SOTHIAC in concert the 7th of October 2015 at Masada Milano

Sothiac

7/10/2015
 Inaudito 

 Masada  Milano

Pat Moonchy: voice , live electronics
Lucio Liguori : guitar
Angelo Contini: trombone, didgeridoo, shells

Interview with LUCIANO MARGORANI (FRACTURE,LA 1919)

Luciano, which is the origin of  Fracture?

Fracture origins from my meeting with Luca Pissavini in 2010 during the auditions to be part of a group called Nichelodeon…Luca became member of the group for a while, I didn't.

Does the name refer to a "fracture"  with something or any reference is purely coincidental ?

In reality the reference was to the title of a track of King Crimson but also your interpretation could be valid.

Is your music totally improvised?

Not totally, normally before the concert I prepare a schedule of about 6 -7 tracks with titles that describe the musical atmosphere we have to generate, in order to diversify….but afterwards obviously everything can happen while we are playing.

Is the track  “Lodi”, on  OOS IT3, è totally  improvised or is it based on a  pre-established structure ?

No it's pure improvisation, I remember that in my schedule i wrote “no indication”…

At the moment you have produced 2 CDr  both on label  “setola di maiale” what can you tell me about your relation with this label?

They produced both our CDr  so we are in their catalog  including a lot of unconventional music , in some cases quite interesting….that's all.

Your first  album is a studio album whilst the second is a live album as the track "Lodi", so is it possible to say that you feel better in a live situation?

We like both situations, certainly in a studio album you can work more on sounds and the situation is more relaxed but playing live is always an unique ad experience.

What about Andrea Quattrini  your first drummer?

He wasn't any more interested in our improvisation project, it was a great regret for us because he is a very good drummer.

All the group member are very busy with other activities how do you find the time to play music together ?

We “phisically” meet only for concerts or for recording, all the rest goes through mails or phone; I and Luca also have other occasions to meet because since I have been knowing him he always helped me from a technical and moral point of view concerning my solo projects.  

Anyhow I'm the only one in the group having a job outside the musical world with more free time , Luca and Ferdinando are professional musicians..

I assisted to many of your concerts in different situations: which is the "live" dimension  you loved more?

Personally I think that our last concert of 2015 at Novara Jazz Festival was the most satisfying from a musical point of view. Unfortunately, as it always happens in these situations, it was not recorded.......

Do the experiences  of  Fracture members  in other groups have an influence on the evolution of your sound ?

I'm influenced by many things, not only music…cinema, books , paintings but also very simple things as everyday's life and its routine have an influence on my music. Also Tappo, my dog, is influencing me a lot!

Is there a group around the world you feel related to?

Probably  Massacre even if they are a lot harsher than us !

What do you think about Milano musical scene you are part of ?

There are many things moving, the problem is dispersion…it would be nice to have also in Milano a place, like in London Cafè Oto, where musical scheduling is dedicated exclusively to non conventional musics  in jazz,rock and even pop.

Which are your future project?

we surely want to play much more live if possible in ad hoc situations.

LUCA on facebook

FERDINANDO on facebook

LUCIANO on facebook

A VIDEO

Interview with ROBERTO MAGGIONI (ETERNAL ZIO)

Which is the life philosophy of Eternal Zio if you have a common one ?

I don't think we have one. There are things we like doing together, there is a big empathy and sharing between us. Some of us lived together, and we know and see each other since long, but I don't think we can put all this in a common life philosophy. We could may be find ourselves around a common approach to things and life that we could define as punk. We like paradox and radical ideas.

What pushed you to make music and which are your inspirations?

We speak here only about Eternal Zio, otherwise everyone of us has his own history. Eternal Zio was born because three of us were living in the same home, Ca' Blasè, where we also made concerts. At one point we found at home a violin, a gurdy and some accordions. Playing these instruments we made a home concert under the name Eternal Trio. Then we were joined by a forth member and the name became Eternal Zio. We didn't have any idea of what we were doing and we didn't hear nothing similar to what we  were playing. Then the line up changed and initial unawareness structured a bit , now Eternal Zio is one of the childs coming from that experience.

“Alternative” Italian music scene revealed  lately important signs of reawaken do you feel part of that movement? Do you have any relationship with some of these musicians ?

