaman Punk finds the rebellious attitude and a drumming very large and with some ethnic influence. We return to calm with There Was a Man, a cover of Tom Rapp, fairytale and acoustic, with a final rather suffered.

The Great Unknown instead opens some psychedelic chink in the final. I Kissed Alice once again takes on very melodic and extremely sweet discourses. The album

closes with a rock anthem but provocatively anti-punk in spirit: I do not wanna die young is a poster bearing a message that he would not find much of the Ramones agreement (but not even The Who or The Clash, so to speak). An album really alive and consistent, the one of Are You Real? The Venetian singer shows inspiration to compose nine small paintings to be exhibited in a good gallery, that you’ll visit willingly.

BLM-Baciamolemani “cardio-tonic”

Cardio Tonic is the third album of BLM Baciamolemani. After nearly ten years in business, two discs already published and numerous tours abroad, BLM suddenly stopped, returning literally at home, becoming slowly drag in its rhythms and its provincial habits, immersing himself in his small “dramas” newspapers apartment.

Cardio Tonic was recorded and mixed at the turn between 2015 and 2016 in Sonoria Rec Studio Scordia (CT) by Vincenzo Cavalli. In three tracks ( “Let’s start now”, “Te (tte)”, “A summer at sea”) have also wanted to make use of a string quartet (John Cucuccio and Alessio Nicosia on the violin, the viola and Maurizio Longo Alessandro Longo cello), some

22

Espada “love storm”

of whose members belong to the orchestra of the Teatro Massimo Bellini of Catania.

Record starts from Mi vuoi bene per davvero, colorful and warm, with a pinch of humor and a tendency to put on display features pop-authorial-electro, which is at the center of the Italian indie scene right now. With Faccio Sport we will slide slightly: the pace is sustained, the tone of lyrics is ironic, but the intervention of the wind instruments widens prospects. There is talk of cats and apartments overlooked in Franca, song of slower pace and with the desire to deal with everyday life with all lightness. Funky lurking in the intro of Palme di Plastica, but then the tune loosens its reins. Partiamo adesso opens with moderation and then gradually increases the intensity, recalling some of alt-pop experience (like Belle & Sebastien). Te(tte) speaks about intense interpersonal relations, with speed and sound of orchestral pop. Tribute to Giuni Russo (and Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio who wrote it) with Un’estate al mare, which here is almost western tones, with hip hop final. Il mio calzino destro comes back to contemporary indie pop, mixing analog and synthetic instruments. Traveling towards the end of the disc with Piove, which lowers slightly the pace but staying strong and cheerful. We make a South American trip with Contropié, which closes the album with decidedly danceable mood. Fresh and obviously summer apt album, the new BLM fits perfectly in the hand, and rereads the clichés consistently. The best work the band performs it in an effort to provide the disc with a large variety of atmospheres.

23

Espada, quintet under the guidance of Giacomo Gigli, gather members with experiences from various backgrounds, from jazz to psychedelia, choosing this time the hat alt-country rock. After the first ep Flesh y Steel for the Argentinean label Sounds of Delta, the band moved to Foligno. With a Dickensian title, Hard Times opens the lp in acid and noisy way, offering a taste of the atmosphere from the border, the leadership of the six strings, the powerful voice taht carries well into the rest of the album. Much more Elvis-like then there is Dwayne, who opens softly but buys anger and blood along the way. Some instincts subside with The Number, which also has not a fixed structure, with breaks and unexpected restart and guitars in evidence. The Tour introduces a more Tom Waits / Nick Cave comparis, but with a hint of more melancholy. Atmospheres suddenly very intimate are those proposed

by Young and Devious, mostly guitar and voice. Whispered but also partly malignant Heart of Ice, reinforced by the rhythm section and incisive guitars. Echoes and effects give majesty to The Well, which closes the work. Pleasant and remarkable album the one of Espada, who put sounds and atmospheres in the service of a fluid and well played lp, with original twists and good quality well distributed.

interview

ilsennodipoi more personal style, until the publishing of “OK Computer” by Radiohead which erased everything we had done until then and he has catapulted us into a whole new world. Three years ago ilSennoDiPoi was born, as a three piece band.

We come to actual time... ilSennoDipoi was a band of three elements, with Fabrizio as lead guitarist with me from the Barfly’s time and with Luca on drums.

