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First of all - who and what is Symptoms and how did things get started with this band?
Symptoms started in May 2006 after a long night of intensive puking for having eaten too many chips, and from this event I started with the idea of illness and indisposition expressed through music and lyrics. Being a one-man project, I used electronic sounds for drums, synths and effects and played myself guitar and bass and did vocals. From the first EP to this new album I lost this concept on illness and focused on different themes, but the idea of creating evocative music is still present. When Zoten joined this project, I asked him to let me be the only one to write music, and he patiently agreed. I really want to thank him, since he tolerated my megalomaniac ideas and supported me for all these years! He also played with me live (keyboards, effects and drum machine) without rehearsing whatsoever and he did an excellent job, so I really think that without him Symptoms would be nothing!
After the 'F**k Em All' - volume one compilation, you decided to team up with Death To Music Productions for the release of 'Outspoken Goodbye'. What made you decide to give this collaboration a go, and what are you expecting of it?
Death To Music is the best anti-music label and one of the best websites (along with Industrialized Metal and Avantgardemetal.com) for promoting excellent artists which often are overlooked because they aren't enough mainstream nor have a professional/standard production. A lot of friends of mine told me that my music sucks because my production is not professional: it's like saying that a book sucks because you don't like the cover. Moreover, a lot of people focus only on money. So, when I had this chance to join this (fucking free!) crusade for good music, I accepted in no time!
The 'Outspoken Goodbye' album hides influences from ambient to industrial black metal to jazz and much more... so what are your main influences anyway?
My favourites bands and main influences are Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Band, Ulver, Godflesh and Jesu, but I also take inspiration from bands like Depeche Mode, Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble, Misery Index, Aborym, Guttural Secrete, Prodigy and a lot of others. I try to make really different songs, because I'm into metal but also into every other kind of good music, so why staying in only one genre? Plus, my father is into jazz and plays saxophone and clarinet, so he played solos in this new album, giving a great jazzy yet atmospheric attitude to the songs. He liked it a lot, and asked me for future collaborations, so I think I'll explore this side of music!
The release contains weird songtitles such as 'Fucktastic Blasturbation' and 'The Consequences Of Industrial'. Since neither one of the tracks contains lyrics - how do you create your song titles? Do they have any meaning related to the music?
I try to create evocative songs, and the title reflects the image I try to evoke. For example, "Chestnuts" is about October and Autumn, and since U2 already made a piano-based song called October I decided to change the title, which now sounds a little strange but in my opinion works fine in drawing a melancholic and familiar atmosphere; so, "Railway Hall", "Dead Factories in the cold" and "Seaside Metropolis" are supposed to create a picture of those places, of those atmospheres. The only two exceptions are "Fucktastic Blasturbation", wich is just a stupid and ironic title for a straight catchy song, and "The Consequences Of Industrialisation", which refers to the mechanical machine-like feeling I tried to give to this song.
Compared to the preverious albums you released by yourself, 'Symptoms' and 'Symptoms That You Are Alive', the 'Outspoken Goodbye' album is fully instrumental. Why did you decide to go this way? No more inspiration for new lyrics maybe?
'Symptoms EP' had one instrumental track, 'Symptoms that you are alive' had five instrumental songs, so I guess it is some kind of natural flow. This album was initially meant to have vocals (and I written lyrics for every song), but I had technical difficulties recording them, and at that point I tought that they were good instrumental songs, so why risk to ruin them with bad vocals? I'm not satisfied with my vocals at the moment, and since I'd like to use also clean vocals I prefer to wait and do excercises before recording vocals again.
You're from Vincenza, Italy. How is life over there? And what about the music scene and industry?
A national test was made, and Vicenza has resulted to be the most close-minded place in the whole Italy. This thing reflects in music industry: a lot of bands in here try to sound professional but lacking originality, and everyones prefers to listen to the same stuff instead of opening to new styles and sounds! Moreover, a lot of people in here has fascist and nazi ideas (just look at our prime minister); I often think of leaving and going to Germany or another European country!
What are the future plans for Symptoms? Got any last words for the Death To Music groupies?
The next Symptoms release will be really ambient/electronic oriented, and I don't know if this will change forever my style or if it's just a transitional phase, but I feel safe and encouraged because I found people that will give me a chance and listen before judging. So, I really want to thank Death To Music for this opportunity and for the support, because THIS is how music industry really should be!
Interview by: Gerardo (November 2008)
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