Zibba TC&I John Malcovitch! Joshua Hyslop Felloni No. 12 - FEBRUARY 2018
www.musictraks.com
contents 4
Zibba
10
TC&I
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Tour in Italy
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Audio Hi Tech
14
Joshua Hyslop
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John Malcovitch!
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Perina
24
Insects Theory
26
Krishna
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Video
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Turin Brakes
32
Eradius
34
Serpe in Seno
TRAKS MAGAZINE www.musictraks.com
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Babel Fish
info@musictraks.com
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Felloni
editor’s words
TRAKS MAGAZINE changes its face. Twelfth number coming, we made some thoughts and we decided to turn away from the past. The intuition to publish a magazine dedicated to Italian independent music in English could have seemed funny, at first, but it worked. The contacts and views, recorded by distributing the magazine on social media, via email and through publishing systems such as Issuu, Yumpu, Joomag, have always reached more than flattering numbers. But it’s not enough anymore. And maybe even the labels are not enough anymore: what is independent music today? And what is Italian music? We have always understood it as “music played by Italian musicians”, obviously without bor-
ders of any kind, not even language. So an Italian record is an Italian record in whatever language is sung. But we want to break down other fences and devote attention to the most interesting foreign records of the period, always with interviews, reviews, news. And we will do it in two “twin” editions, one in English, one in Italian, to increase to a total, 360° usability. In this first “new” issue, you’ll find that Chiara Orsetti interviewed Zibba for our cover story, but we also chatted with a legend like Colin Moulding for his TC&I partnership, and also with a new voice like Joshua Hyslop. And with many Italian indie artists, like we always did. Enjoy the reading!
Fabio Alcini
interview
Zibba music saves me from everything
The Ligurian singer-songwriter Zibba presents his new album, Le Cose, fresh for the newborn label Platonica, the result of an intense research of sound, shared with many artists who are guests of different tracks that make up the album. When an artist arrives at his eighth album he can afford the luxury of choosing to publish what he likes by abandoning, at least in part, the fear of making wrong choices. In your first records there is something that, in hindsight, you would not have done the same way? I can not know that. I think I have always followed what I wanted to do, maybe forcing a bit the form on some occasions. I don’t do that anymore, but I wouldn’t change what I did. It helped me a lot. “Le Cose”, your new album, contains duets with artists more or less known to general public.
interview
Do you have any anecdote to tell about how these collaborations were born? Of course I did not think of them. Not as you could imagine. They all came from a magic, from a thing that happened maybe study that led to the idea. There are many anecdotes related to the songs and how the guests came to participate in the record, but the best I would say
is the fact that I had started telling everyone that I would not have wanted featurings on this record. The atmosphere of this album is constant, despite the variety of the songs that compose it: photos of everyday in the lyrics and black sounds. Are there any artists you refer to? The songs I’ve listened in the last two years have been many and ai6
no dei passi sulla neve”. A prize of great prestige, but that still can not reach the general public. What value did this recognition have for you? On the contrary, the Tenco may not now lead to the general public but it did in the past, it had an important role for the music in its moment. For me it was important and gratifying and a great pleasure to have shared it with Afterhours. You presented a song to participate in Sanremo this year, but your name was not among the singers in the competition. What do you think about the choices of the artistic director? That he had to get me. But that he would have had its good reasons. Happy with a couple of names like Lo Stato Sociale or my friend Diodato for example, and less with others who do not move anything either on the market or in my emotional needings. Chiara Orsetti
med at research and especially at what is changing international and they continue to change. I like this moment, there are lots of good songs if you look for them. And if you let yourself be inspired by the possible worlds, there are so many. In “Un altro modo”, the sentence “la musica ci salverà” (“music will save us”) is often repeated. What it saved you from? From everything, always. And keep doing it. It keeps me away. “Quando stiamo bene” is the new single, which you sing along with Elodie in “a nonsmoking room”. Always smoke, and ashtray in the hotel rooms, we speak in the first track of the record, “Quello che si sente”. A recurring theme and ... a bit strange, if you think about it, since the cigarette is no longer so transgressive. Smoking is a shitty habit. I saw no transgression. Among the goals achieved during your career, there is also a Tenco Plate for “Come il suo7
interview
TC&I Four songs in an ep called Great Aspirations: this is the (first?) work by TC&I, where TC is drummer Terry Chambers, and “I” is Colin Moulding: they played together in one of the most brilliant British band ever, XTC. First of all, how did it come about that you have once again started to work with Terry? And what do you think about all the rumors that have been aroused aroused in this relation (“XTC are almost back!”)?