After two years I started to produce material in solitude, with riffs and pieces of songs that the others did not like. I began to feel more free to write and play when and what

Four tracks for the debut of Gianluca Ghezzi, aka ilSennodiPoi. Ghezzi describes it as “something that I was humming in my head for some time” and the outcome is Radiodrama, four recorded tracks from Amp-Fi Studio in Milan, under the artistic guidance of Elvin Betti. Can you tell your story?

I started playing many years ago, around the age of 19. First in a punk band, The Barfly’s as a singer and guitarist, in Ramones style with a few covers and many of our songs.

Meanwhile I played bass in a rock band 70s style. These bands broke up, and I began the years of rehearsal studio, to look for a

24

I wanted without obligation of timetables or “anxieties” that what he was proposing would not appeal. So about a year ago I decided to go alone. After about three months, thanks to a friend, I met Elvin Betti, a musician / producer with a respectable past that listened to the songs in demo version and proposed me to record them ina professional fashion, in his studio. I had never thought of being able to record an ep until then. In the ep they appear “Reduce” and “Due falene” that I was also playing with the band, “A questo cielo” and “Lo zombie che ami” were written solo.

In all of this it amuses me to tell that Elvin asked me to replace a song (actually too long and heavy for the ep) with a smaller, lighter and easy to listen as were the other. I told him I had it already, and that I would’ve sent. It was not true. I went home and within a week I wrote “Lo zombie che ami.”

How is it born “Reduce”?

I’m glad you ask me about Reduce, because it is the song that I care more and also in the production phase was the one that I wanted to reflect fully what I had in mind: a martial cadence with the weight of a tank. “I just say that the guitars have a high volume level for the standard” the engineer Davide told me.

And that’s what I wanted. Reduce is what we are when everything is over and returning to previous life we ​​do not find anything and anyone. Like a soldier on his return is no longer asylum or the school where he was going as a child, or his house and his family. That is the end of a love affair or not, often we spend moments like loneliness, sense of abandonment, nostalgia, grief, anger, rebirth and “revenge”, and to enter all these stages in a single song was a challenge, file working on every word.

review

Cromosauri Cromosauri publish their new album NOIZ! (Ghost Record Label). NOIZ! is presented as “the other side� of Cromomito, the first work of Cromosauri. While Cromomito is instrumental and deliberately chaotic, the new work consists of nine songs with grunge and alternative influences, which are focused on situations of melancholy and boredom, analyzed from a personal point of view.

The self-production footprint is well aware right from the start of Broken Green, which opens the lp with a certain amount of electricity. Instead Acoustico lives up to its

26

name, even taking high rates and volumes and using the choirs in ways that suggest bounds to grunge (something of Jeremy and Pearl Jam shines through in the final). Loud recovers electricity and has a structure that leaves room for fanciful swirls guitar. Friendly, chosen as a single, behind the first impact is lost in small instrumental and even ironic streams. In contrast, When Somebody Loses Himself adopts melancholy and radical imprint, placing even a harmonica to increase the impact. Looser and ironic here comes T-Rex, with some reference to alternative ideas of West Coast origin. P.A.L. starts slowly, then finishes in a chaotic and stormy way. About storm, particularly rich in thun-

der and lightning is Bad, that changes in rather manic-depressive mood. Album closes with Chocolate, melodic but with powerful drumming. Lo-fi ethic leaves too oftoen some slag, but there is substance in the songs of Cromosauri, plus a good energy that permeates all the work.

tour

DENTE 17/3 BRUXELLES – VK 22/3 LONDRA – THE FORGE 25/3 BARCELLONA – CAT TRADICIONARIUS 26/3 VALENCIA – LOCO CLUB 27/3 MADRID – CAFÉ BERLIN

28 /3 – SCHLACHTHIOF – WIESBADEN (GER) 29 /3 – KUZ KREUZ – FULDA (GER) 30 /3 – KULTURRAMPE – KREFELD (GER) 31 /3 – KUZ PELMKE – HAGEN (GER) 01 /4 – CLUB ALPHA 60 – SCHWÄBISCH HALL (GER) 03 /4 – BEI CHEZ HEINZ – HANNOVER (GER) 04 /4 – LAGERHAUS – BREMEN (GER) 05 /4 – HAFENKLANG – HAMBURG (GER) 06 /4 – FORUM – BIELEFELD (GER) 07 /4 – BADEHAUS – BERLIN (GER) 08 /4 – OSTPOL – DRESDEN (GER)