Somebody spoke of “Italian occult psychedelia”, yes it's funny. It's normal to look for new  labels, scenes, names, currents. Journalists need to create an history, a narration and musicians feel less isolated. Then sometimes you get it other times absolutely not. Scenes we have been knowing until 15 years ago don't exist anymore, the net exists. We have good relations with all those that we met during these last years. With someone we have even a close relationship for example  with How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? or with Above the Tree, Be My Delay, Donato Epiro, Lepers.

Do you feel more like being musicians or non musicians?

We simply like to play, and until now we couldn't do without. So yes, we feel a bit like musicians, but we are not musicians.

Which are the phases you go trough in order to create a new track of your music?

Improvisation. When we want to record we start improvising, recording, listening to recorded parts and cutting out what we prefer. Also live always are improvisations.

Can, Lard Free, LAFMS, Smegma, Faust, No Neck Blues Band, Pelt, Sunburned Hand of the Man Tasaday do you feel related to any of these groups?

Uhm , Pelt for example were a recent discovery, thanks to Gher of How much... and when we listened to them we thought “shit...but this is our music”. The one of the first Eternal Zio, those with  violin and gurdy in evidence. We know the groups you mentioned, we like them, but they are not between the things we go mad for.

How are your live concerts?

As I told you 90% improvisation , that during the tours finds its own repetitiveness, still remaining improvisation. We like to be very close to our listeners. If we can choose we prefer to play a little bit altered rather than being totally sober.

Which is the best  “live” situation you experienced?

All :)

But if we have to choose, at Cripta in Torino, at Torchiera in Milano,at Sinagoga in Ivrea, in Zurich, in a mountain festival in Rovereto… but also last concert some weeks ago in the occupied house of via Gorizia in Milano it was super. And then all the live by our brothers of Hybrida in and around Udine.

I read you manage  Ca’ Blasé in deep Brianza can you  tell me something about this experience? Did this help you from a musical point of view?

Ca' Blasè is not a club, it was our home. 3/4 of Eternal Zio was living there. We organized concerts at home, and it was a very open situation to the outside and to our friends.We had 5 fantastic years. But if you stop to much in one place  you get killed, and so now we moved but we still organize concerts in Milano under the name Ca' Blasè: our house spread out everywhere.

Is Maurizio Abate a member of the group or just a friend collaborating from while to while?

He is a close friend and founder member of Eternal Zio. Now he is very busy on other projects and is not playing with us, but in the future who knows.

  

Do you have other intersts outside music?

Riot and parallel worlds.

Can you tell me something more on “Sirchiettone” the track of the compilation?

Uhmm....I don't think we need to add something to music :)

  

Which are your future projects?

We would like to understand if there is a way or a direction we have to undertake musically. We are moving! we'll see.  

ETERNAL ZIO on facebook

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Interview with ANDREA FACCIOLI & STEFANO ROVEDA (Å)

Å

How is Å going at the moment ? Do you rehearse regularly?

Stefano: The project is still alive but ,at present, in sedimentation. No we don't rehearse regularly.

You told me about a ready-record that has been waiting for 7 years and didn't come out yet. Did you ever think to produce it yourself? Did the tracks change in the mentime? 

Stefano: Having a wonderful graphic and also having a label we never thought to self-produce it. Surely if we had to remake it today it would be different because nowadays we are different.

Andrea: All is ready for release, it should be only published, but times are difficult for labels and bands.

Can you tell me about the musical training and the activities of the 3 musicians involved in the group? The musicians live between Trento and Verona what about the musical scene in that area?


Stefano: I'm a classical musicians, it's my profession, the scene in Trento is at the moment very poor.


Andrea: I and Paolo(who left the group in the meantime) , we are from Verona. Here in the end there's always something moving. Places where to play are always less, so if you do a non conventional music it's always more difficult to be on stage. Since a while I partecipate, as a musician, to different projects like Cisco, Le Luci Della Centrale Elettrica a my solo instrumental project Cabeki. Also depending on these projects Å lost a bit of our attention. But in reality we still exist.







After 9 years how do you feel about your first record ? Did you record something new?

Stefano: As I told you we have all the material fitting in second record and the material we left by. Our first record is the result of a moment where energies had reached a very high point but the material contained in the second is probably more interesting and mature.