Purely by accident really—he had come over to England for a wedding and we met up for a drink —-he had been in Australia for 34 years. So... long time no see…. it was then that he explained that he had personal problems and that he was coming back to England … and I asked him purely out of the blue, that I had some songs and would he like to give it a go… Almost back?…well almost no…they say you should never build the extension bigger than the house…so 8
I don’t think so. Are the songs of the ep the result of long work done in years past or are they based on recent ideas and recordings? No, most of them were recent, all except Comrades… Scatter me was written within one week of its recording so pretty up to date I’d say. Why did you choose to introduce your ep with a a fatalist, yet happy mood in “Scatter me”? Because I thought it was the best song… and one should never hide ones gems under a bushel (sorry for the mixed metaphors)—-best
foot forward and all that…plus we had to have a video for promotion and stuff, and this one seemed the best candidate. Churchill, Hitchcock, Spielberg, Gershwin and McCartney. The people you cited in “Greatness” are all indisputably great, but with some spin of craziness inside. What do you love in them? And why Paul and not John? There must have been hundreds of people I could have used but it mainly became a case of what
interview
name would fit the scansion of the song. Like… I wanted to use David Lean , the film producer, but it was difficult to make him fit… Ditto, for John Lennon… McCartney has three syllables. So… sorry to be so banal. I think that “Kenny” is the one that will make XTC fans feel most nostalgic. Can you tell me something about the original idea that inspired you to write this song? It came about from the guitar riff. I thought it sounded very much like the motion of a train… and
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then I got to thinking about Philip Larkin’s poem, The Whitsun weddings, and how he describes what he sees from the window of a train… “somebody coming up to bowl”, like cricket on a playing field. And there the idea was born… one sees the playing fields from a train…. and then I thought of how they are disappearing… being built on, all over England… Big shame... as this is where kids imaginations are nurtured. “Comrades in Pop” sounds like a warning for young musicians. What is the main danger they could face in the music business these days? That People who seem to be on your side aren’t necessarily… I thought it would be a good idea to past the baton on to the young guys coming into the industry by encapsulating in a short poem what happens when you are in a pop band... Usually when people hear the word poem in pop they run
for the exit doors… I wanted to make it real easy to get into…Just a simple explanation that all these things are probably going to happen to you, but what you mustn’t do is get tangled up with the money men. How and what would the Colin Moulding of 80s and 90s written his songs about in this wave of new ‘political correctness’ of late? I don’t know… he would have clammed up like everyone else I suppose. Your Wikipedia page ends with something like: “Though less prolific than his bandmate Andy Partridge…” Is this even real, anymore? Has this
issue of being less prolific ever bothered you in any way? Not really …we are what we are….and I write what I write…. and everyone knows that the internet is the biggest morass of misinformation there’s ever been…. But at least the little man can make his opinions known too. I’m still writing so perhaps I’m not as non prolific as people had thought.
live
Tour in Italy A hot February for metal fans: there are Sepultura (photo, Ciampino on 27, Milan on 28). And also Glen Matlock, who will play in Padua on February 14th. Belle & Sebastian will be at the Estragon in Bologna always on 14. There are then Vök in Bologna on the 19th and in Milan on the 20th. Coming to the Italians, there is Dente on tour (15 in Rome, 22 in Bologna, 23 in Siena), as well as Bianco (15 in Bologna, 17 in Sulmona, 23 in
Santa Maria a Vico, 24 in Rome, 28 in Milan). Calibro 35 will be in Milan on 11, in Santa Maria a Vico 16, in Catania on 17, in Catanzaro Lido on 18, in Rome on 23, in Florence on 24, while Frah Quintale will be on 23 in Pavia and 24 in Modena. ELEM will be in Pomigliano d’Arco on February 24th. Stella Maris will play the 17 in Turin and Julie’s Haircut in Milan on 24. Also on the 24th, Colapesce will be in Taneto di Gattatico. 12
audio hi tech
Music from Vegas Looking for headphones? You might be interested in the proposal that Sennheiser brought to CES 2018: HD 820. Perfect for audiophiles, these “closed” dynamic headphones feature glass-covered transducers that reflect sound waves towards two absorbing chambers. $ 2400 plus tax.
