“Apocalissi Tascabili” is the new album by Volpe released last September by ZA Records / Altafonte Italy.
Those doors without walls around them are “Pocket Apocalypses”. Obstacles that are easy to circumvent by their nature, yet in one way or another, they manage to block us by hiding the sun. We cannot just cross those imaginary walls: it is necessary to open that door that separates us from our passions and from feeling good. These are words that come from a difficult period and were written to remember to tear down the wall, to have the courage to open that door and find out what lies on the other side.
– VOLPE @volpe.vlp
Volpe is a curious animal, prone to abandonment as a form of discovery and therefore tends to be nostalgic. Volpe’s music is reflected in the person and in the words of Nicola Gaddi. The production is also shaped by the intuitions and sound of Valentino Monti and Lorenzo Bertoni who were immediately chosen to give the project a precise direction. The influences are numerous and chaotic: those who are inclined to departures by nature cannot have roots. The journey starts from the author’s song, crosses the dark areas of beat dance and also arrives overseas, in accordance with the dictates of black music, played and sweaty together.
“Apocalissi Tascabili” is a record with a hidden heart: the pre-production and drafting of the work was in fact carried out together with Renee / Renato D’Amico, a fundamental result for enhancing Volpe’s words and music by optimizing his connection with Rh- (Lorenzo Bertoni) and Valenitnom (Valentino Monti), the two “obscure” collaborators who have been part of the project since its origins in 2018. The production was finalized in the G.Lab Studio under the guidance of Giacomo Lorè, who immediately grasped the electronic nuances that began to shine through, making them aggressive, predominant and making them come to the fore. This step further rarefied the guitars and elements played in pre-production turning them into unrecognizable echoes. In a logical progression also Volpe’s identity undergoes this passage, it changes and changes between vocoder and vocal processors, it becomes unrecognizable as in a cry of pain to flow into a delicate and intimate piece, which closes the record and the experience it has gave birth to the songs.
It is not only the electronics that animate the album: the presence of R’n’B music (Per Restare Cosi) is clearly felt and the desire to cross an eclectic and surreal world like that of Hyperpop (Notturno, 58 Secondi di Vuoto). There is no lack of desire to tell heavy stories giving strong attention to the text (Vampiri) and to close oneself in an intimate sphere that also represents the achievement of a peace sought throughout the disc (Ulisse).
The packaging is made of classic cardboard printed with eco-sustainable ink, as are the photographs that you will find inside the box. In the card included, the link to the album in high quality, the video clips and other exclusive material are available. This has allowed us to avoid the creation of an obsolete and polluting medium such as the CD and to provide continuously updated content. Volpe qualified for the final phase of the national contest “1MNext” with the single “Celabbiamofatta”, which was followed by the singles “Per Restare Cosi” and “Abandonare La Nave”. He personally takes care of his video clips together with the “lyzard” duo, formed by directors Lisa Mazzei and Leonardo Fiori.
VOLPE: THE INTERVIEW
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a self-taught musician.
The least favourite part is not having a solid foundation on a particular instrument or a real production method, but it’s also the thing that leads me to my favourite part, which is experimenting and always trying to find a way to achieve and realize the sound that I want. Also, I have two beautiful production shoulders who are RH- and Valenitnom, two brilliant producers, musicians and fundamental parts of Volpe.
What inspired you to start playing and making electronic music?
I think it was Radiohead’s “Idioteque”. That track blew me away instantly and all I could think of after hearing that was “I want to do that too”. Another important record was “Give Up” by The Postal Service, it has a special place in my heart.
And apart from everything musical have you seen how pretty and shimmering the synthesizers are?
How has your childhood background affected the way you’ve built your music career?
My younger self really liked to be one entertaining everyone during family reunions. I had this portable microphone which I used to sing classic pop hits or traditional neapolitan songs (funny thing, I’m not from Naples nor my parents have any relation with the city as we come from a completely different region).
It taught me that music and singing is something you do with others and not just something we do for ourselves.
Going into making music, were there any specific influences for you?
Not anything that I can remember. I come from a family who’s not really into music and that pushed me in many different directions. But I always enjoyed writing and creating moving pictures with words, so when the guitar arrived they went along pretty good.
What was happening in your life when you were making ‘Apocalissi Tascabili’?
I was having a hard time dealing with the consequences of a breakup which showed me how fragile I am when the things that I love get endangered. I thought of the name “Apocalissi Tascabili” (Pocket Apocalypses) because it’s the way I used to describe those breakdowns I had. A tiny problem seemed right away like the end of the world.
We know you are a self-taught producer who creates music in multiple genres and you create the beats, record the instruments, sing, rap, do the mixing/mastering, and design the artwork for all your tracks. As an artist navigating the indie-sphere, why is it important for you to pave your own way and create music on your own terms?
Well, actually this is not really like this. I can do many of these things, but the value of Volpe lies in the team that I’ve created over these years. RH- and Valenitnom are two excellent producers and musicians, and our work is always chiseled by Giacomo Loré from G.Lab Studio, who works with us as a producer, a mixing engineer and also as FOH. My songs are nothing without this kind of cooperation. I’ve made the artworks, the photos and the videoclip with a duo of young wonders called “lyzard” (Their names are Lisa Mazzei and Leonardo Fiori and they are photographers and directors).
They have made a huge work on the videos and they helped me developing the ideas behind them and behind the “Apocalissi Tascabili” box.
Let’s be clear, all of these kinds of works have a cost, and building a team that sees the bigger picture and that helps me in getting good foundations for Volpe it’s what lets me sound and look as I really want, not just look like what I can afford.
Tell me about your favorite performance in your career.
I don’t really have one, but I like small venues and dark rooms. I remember this nice Jazz club where people hummed to the song “Bene così” and it was so nice.
What’s the best piece of advice a person ever gave you?
“You don’t need to add for more, you need to subtract to let the important parts come out.”
A letter to your FUTURE self. What would you write?
Hold on. Hold on to it. One day you’re going to read this and it’ll be a happy moment.
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