ESPANA CIRCO ESTE 24/3– BALLONFABRIK – AUGSBURG (GER) 25 /3 – ALTES WASSERWERK – LÖRRACH (GER) 27 /3 – FRANZ K – REUTLINGEN (GER)

28

videos

verano non esisti mai

click and see pieralberto

jumping the

valli

shark

atlantide

vera show

nanco

santamuerte

acerrimo

back to mexico

29

interview

marco germani Marco Germani works with music in many different ways, with very strong multifaceted experiences. His second lp, NDE, which stands for Near Death Experience, comes from gothic and intense atmospheres.

Your story is very rich and varied. Can you tell us something about yourself?

I worked in the music industry for more than two decades: I teach guitar, I organize events, record and produce independent artists, I sound with my cover band. Sometimes I feel the desire to pull out something special that is alien to the routine, even though I really love all that is part of my daily life, including the study of different musical genres. This recording was born as a technological challenge: to play (even virtually) as possible thanks to software tools and dedicated libraries, so clonarmi and enforce small myself the drums,

30

keyboard, drums, bass, guitar and leaving guests sides “main” of the various tracks, all that is behind is the work of myself and the computer.

Why a record on the NDE? I lived about half of my life (41 years) and this is a complex age, where you question all the way you have done and the mistakes. To be a musician today is very difficult because people, unless you’re famous, does not consider you a special person, but almost a waste. The company forces you to “omologation”: having a home, a family and a serious work. My peers only talk about these topics or the holiday that will make the weekend, the new car you bought, politics... I do not mind any of that, I am more interested to pedals for guitar and amplifiers or the last Star Wars film, so for them I am a teenager, they make quite a polite

smile and think that I have something wrong.

These situations combined with the total lack of interest of most of the audience while I perform in clubs and parties make me die inside, it kills everything I believe in, but it is an apparent death because then I find someone who asks me questions and that is exalted thanks to my music, then I resurrect and I understand that my life still makes sense.

The videos from the album will constitute a film: how did you develop the idea?

Not being the owner of Industrial Light and Magic, to shoot video clips of “majors” level, thanks to my girlfriend Elisa, who deals with photography and video, we used the means available to mortals and she has mounted something interesting and visionary (being an art historian) combining previously unseen footage as photographs of various kinds, old and psychedelic, to be able to travel the listener’s mind by combining music, video and text (a bit as did the early Pink Floyd). I’d like to get to one hour of footage to be able to project the premises along with the play of light and a small intro played with loop station, maybe even invent a cocktail... I like the idea of ​​a 360-degree experience.

Why different singers for the lp?

At first there had to be only three female voices and the concept was based on a vision of “hell” with the Fates torturers, but while composing I decided to focus more on different sounds and I even sang me a song (Stupid Bitch) in duet with Laura Ferro of Malantiguo (hard rock band). The voice is a unique instrument and currently not synthesizable, so very precious. I am fortunate to know many good singers of cover bands and when I propose a new song they are always happy,

because I leave them all the space to come up with the melody part and they are also willing to change the structure of the piece in order to make it more “commercial”: they are usually the ones who create a logical structure because they are more apt to see the structure of a song rather than a soundtrack, this is the two ways of seeing a musical work, by author and composer.

How do you involved the musicians who worked on the lp, such as Mauro Sabbione?

They are all linked by live experiences or production within our small label, Mauro (who worked with Matia Bazar and Litfiba) is a friend of the duo STELLERRANTI (which appear in the first track on the album) with which we are on the third album, was passing by here to give a listen to the new material by Pier and Cinzia and I asked him if he wanted to throw his hands on a keyboard and improvise something for me, it took him five minutes, what you hear is his “take one”. He is an extraordinary man who lived an age in which he was a pioneer of digital sound, but he has a classical and jazz training, I thank him for this cameo because in his goodness he has given great value to my work. All the others were still featuring the experiments, both in the music, both in the use of particular languages, as in the case of Rita Partini that used ancient Egyptian and Esperanto.

31

reviews interviews

WWW.MUSICTRAKS.COM streaming of full albums videos news 24