Want to party? Or do you just want to be cool with friends? Sony, also at CES in Vegas, has introduced new High Power Audio systems (MHC-V41D, MHC-V71D, MHCV81D, MHC-M60D) able to make you look great and pretend to be a real DJ. Price starting from 500 €.
Instead, Mytek Clef, a digital to high resolution analogue converter, as well as a precision headphone amplifier, costs $ 299. What does it do? Your streaming will sound like vinyl, even transforming wireless devices with cable effortlessly. Clefmusic 13
interview
Joshua Hyslop 14
“An album about empathy”: so, in short, Joshua Hyslop talks about his new lp, Echoes. The singer-songwriter from Saskatchewan, a very green and not very “urban” part of Canada, continues with the third episode of a career based on folk songs but often with some souly aftertaste. Three years have passed between “In Deepest Blue” and “Echoes” and your success has become trully global. What did you learn, of you and people around you, in last three years? I’ve learned I’m capable of more than I’d previously imagined, especially when it comes to touring and performing solo. That has been simultaneously very difficult and very rewarding. But most of all, I’ve learned that no one succeeds on their own. I really am only able to do this because of the team around me:
my wife, my manager, my label. It’s really important to have a strong support group around you. Why did you choose “Fall” and “Say it Again” to present your album and how these songs were born? I’m not sure why these two are the ones we started with. We’ve also just released another new song called, “Home”. I think the hope is to release a song, or songs, that give a small snapshot of what the upcoming album will be like. But, I think this album is pretty diverse. Each song comes from a different place. “Say It Again” came from
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interview my own life experience, whereas “Fall” and “Home” are short stories, or, “Echos” of friends experiences. In fact, many of the songs of this album were born after real stories that happened to you or
think a big part of the reason for that is my fear of being so open and vulnerable in front of a group of people. But even though it can be scary I think it’s a valuable thing to be open and vulnerable with each other sometimes. Letting other people know that they’re not alone in their stories makes it worth it, I think. Everybody’s got their stuff. You say also that one of purposes of your songs is to remind to people to treat themselves with kindness. Is it really still possible in time of hate & haters at every level of our lifes?
the people near to you. Don’t you mind to get so intimate in songs that you sing, to open up so straight to personal stories? It’s definitely not easy. I’m usually very nervous before a show and I 16
I certainly hope so. We’re not responsible for other people’s hate. All we can do is choose how to live our own lives. The more of us that choose kindness, the kinder we’ll all be. I still think the world is full of more good people than bad. Bad news just gets more press. Do you will play live in Europe, especially in Italy, in 2018? Yes! In fact we’ve just announced some shows in Europe
this February. I have the privilege of opening for SYML for a short run of dates, and I’ll be performing a solo show at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on the 17th. I’m hoping to do another longer tour through Europe later in 2018 as well, hopefully Italy will be on that list!
