CAZZODIO
"Black flags on the burning ground"
Italian harsh-electronicproject CAZZODIO is besides EINLEITUNGSZEIT one of more oppressive musicalpieces I´ve heard for a couple of months. The full-of-hate-vocal, layersof structured noise and heavy pounding which sounds from the debut CDIl tempo della locusta (Black Plagve, 1999) are beating your heart andsould dead. Shortly said, if you wanna go through the purgatory, goalong with CAZZODIO and don´t miss it. Definitely.
Just few weeks beforeCAZZODIO appearance on Prague Industrial Festival here is the interviewto focus some important issues of this Italian masterpiece:
When did you startwith Cazzodio? Why have you decided for such a brutal and cruel sound?
Cazzodio was startedin 1996. Before, I was making dark ambient stuff under the name PULSAR.At a certain point I got more interested in noise and overdriven electronics,while my interest towards surrealistic ambience decreased. Early Cazzodiowas way more "brutal", the first tapes were headed more towardspure unstructured noise rather than pounding industrial. The name waschosen because its blasphemous nature will help keeping the interestof confusionists ("rock" promoters, "rock magazines",local newspapers, etc.) far from my project. At least in this country.
What was your greatestinspiration in the beginning and now?
Well, the original ideawas to make music to listen to at street demos. The so called autonomoussported huge truck-mounted PAs blaring ultra-boring jungle/ d'n'b stuff,I just thought about music more suited to riots and in general to moreaggressive attitudes and behaviors. Rhythm and noise seemed the bestchoice. The thing developed later, but the basic idea is that...musicto play during an attack against the order of the world.
Where is coming fromyour hatred to the religion and church? Is there any other dogma youpraise?
My hatred isn't directedtowards church and religion as such. I mean, sure I hate such -now obsolete-institutions, but basically they are a symbol of how humanity can'trealize that history is its own creation and that it should get consciouscontrol over it. God is the personification of society perceiving itselfas a reified entity. Such concepts as "globalization" or "marketeconomy" are, similarly, ways in which it is made impossible forhumans to act over their own world, as some undefeatable laws seem tobe governing history. These perform the same function as God did earlier.On the other hand, I do not have any alternative dogma to preach. Dogmasgo against individual strength and freedom.
Your debut CD "Iltempo della locusta" was released on Black Plagve label. What wherecircumstances about this release? You were the first outfit in thisedition, I think.
Basically, Jason Mantisof Malignant records heard a track on a compilation tape, got in touchand offered a release. The CD came out on the Black Plague sister labelas Butch Clough got involved in the releasing activity, specializingin european harsher stuff, as far as I know.
Where are comingthe sounds on your record from? The heavy pounding? Do you use justmachines or also some concrete sounds?
Most sounds come fromanalogue synths, I usually treat them with various effects, pedals,etc, I feed them back through aux sends on the mixer, then to effectprocessors and so on. A single sound can take lots of time to create,as I use intricate set-ups. As soon as I like a sound, I sample it andthen program its use on a computer sequencer. The rhythms are programmedon a synth module, then processed until they are heavy enough. Microphonefeedback, my own voice, blowing in the mic, buzzing coming from oldbroken mixers, are other sources I used. The metallic percussion comesfrom sampled single hits. the complete patterns were programmed on thesequencer.
How do you describeyour style, your sound by yourself?
I'd say it's rhythmicpower electronics. Some may not agree, but honestly that's what it is.What I have done is taking that kind of sound and impose over it a moredefined rhythmical structure.
What equipment doyou use?
For the first CD, theequipment I used was quite minimal. A monophonic analogue synth anda very basic sampler were the backbone of the set-up. Then I improvedit, as I bought myself a more decent sampler whose larger memory andfiltering capabilities let me experiment more with sounds and add morevariety to tracks, many more switching layers are present on newer tracks.Very recently I bought a modular analogue synth, which is for sure themost fascinating piece of equipment I ever had the chance to use, andwhich probably will be extensively used for the Prague show. Such anachronisticmachines are in some way the best answer to the current trend of Grooveboxes,Planet Phatts and similar preset sound generators which are transformingelectronic soundmakers from creators to mere consumers of precannedtones while giving them the false impression of "being in completecontrol over sounds".
Are any new releasesplanned? If yes, upon what label?
A CD titled "Adnegantem usum significationes" will be out early 2000 on EibonRecords in Italy. We are currently preparing the artwork; the tracks,written in the past year and a half, are ready for recording.
You live in portTrieste - is there any "industrial" community in the city,or you are just isolated slave?
Nothing as an "industrial"scene here. The city seems to suffer some serious cultural poverty lately,in every field, as a consequence of its
demographic and economical stagnation. People are sad, they do not seeany future in front of them and thus do not find the energy to get involvedin creative activities. This at least is a reasonable explanation. Ihope to move away very soon anyway.
Does even exist inItaly any industrial scene which do you feel to be part of?
Well, there's a goodamount of people making industrial/noise/power electronics in Italy,continuing a longstanding tradition that dates back
to the early days of industrial. On the other hand, there's isn't muchof a scene of listeners of these genres, I suspect. Not large enoughto organize good live shows, for example. Anyway, as I live up here,quite isolated from the rest of the country, I'd rather say I feel partof an european scene rather than an italian one. I have many more contactsin Germany than in Italy, for example.
What are the liveconditions in Italy at all?
