In this blog In the name of Rock I will talk about artists which songs, emotions and ideas have interplaid with shapes and colors in my mind and have led me to creating objects that hold their spoor.

I will speak also of my musical experiences, particularly of the concerts that most have impressed me: indeed the suggestion and intensity of the musical instruments, blended thanks to the musicians while playing and the emotion instilled are peculiar and unique on stage.

The pieces of furniture I have realized let make tactile and visible the musical impressions experimented, in the name of Rock, through my own interpretation.

Nightvision

My childhood is full of echoes of Kanak songs and ballads of New Caledony, then among the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, raises Leonard Cohen. His melancholy has strongly impressed me and increased my imagination, expressing what for a child is difficult to tell.

Afterwards come in my life the Doors, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground and Neil Young. In the same time at home I heared classic music at home which, though the piano lessons, I have never been able to be found of.

According to me it is self-referential, the personal expression of the artist is on the backstage behind technical exhibition. I have healed with piano sound while listening to Nick Cave, with violin thanks to the music plaid by Warren Ellis with Dirty Three then with Nick Cave.

Being a groupie hasen’t been part of my life experience though my opinion is that those women are part of a sexual and personal liberty desire, that includes society rules modification. Moreover they have taken part with other women attending to the concerts to let know around the world the rock revolution and success, as referred by Keith Richards in his autobiography, Life.

Rock is legal expression of primitive instincts that could aim in disorder and, as per each art shape, it tells about the more innovative thinking of the society.

Later I have discovered the indie bands.

Hugo Race, Australian musician, has been astonishing during his self performance at Settignano in 2015, as he has managed to play powerfully, helping himself using registered bases, and to create a captivating performance. I was really impressed.

His voice is deep, suave and charming. His a non stop globe trotter, a kind and humanity full person; his is thirsty of people and different cultures knowledge, fond of getting in touch and create dialogue with them. He has lived in Italy and has connected particularly links with this country. Moreover he has created The Fatalists with Sacri Cuori band. Among his projects he has also been artistic producer of Cesare Basile last disk.

I have been lucky to hear him play with his band Fatalists. Their tracks are very suggestive and decisive, particularly We never had control, Orphans (album Orphans), as well as Nightvision (album Fatalists). The improvisation on stage has made deeper and given even more atmosphere to this latter track.

During the concert in San Salvi in 2016, Florence, the musicians have played in a great way, Diego Sapignoli plays drums in such an original rhythm and using other kind of percussions to play on the snare drum…. The guitarist Giovanni Ferrario has played as well during the stage and, though his look seemed one that couldn’t be part of the band, he has astonished us with his fantasy and technics.

The songs of Hugo Race lacks virtuosity, i.e. don’t highlight his own technics, instead they show as primordial the desire of communicating ideas and emotions, and he manages to very well. His tracks are full of sentiments and sensuality, poetry, blues inspiration and rough observations of the world. Hope and difficult are describing life, through landscape representation, wild as his native country, Australia.

I have been impressed by the description Hugo Race has talked about before playing Ballad of easy rider: the film has been launched when he was in front of the sea, on the cost, nearby the desert blowed by the wind, alone. His lyrics have a dark spoor, and let know a self introspection made with clearness and mystery. Inside lives the blues rhythm, essentials and melodic sounds, and I am fond of them (I go on listening them in loop…).

His latest album 24 Hours to nowhere is harmonious and feeling atmosphere full of; the tracks 24 Hours to nowhere and No god in the sky are my favorite ones.

Dirtmusic, which I prefer either Dirtmusic and BKO – the track Unknowable is hypnotic – among the band’s albums, comes back to blues roots, as well as the collaboration the band has established with the Tamikrest band in Mali.

My own musical experience has been signed by blues and soul, that I have discovered the origin of rock afterwards. Dirtmusic concert in Florence at San Salvi (Florence) during 2018 summer, though part of the band wasn’t present (their plane was too late to let them be in time to play), has been intense due to the powerful blended sound of the band.

I haven’t been able to attend any concert till today of Hugo Race and Michelangelo Russo (part of the True Spirit, australian band, with Race), I hope to do so in the next future since it may be a great experience as well.