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interview
John Malcovitch! Born at the end of 2016, John Malkovitch! is an instrumental project in which each member of the band has an active part in creating the sound of the debut album: The Irresistible New Cult of Selenium. How did you come to your debut? The band was born at the end of 2016 from the ashes of an alternative rock band that included three
of the four current members. The decision to make instrumental music was determined by the absence of the figure of the singer, thus allowing us to find our artistic dimension. Consequently, the four pieces that make up the lp were born in a natural way and in a short time. They were recorded live in August 2017 at Busthard Studios in Terni, with the help of Giorgio Speranza (UTO) and Mattia 18
likes... Surely the influence of the so-called “post-rock” is evident within the record, given its presence among the band members’ listening, this does not deny the presence of other influences such as metal, stoner and psychedelic rock, all influences present between the thousands that make up the “post-rock”, a term of vague belonging given the hundreds of different styles of the band cataloged as such: from the whispered jazz of Bark Psychosis to the instrumental metal of the Russian Circles, passing through the odd times of the Toe and the experimental alternative-rock of Mogwai and we could go on for hours. If we have to say who for us is truly “post-rock”, i.e. that went beyond rock as the term literally suggests, we indicate two groups that have succeeded, giving a new voice to the classic instruments of the genre: Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Ròs.
Laureti (124C41 +), to be released on January 12 for Dingleberry Records, The Dischi del Minollo, Edison Box and Mehr Licht Records & False Hopes. “The Irresistible New Cult Of Selenium” is a kind of inner journey. What are the starting points of the trip? And can you explain the title of the album? Inside the album there are no pre-established concepts or messages. The fundamental starting point of the journey is the listener himself, the music aims to be only the means through which the user can be pushed into a very personal emotional journey. In our small album the album recalls purely nocturnal atmospheres, so we wanted the title to recall this kind of sensations. Hence the reference to selenium, material that when burned emits a light similar to the moon. Your music ends up under the all-encompassing “post-rock” label, which usually noboby 19
interview
How much of design and how much of improvised is there in your songs? Everything starts from an input that can come from each of the four members, this is then developed through jam sessions from which the salient moments are extrapolated, from which we then elaborate a structure following a sound and dynamic logic, analyzing in detail the individual parts. Everything is cemented by the organic nature of the live recording.
Can you describe your live gigs? From internal members we find it difficult to answer this question, so we report a testimony of a person who saw our last live, as short as intense: “Intense and enthralling. Surely and rightly music that finds its perfect dimension in the live “. That said, soon there will be the first concerts to promote the album, we sincerely hope that the readers of this interview will hear what we have to offer. Facebook page 20
review Recorded and mixed by Giorgio Speranza and Matath Yah at the Busthard Studios in Terni, The Irresistible New Cult of Selenium is John Malcovitch! debut album. The record seems to take sounds that start from very far: Darker Underneath the Surface grows up in small steps, even if the entry of the “bass� is quite substantial, sudden and precipitated from above. Then, not unexpectedly, the explosions of sound arrive. One can think of Mogwai and other post-rock giants, for a certain itinerant and narrative quality of the chosen sounds. A powerful sense of disorientation also spreads inside Twice in a Moment Once in a Lifetime, with intense and insistent guitar and drumming. The insistence is a bit to be missed in a second part that seems to rest a moment. But that’s not how it should end: the tail shots inside the song are very violent. Even the very long Zenit
grows slowly, between drumming and scintillating resonances. The progress of the piece is very articulate, the narrative breaks up, recomposes, stops, starts and draws imaginative environments. Note the electric tails that develop with particular visionary skill halfway through the piece. The final Nadir decides for desolate views, including desert rock and psychedelic, which allow the mind to wander, but armed with loads of restlessness. Then the song takes off towards distant shores, with strong loads of power and speed. An ambitious disc (in a positive sense) and very broad views of John Malcovitch!, which exaggerate their positions and put their qualities on the plate. What is most pleasing about the record is the ability to keep the tension high from the first to the last second. Dischi del Minollo 21
interview Let’s say that the style has always been more or less that, that is punk with pop and alternative influences. A couple of years ago I spent a period of complete abstinence from the music and then resumed writing and now I’m with the solo debut. What does the title of your record mean? During the production of the cd I often went to Glauco Gabrielli, the artistic producer, to record after the morning shift, sometimes I had so full of balls to wake up early that for a period I started to postpone the alarm until it became impossible, at six and twenty-seven precisely (instead of six) was the pinnacle of this... We just missed going to work in my pajamas. One day I told Glauco about this and decided that the title was supposed to be Seieventisette. This record was born and finished in a period of my life quite delicate, beautiful and also “asshole” in some ways, post-adolescence, being married, having responsibilities, turning