I saw you in occasion of the concert of Tony Conrad in Milano in 2007. Considering that Faust is one of your preferred groups how great was your pleasure to meet Tony and play with him?

Stefano: You told it! How to not get excited being side by side with a legend?

Andrea: He is a real funny and helpful guy. He was very natural and involved....we really were like a new band. Furthermore we were accompanied by our drummer friend Andrea Belfi who enriched the whole considerably.

Considering that Stefano is classically trained, how do you compose your tracks? From improvisations or directly on paper?

Stefano: they come from a verbal confrontation, from a proposed idea or scenario, listening to each other there's nothing written.





Recently there are many new “psychedelic” groups inspired by krautrock of the seventies do you feel related to them or you think that your musical path is quite different?

Stefano: I think it's quite diffferent, but this doesn't mean that I think it's better.

Andrea: We never thought of playing like Faust or Can, we looked for a creative approach not a matter of style.

In this period of difficulties in concert organisation how is your stage activity working?

Stefano: Personally I only move around playing ancient & classical music. This kind of music is accepted by institutions and society so it grants you public and a certain number of concerts.


Andrea: As I told you it could be worse, it's difficult but I move around, there always is enough interest from concert organizers and listeners.







Are there any musicians around the world or in Italy you're in contact with beyond the excellent Xabier Iriondo who collaborated to your first record?

Andrea: It's easy to know musicians around and many of them are very good and intersting. This is one of the nice things of our work.











Which could be your greatest wish for the future of your group?

Stefano: Surely the release of the record, and consequently the possibility to promote it properly.

What about “Primo” included in our compilation?

Stefano: A perfect noise-pop track (I'm just joking!)

Andrea: It started from an improvisation of me and Stefano then arrenged along the way adding drums played by both of us simultaneously and orchestral loop noises. Very amusing and intense.

Site of Andrea Faccioli

Interview with PIERANGELO PANDISCIA (ENTEN HITTI)

Somewhere I read that the group was born in 1990 from your association with Gino which kind of experiences did you have before and what about your musical training?

We both had experiences in rock groups even if we felt something was missing.The energy was good but we were looking for something else. Different sounds and inspirations. So Gino went to the School of Musical Paleography in Cremona , and I attended the improves course of jazz improvisation  with Giorgio Gaslini and the school of Music therapy of Assisi  and Milano. And so we changed our instruments from keyboards and guitar to oboe, french horn, percussion and......electronics.

Apart you two who is playing in the group at the moment? I noticed that some musicians like Gianpaolo Verga are playing with you since the beginning of the group.

The line-up depends a lot from the project. Gianpaolo actually has been with us with his violin in many projects for more than twenty years. During last years we are working with Enya Idda ( ritual actions, sensorial scores, setting of areas..) and Afra Crudo (ethnic singing and static dance) during our sleeping concerts. Concerning other projects we collaborate with Mariolina Zitta (nature music), Lorenzo Pierobon e Alberto Guccione (harmonic singing).

Your group was created in a period where many post-industrial groups had chosen an esoteric and ritualistic path do you feel part of that movement or do you think your evolution was not conditioned by their sound?

We are very attracted by the esoteric path, but we don't think to be part of that movement. It's simply a coincidence. By chance we read R. Guenon and by chance something happened….

Where does the name Enten Hitti come from ? Is there any relation with orientalist Philip Kuri Hitti?
Ah ah. This is an old story. Many years ago (a little after punk) we had the name “ I ti purgo” (I purge you) contracted in “Ittipurgo”. Then we added an “H” probably because we were unconsciously attracted by the mysterious Hittite civilization. Then , after the reading of “Enten Eller” the philosophical text of S. Kierkegaard, it became Enten Hitti. It had a good sound , without thinking a lot about. Still without a big research we had all. The connection between Nordic atmospheres and the South and the East of the world. The tension between aesthetics and ethics.....

I also read that you collaborated with Walter Maioli, founder and core of Aktuala and with Vincenzo Zitello you feel like being successors of groups like Aktuala, Nadma , Zeit or Futuro Antico?

I knew Walter Maioli at the school of music therapy then we met frequently in the caves of Toirano and at the Symposiums of Prehistoric and Tribal Art of Val Camonica. The line  Art of Primitive Sounds  had a wide suggestion on us and somehow, not intentionally, some things we made derive from suggestions generating from above mentioned groups.

