Molti lettori conosceranno senza ombra di dubbio questo grande artista, soprattutto perchè con la sua prima band, i Karate, ha scritto belle e importanti pagine della storia della musica. SOund36 ha incontrato Geoff Farina per una bella chiacchierata in occasione del suo tour italiano, precisamente per il concerto che lo vedrà a Umbertide il 26 novembre per presentare il suo nuovo album solista Wishes of the Dead. Ci ha parlato del suo progetto solista, della musica che più ama, di come la tecnologia ha cambiato il concetto del DIY e dei suoi studenti, con cui ama condividere tutte le emozioni che la musica gli dà.
Ringraziamo l’Associazione culturale Effetto Cinema che in collaborazione con To Lose La Track
ha organizzato questo bel concerto ad Umbertide come un atto di resistenza artistica. Grazie anche a Roberta D’Orazio!
Leggete questa bella intervista
With your solo project which kind of new musical frontiers are you exploring?
I’m just trying to make the best guitar/vocal music that I can, and have it sound complete w/just the voice and the guitar. I think I put out my first solo record in 1998, and since then I’ve been trying to refine it. This record is really influenced by a lot of Piedmont-style guitar music that I love.
From your point of view how technology nowaday has changed the attitude of “do it yourself” in the musical field?
Simon Reynolds recently did a great presentation on how DIY is now the new status quo and has taken the place of real political action. I agree with a lot of what he has to say. I think technology can be liberating and it’s great that anyone can have the experience of making a record on their laptop, but I think Reynolds is right to point out that few of these people will find an audience. Reynolds also talks about the distinction between an artist and a craftsperson, and I agree that the term “artist” is overused among musicians. I’ve always considered myself more of a craftsperson than an artist.
whatch it here:[vimeo] http://vimeo.com/49913417 [/vimeo]
After many years spent performing all around the world how do you feel talking about music to your students?
Well, I hope I can transmit to them the same excitement that I have about music. Certain musicians have changed my life, and my goal is to give students the same inspiration, if they are open to it. If not, at least I hope I can introduce them to something unique that piques their interest and makes them think about the world in a slightly different way.
Which is the fundamental feature (leitmotiv) of “Wishes of the Dead” ?
I wrote all those songs during a year that my wife and I lived along the Kennebeck River in Maine, so the songs really evoke that particular period for me. I hoped to capture some of the mood of the experience in both lyrically and tonally on the recording.
Annalisa Nicastro