Perina Pop and “author” songs are in the debut of Michele Perina, Seieventisette, rich in versatility and colors. Do you want to tell your story? Since I was 16/17 years I have always played in the band, first with Just Another Illusion and then for several years with the Camp Lion (an album and an ep to report). 22
thirty and a whole set of doubts, fears and hopes that have marked it particularly and that I think we all have to go through. I think the six and twenty-seven on the alarm is emblematic of how I lived in part that stage... (“Fuck the duties, I just want to sleep fuck!!!”). How was the process of making the record? Substantially, the formula closest to me is more or less the same, guitar voice strop and refrain, but this record was born and grew in a different way from what I expected. It happened that among the material selected to compose the album there were also only 30 seconds of a melody that suggested something good, or a more complete song that then became quite another thing... Then that same material was taken and developed at the pc. Let’s say that the process was a bit this, and for those who know it is precisely the influence of the producer and friend musician Glauco Gabrielli,
passed in time from an alternative rock scene to a more electronic and hip hop. Can you tell something about the genesis of “Innegabile bravura”? “Innegabile bravura” is a song that I’m particularly proud of, it came out in 5 minutes and remained more or less the same. During production Glauco was able to improve it considerably with the addition of the piano and the drum machine... Once finished I could not wait to make a video. It is a song that manifests itself as a confessional for me, it speaks of fears and torments. If you had to choose three and only three albums that particularly influenced you, wich ones would you indicate? Enema of the state of Blink 182, Siamese Dream of Smashing Pumpkins and Morning Glory of Oasis. But I would put in many and many more! 23
interview
Insects Theory Rather allergic to photos but not to symbolic images, the Insects Theory released the ep Selftitled, from Nick Cave to trip hop and back. Can you tell your path up to “Selftitled”? Selftitled is a selection of songs from our repertoire that at the time of writing the ep came together better in our musical imagery. Initially we were planning to do a full
full-length but then we chose to do this “experiment”. Condense the almost four years of project activity in five songs. There is an aura of melancholy in your ep. Where did you come from and with which moods did you tackle the work? The melancholy and the continuous presence of something negative is a very present element for 24
us. This does not mean that we want to stop at the first obstacle or be discouraged. For us, digging into the human being to touch the abyss is normal. It is the only way we can truly know ourselves as human beings. Giovanni: I am very happy that people are aware of this peculiarity of our music, it makes me understand that I can transmit what I feel inside of me. The funny thing is that although the music is not in a mood so reassuring and peaceful, we always play very quietly, we take our spaces and our times, in order to better process our songs. I would like to know something about the birth of “4”... “4” is a metaphorical song of failures in life. “4” symbolizes the fourth place on the podium, that is, not even in the ranking. The feeling of discomfort that is felt on some occasions is common but we must not let ourselves be discouraged and continue to fight for our own goals. It was chosen as a single be-
cause we liked its soft sound coupled with such a heavy meaning. What does the cover factory represent? The cover and the graphics of the cd were made by me (Giovanni); I have an attraction towards what is post-industrial or post-human in general. The factory is a visual metaphor of the world, where men are assembled, forged to fulfill their destiny. “Selftitled” can be an anticipation of a future lp, or you will your work only on short records for now? We have a full-lenght already written but we prefer to concentrate for now on the drafting of a further ep that will talk about fear in its most disparate forms. We also have in mind a piano and voice cd only, and in time we will see what we decide to put first. 25
interview
Krishna What are the inspirations and ideas on which “Panir� was born? The motivations, ideas and inspirations are linked to the desire for adherence to myself. Both in the listening and in the personal musical proposal the music selection is calibrated on parameters of acceptan-
ce of territories more or less close to those that I feel to be the most familiar or stimulating. The search for a personal musical style feels like a duty towards the part that I believe is better than me, a tribute and celebration of the inner world that is the engine of everything that happens outside. Panir in detail
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is a work that I conceived in such an order that even those who were not ready for a demanding listening would still have the opportunity to input measured on short and chiseled pieces in such a way as not to lose thickness and specific weight. The work have differences in tunings and “colors”. What criteria did you follow? A characteristic element of Panir is the presence of three suites that include four pieces each, two more alive and two more reflective ones. This overall logic is legitimized by a common narrative theme, by a peculiar tuning that differentiates the suites between them and a color. The narrative themes of which a clue emerges from the titles of the pieces are green people influential in my inner world, existing or fantasy, for the red musical groups or experiences related to the composition of songs while for the black of Indian culinary recipes. You have chosen to record live. Why this choice?
