Emmanuele Gattuso: „Music is living a sort of rebirth“ (video)

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/EmmanueleGattuso

http://www.emmanuelegattuso.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCDHXZKxL7447D2LPNlpL2w/videos

You worked with a plethora of artists over the years. What collaborations were/are the most interesting and important to You and why?

The collaborations I enjoyed the most are the ones with the photographers and illustrators who helped me with the covers of my works.

I loved Scottish illustrator Anna Kraay’s work for the cover of „Plaything“ (2013, deepwhitesound), I thought she captured the whole concept of the ep in a very strong picture and it’s been so natural I could hardly believe how good it looked.

For „Voices“ (2014, Hyphen Records) it was different, I found Maika Keuben’s shot online and I contacted her to ask her allowance to use it, she loved the idea.

Can You tell me, in short the main ideas are behind Your music? Could You name Your favorite Your compositions / albums / collaborations? What about the new album?

Well, the concept of my solo work was born on the premise that the music should be bound to no genre and that it should have no goals outside of expressing my emotions into music.

I’m not saying cds/downloads money or booking activity isn’t important, it keeps the whole thing alive indeed, but my writing technique is to just play and let the song write itself not thinking about the rest.

All the songs that end into a release are good to me, to name a few I prefer: „Splitting Voices“, „Your Sunday“, „Unstable“ and I definetely love the sleepy ambients of songs such as „Line Before Sleep“ or „Beams“.

The sound is magic. You’ve proved it. But, what ends, when there’s no sound?

As I said before, the sound and the lyrics are just a mean to express emotions and maybe try to freeze them outside of me and into something more stable such as a song.

I wouldn’t say there is a unique message or concept in my music, it’s all very unstable and going with the flow.

What is and what is not a Sound Art?

I’m not sure I know what is and what is not Sound Art… I believe there are sincere artists that couldn’t live without music and people that see it as a tool to achieve something.

Maybe we should focus on what is good/bad sound art.

What do You think about relations between the old art and computer art? Are they compatible?

Yes why not? I think there’s no such thing as boundaries when it comes to making art.

What do You think about thousands of neofolk/industrial/ambient/tribal/electroacoustic/avangarde etc. bands/projects? Is it a kind of trend, o just a tendency forwards better music?

Probably both, I mean I’m not really sure the new extreme trends such as harsh noise are going to save the world, but I believe elements of that could be used into wider contexts.

Generally speaking music is living a sort of rebirth, now someone should take the duty to channel all this incredible amount of energy into something organized for the listeners.

What do You know about Lithuania? How and when did You come to it? What Lithuanian and foreign musicians do You value most?

To be honest I don’t know much about it, I know I want to visit Lithuania as soon as possible, that’s why I’m planning a tour and hopefully it will be sometime next spring.

Could You tell, please, some words about my initiative to print the first book about experimental music / Sound Art (i call it postmusic) of Lithuania (and, at least, Eastern Europe)?

I believe it’s a very interesting idea and I’m really looking forward to that.

As I said before I’m not sure I’m the right person to talk about the technical side of it, I believe it’s good that a lot of people started paying less and less attention to the whole production thing.

It’s a healthy reaction to a system that asks you 250/300 € a day for a medium quality product, to people that like to call themselves „labels“ or „booking agencies“ then do nothing but ask the artists money, totally forgetting what the real meaning of their existence is.

After years of frustration those who are really determined to make music for themselves and for the sake of it have finally figured out how to do it.

What inspires You most?

Experiences (mine or others’), travelling and focusing on what I feel.

Thank You!