You collaborated with musicians of different musical areas like  Sigillum S , Alio Die, Franco Battiato, CSI, Officine Schwartz and Walter Maioli including  a various ethnic musicians  around the world . Who do you feel is closer to your approach?

Every name you mentioned represents one aspect of our music approach. We are close to the meditative atmospheres of drones and nature sounds as we are to a certain kind of electronic music or  post-industrial sounds. But we are also close to the pleasure of melody. It's a complex of different elements that appear in different moments of our lives.  Sometimes , just before turning off the lights, we generate songs half way  between Nick Drake and Claudio Lolli. In other moments we bring out hypnotic tracks remembering Third Ear Band, Penguin or Aktuala and so on…Anyhow the mark of our music is a certain airiness (wideness), a solitary, desert and minimal atmosphere that you can find when we play electronic music, ethno-ambient or even in the two chord songs....

Is your implication in music part of a path  of unlimited discovery or is music the element that generates your curiosity? 

Yes certainly music is part of a wider path. We are attracted by theater, dance, literature, performance and every kind of creative form that could be a way of personal transformation. Off course music was one of the first passions. I think that between 15 and 20, a bizarre age, everyone finds his way to express his anguish and his dreams. Music was much a thing for us ......

What kind of importance has the conceptual part of your live performances (installations, concerts in darkness, sleeping concerts, sound poetry and theatrical performances). Don't you miss all this in your phonographic experiences ?

Well I think that the public knows that our performances are always very articulated including a rigorous gestural and sensorial  canovaccio beyond a sound canovaccio. So recorded material obviously reproduces only part of what we are doing. A DVD could reveal also the visual part but anyhow it would lose a very subtle part composed by smells,atmospheres,tactile sensations that cannot be reproduced technically.

Your research on traditional and electronic instruments is part of your range of curiosities, did this never push you to conceive and eventually build new instruments?

Sure. We built different litophones with sheets of serpentine stone found between the waste material of the quarries of Val Malenco. Or different kinds of rattles made with nails,glasses, snails,corks or rusted metals found on the beaches after winter coastal storms. But also bone flutes, trumpet shells or sounding pumpkins. In my cellar i still have a strange wind instrument made with the skull of a mule.........

What is the role of improvisation in your music?

Total! Most of our compositions start from improvisations. Then they are re-elaborated and fixed. Anyhow also when we play live we start from a canovaccio. So it's quite rare that we reproduce it exactly in the same way... I feel this as a limit… because something gets lost... Forever.

You consider yourself as musicians,composers or simply artists that use different expressive modalities ?

The second one.

Which is your preferred record and the one you like less among your discography? 

I don't know… Nostalgically I say that  “Giant clowns of the solar world” even if made in  ‘96 still is absolutely actual and airy. On the contrary there are some records we would probably not do again . “Musica Humana” of 1999 ,that for coincidence will be re-released by Lizard  in march 2016, seemed to be somehow dated. Listening to it today however I found it contains a lot of vitality, may be with some naivety, but full of life..... 

Starting from 2000 your productions are less frequent , what is the reason behind it?

From 2000 to 2010 we were occupied in many activities. Theater , dance, trips, and  some emotive turmoils…It has been useful  it's like much material had deposited a sediment taking it's time to come out without anxiety… then in 2010 it re-appeared.

You produced your last CD financed through internet. How was the experience and will you repeat it in next future?

“Fino alla fine della notte” was partly produced through a  campaign of fundraising, but the experience wasn't so interesting. People who took part were mostly friends and acquaintances. We would have needed a stronger communication/promotion from the portal where it was on. Then all this anxiety concerning the deadline! We had to reach the target within 30 days. No I don't think we will repeat it......

After “Fino alla fine della notte” which are your next projects?

As I told you the re-release of “Musica humana” record concerning our experience with Consorzio Produttori Indipendenti. Probably in 2017  “ A tutti gli uragani che ci passarono accanto”, the record which is closer to the song form we ever made, will also be re-released. During next month we will start to work our new record “ Via lattea”. It will be a record upon the research of archaic “feminine”. With many guests. But it's to early to speak about it now… Live we will perform “Labyrinthos” a sound ritual of disorientation and rebirth. More a psycho-magic action following Jodorowsky than a performance.

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