I chose to record live and without sound cosmetics for a desire to be close to the reality of live performance and the sounds that exist in nature. All the poetic music that I present has as its pivot the outspoken and bronze timbre of the metal strings vibrating in the wood, loyal relay of the care and love spent to translate the worlds present in the mind into sound. It is not the first experience with this formula; I have two other records recorded in this way, namely Resilienza and aRnonauta. I would like to know more about the birth of the song “Atreyu” and its titling. A song to celebrate the part that dwells in man and that makes it ready to spend generously in risky actions, regardless of the outcome. A hero like Atreyu lends itself well to this delicate role that requires both strength and a daring distance from attachment to the benefits of success. 27
videos
Vox Kernel, “L’assalto al domani può portare illusione”
Firebase Project, “Norjak”
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Wemen, “Contagious kiss”
Le madri degli orfani, “Largo alla retroguardia”
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review
Turin Brakes Your old editor is not used to blogger attitudes, that is, using the reviews to put in personal memories. However, every now and then an exception is made: Turin Brakes evoke personal memories of a concert in Milan, at the Tunnel, in 2001, opening of Kings of Convenience, after the debut with The Optimist LP. At the time the guys were two, the air a bit scatte-
red, but already with a good load of pop songs well done, performed in acoustic, mostly simple but of excellent impact. It is therefore with a small twinge of nostalgia that we are reviewing this new Invisible Storm, which sees the band (now a real band, a well-oiled quartet), eighth record of a career that has also seen hits Like Painkiller, as well as world tours 30
beginning is much darker than what the song reveals to be. Bad and sour, as well as “echoed” electronically, with an almost dance beat: all this comes with Everything All At Once, more resentful song than feeling. Tomorrow revolves around the repetition of the concept, reinforced by rock sound structures. Instead, Smoke & Mirrors takes it off, then whispers and closes softly. And even more on the soft one goes towards the end, with Do not Know Much. After some acceleration, Knight and Paridjanian seem, in substance, to be those of that evening in the Tunnel: they are able to give their best especially when the lights are a bit soft, the ideas are confusing and the bottle seems to want to end too quickly. And moreover, the mastery of building “real” songs, which are not asking for much but are able to give, especially if you are looking for some pop consolation.
and international awards. They start strong with Would You Be Mine, sticking to a Guns’n’Roses style title a rhythm section that pulls the band with power and “pull” unsuspected for a band known to be soft. Wind instruments make think of indie bands like Gomez. The rhythmic discourse continues intensely but the tones soften with Wait, the first single, which starts like Hey Ya of the OutKast but then it changes. Always chooses a playful but soft register, closer to the songs from sunny afternoons we were used to. Even Lost in the Wood does not seem to want to fight, but the song reveals more incisive aspects, with some additional guitar curl. We dive deep with Deep Sea Diver, ballad with country resonances that brings to light all the pop romance that the band can express, including coretti. Life Forms turns up quickly, seeing the return to center of voice and guitar. But with Invisible Storm you go back in the dark, even if the 31
interview
Eradius
Bass and drums and a spirit similar to stoner: here are Eradius and their new lp is Democrazy. Can you tell the story of Eradius? The Eradius project was born two years ago, when Edoardo and Richard (drummer and bassist of the Triple Rock band) wanted to write and play original music, with the purpose of escaping from the vicious circle of the cover band, a bit for nostalgia of that music that was king in the 90s but at the same time with the intention of creating
something new. Initially the band was supposed to be a quartet, but we immediately saw the divergences of thought and, encouraged by the impressive ascent of the Royal Blood, we decide to try in two. Without great expectations but full of enthusiasm we came to the rehearsal room to experiment, we understood almost immediately the way to take advantage of very similar musical tastes. In September 2016 we are presented with the opportunity to play for the first time on the stage of a festival for the victims 32
of the earthquake in Amatrice, and from there on we took every opportunity, participating in various contests and even starting to win them! Even the album was born without pretension: we found ourselves under the eye of the producer Tommaso Canazza and thanks to this meeting we decided to record all the twelve tracks we had in the pipeline. What do you use for your lyrics? The main theme of most lyrics is to protest anything that seems wrong within our society. A couple of songs instead (Black Queen and Medusa) talk about two women in two different relationships, one positive, the other a little less. Finally we dedicated a song (Desert) to the artists who helped us in our project. I would like to know more about the genesis of “Democrazy” and “Medusa” Democrazy was the first song that was born in the rehearsal room, we built the song around the riff,
which was born many years earlier by the first group of Edoardo (the Arenanera), fished out of old audio files and then readjusted up to what you hear today. In the lyrics we take aim at the hypocrisy that sometimes dominates in today’s democracy, inviting the listener to embrace our “crazy” democracy. Medusa talks about a relationship that ended badly with a woman, in general she describes when the woman makes fun of the man, deceiving and using it for her own interests and then abandoning it as if nothing had happened. Your 2017 has been studded with concerts: how 2018 announce itself ? Last year we worked hard expanding our views trying to make space on any stage was available, even when a real stage was not there. For 2018 we aim for a qualitative leap. On February 24th there will be a release party with the next release of the album. 33
interview
Felloni Il punto di non ritorno is the debut album as a songwriter for Felloni. The album contains the contamination between the Italian songwriter school and the folk/
rock flavor of the Anglo-Saxon style. Let’s start from the cover: what does the empty armchair represent? 34
That empty armchair represents for me the place where the album came to life, the place where I conceived this work and where I can continue to new destinations. The empty armchair, therefore, in a certain sense represents the static, the immobilism experienced in previous years and during the realization of this my first official work; the beginning of the journey, the starting point, the place where you do not return. “Il punto di non ritorno� is your debut as a songwriter: what does it represent for you and with what inspirations you have approached the work on the record? I believe that every man has the need to express himself, his feelings and his own experience, in my case I found in this album and especially in writing the best way to do it. Without a doubt the major inspiration that
contributed to the realization of the songs were my inner storms; The sleepless nights whe- re the words plastered the walls of my mind to go out and take shape in front of me, not knowing what to do with your life. A work of introspection in search of a way out of the shadow of myself. In my songs I speak of the feelings that every human being has to face every day of his life, feelings that can unite as much as they share. The atmosphere of the album is
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interview rather soft: spontaneous construction of the songs or way to bring out the contents of the lyrics better? Throughout the evolution of the writing of the songs, the words have always had a weight of pri-
ous construction, because words and music are born inspired by each other, while the next phase of arrangement, is a work more than stylistic and aesthetic research, but that never loses sight of the importance of the narrative meaning, even more than to emphasize the content of my lyrics. What was the most difficult phase in the construction of the record? The most diffi cult stage was to find musicians who were able to understand my world. This has taken a lot of time to implement the project. But the time spent was not in vain because while we were still looking, some professionals spontaneously approached by
mary importance, both in the initial moment when they are born in my room, with the acoustic guitar, and in the subsequent phase of the final arrangement. It is a spontane36
really “marked” you? Suzanne Vega Luka; Tom Petty Learning to fly y; Grant Lee Buffalo - Honey do not think The feeling of walking away from the ground, a sense of lightness, freedom and the desire to be part of everything that surrounds me have always transmitted me from the first listening; the same emotions that I would like to convey with my songs.
supporting and understanding my project. The musicians in question are Ronny Aglietti, Daniele Cerofolini, Andrea Neri, Alessandro De Crescenzo, Cosimo Zannelli, Manuel Schicchi, Alessandro Ciciliani, Alessandro Spadini. I also believe that the most important aspect during the creation of the album was the bond that has been created between us. How was born “Mare d’Incanto”? Mare d’incanto was born from a love so deep as to make everything we had around us seem utter desolation. The feeling that time has stopped, the silence of a snowy landscape, the feeling suspended over an untamed sea, when two lovers unite and consume their love. The same love that remains intact in the cold. Like two fallen stars in a deep sea. In this love story there is no abyss that scales the heat of that moment, the same moment that can enchant that sea. Three songs by artists who have 37
interview
Serpe in seno You come from the suburbs of Treviso and you love the heavy, dirty and bad sounds a lot. Can you tell something else about Serpe in Seno? We have no tattoos. We’re not against it, maybe we do not need tattoos. We are more or less simple people, quite opposed among us in everything. We do not listen to the same music and when we do not play we do different things. We
laugh. It happens to be difficult to agree, it comes down to compromise. We talk. Three is a number that allows a fast majority, democracy is in force, so it is easier to shake off responsibilities. We are conspiring. The majority never reaches unanimity, unanimous vote? Wrong choice. End of the game. Insert a coin. We have no tattoos. I read from the presentation 38
of your record: “the live activity begins after several months of lysergic experimentation on sounds on rhythms and vibrations, and their effect on the human body”. What effects does your music have on your body? We’re testing some people, guinea pigs for experiments, but it’s still early to talk about sure results. Some tests have been made in vain on chimpanzees coming from Cameroon and Nigeria, where the music already had it, but here they prefer Netflix. For better results, perhaps the question should be asked to those who have listened to the record, however, on us that we do it, well, it leaves us pleasantly tired. We expel toxins. The whistle in the ears fades over the night. The voice and the blisters heal. It’s a workout like any other. It keeps a strand of electricity in the body. I would like to know something more about the genesis of “La Ballata del Vile” La ballata del vile, first “the ballad
of the innkeeper and the vile” and the draft “song of the drunkard”, is a song imbued with wine up to various meanings. It is a blurred path in the excess of alcohol. Shoulder to shoulder with the wall. It is wandering aimlessly or clock from a sign on to another, joking with those you like, shouting against those you do not like. In most of the cases, the same people. The ballad is to laugh at someone who vomits. And he pisses in an alley or they piss on him. It is the awareness of cursing the morning that follows, and the comfort of finding the same stool, sitting there, and ordering the first round with a cheeky smile. The ballad is rolling and balance residue. It is the moment of clarity at four in the morning. The ballad is the time you need. We live in a country cultivated in mists and vineyards where tradition is culture. Did you expect something else? Who, me? No. 39
interview
Babel Fish What’s the story of the Babel Fish? We trained in November 2015 and exactly one year later we re-
corded our first ep, released in February 2017. Afterwards we started playing live, also participating in some competitions. The victory 40
in the “let’s rumble” competition, organized by the Music Center of Modena, allowed us to record, in September 2017, “Follow Me When I Leave”, which will be released on March 2nd. In the last period we had the opportunity to play in very interesting situations, like the opening of the Totorro alla Tenda concert in Modena on December 11th. Your ep contains four songs full of international influences, close to the atmosphere of the North European post-rock. Do you have any model of reference or is the inspiration all yours? There are many influences, both for post rock and other genres. For example, the Tides From Nebula and the Mogwai, but also Radiohead and Motorpsycho. Then obviously a very personal alchemy is created in the rehearsal room. Can you briefly tell us something about the genesis of the four tracks? The four tracks were composed at
different times over a period of two years. We wrote “Veins” and “Morning Birds” before recording the first ep, but we publish them together with “Follow Me When I Leave” and “TGD” after almost two years. The reason is that they are all tracks that focus on the concept of absence and apparent emptiness, both in the atmospheres that are created with music, both in the texts. You have already developed a substantial live experience. What should be expected of those who come to see you live? In our lives we like to create a show that does not involve only music. The songs are accompanied by videos that we project on stage. Some abstract, others are pieces of silent films in black and white. In general, each video is built on the specific song, as if it were a reverse soundtrack. In this way an audiovisual show is generated, no longer a simple concert. 41
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