You mean in general?They suck as always...At the moment, the so called "new" politicalforces which rule the government, that is, the
post-stalinists turned socialdemocrats and the left wing of the christiandemocrats, are trying both to suffocate any dissent coming from what'sleft of the subversive milieu, and spoil "normal people"'severyday survival even more through extensive police control with theexcuse of traffic
accidents and urban violence...while at the same time try and forceto accept youth unemployment as a permanent condition. Note that thisthat I am saying is not political bullshit or paranoia...it has realeffects on daily life. Germans, for example, tend to be quite stunnedby the fact that
italians often live with their parents until almost 30 years old. Justconsider the amount of experiences that are lost, ranging from havinga
friend at lunch without previous arrangement to a good old gangbang.I am considered (and consider myself) quite lucky as I am able to havea place on my own... Not to mention the fact that in Trieste (but notonly, I suspect this is common to other medium-small cities), walkingor driving around during late night means immediate "soft harassment"(i.e.: carding, checking of car documentation) by police...
Not really a happy place to live. Generally, enthusiasm is lacking underevery aspect. The sincere creative acts around are expressing mere despair.That's an explanation of the amount of creators of power electronics,noise, dark ambient... In some way, I think this country is more orless a preview of what the western world will be in the next years (if anything new doesn't happen, obviously).
Your sound and approachreminds me from Italy just only of Marco Corbelli/Atrax Morgue. I knowyou were performing together last year in Germany. Are there also anyother connections between you - any studio collaboration?
As for the Noise transmissionlast year, we played there as we were both separately called by LutzBauer. It wasn't something we arranged
together...the only connection we have is Atrax Morgue participatedin a comp tape I released years ago. We talked a couple of times overthe phone and met twice, at festivals. On the other hand, musicallysome similarities can be found (between Moerder machine and Cazzodio,in particular), sure, but they derive more from listening to the samestuff rather than influencing each other, I think.
What are the pillarsof Cazzodio philosophy? The strongest aspects behind your concept?
Well, as I tend to becomevery boring when I begin discussing philosophical topics, I will tryto keep it to a minimum.
A power, that in each of its manifestations is negating life meant asa passionate experience, rules over the world. It is the power of the
commodity form at his highest degree of development. It negates historyas well as daily life, and forces humanity to passively consume equally
insignificant pseudo-events. It is impossible to understand this societywithout a radical criticism inspired by a project of counteraction ofa
freed creativity, that is the project of sovereignty of all humans overtheir own history. Life is tired of dating rachitic lovers. Also, every
valuable cultural creation, as well as every qualitative transformationof society, are indissolublely bound to the development of an unitary
approach. This may be a very short synthesis...
What are your favoriterecords? The best of your collection?
In the, let's say, "industrial"realm, I'd say my favourites are Einleitungszeit's early tapes (includingthe 2LP reissue on Recalcitrant
Noise), as well as their "l'accouchement de machines humaines"LP. Also, the Grey Wolves / Con-Dom "Holy communion" liveCD and the second Orphx CD are often found in my player. I can't reallychose an all-time favourite as my tastes tend to change with time. Morein general, I really like a spanish "radical" band calledHechos contra el decoro, in particular their CD titled "danza delos nadie". Music to have drinks to, while keeping your mind awakewith interesting and often agreeable lyrics. I have been listening toa good deal of "latin indie rock" and spanish "alternative"stuff lately...Joxe Ripiau, Los fabulosos cadillacs, SKA-P...
Do you prefer cd´sor vinyls?
Well, vinyls are way more fascinating,have better artwork and sound louder. But the music is way more importantthan the format, honestly
speaking.
I think some collaborationwith Grey Wolves will be probably settled on. Kind of split or justcommon release?
I don't know reallyif this is ever going to turn out. I wrote them, months ago, offeringa collaborative work. My idea was adding my rhythms and
structures over their sounds. But I never got any reply from them. Maybeyou know something I do not...
Whom do you respectin this subculture world? And in general?
This is a damn hardquestion. Those who were mentioned elsewhere in the interview can beconsidered individuals or projects I respect. And sure I respect thepeople I hang out with in my daily life: my girlfriend, a few otherpeople who share the same dislike towards passive survival. Apart fromthose, a mention is due to Massimo Passamani, an italian activist andtheoretician who is currently a political refugee in France...his writingswere quite influential to the development of my interests. Really littleelse comes to mind. Mediocrity and passivity seems to be quite commonaround these days.
Your favorite book?
I'd go for "Ingirum imus nocte et consumimur igni" by Guy Debord, even thoughthat's a movie script rather than a book. But when printed, it is a
really good theoretical essay. As far as fiction goes, some of the beststuff I read lately was by Pio Baroja, a spanish writer from the beginningof the century. Dark stuff, with some sort of sense of humour too, andcriticism without preaching.
The darkest dream?
Dancing on the smokingruins of this world, surrounded by the corpses of the servants of thepower that negates life.
The scariest fear?
Being trapped foreverin this neverchanging un-reality that is neo-modernity.
What music do youwish to be played in "your dying moments"?
I don't know really,nor am I interested in thinking about the topic. I prefer to think aboutwhat I would like to be played in the moment when
life will start for real, with the last assault against the world order.
Do you have any ideaabout your future music development?
I think there is a hugespace to be explored in the areas I am currently in. Thus I think overdrivenslow rhythms and analogue sounds will remain a constant in Cazzodioduring its entire existence. Other aspects may vary, in particular soundcreating techniques. I will never use any kind of
"riff" or melody anyway... Also, I had a very rewarding experiencewith a remix task (of a track by ambient artist Thread and featuringJarboe's vocals), thus I would like to have the chance to do more remixes/reinterpretationsof other people's work in the future.
You will appear onstage here in Praha in few weeks. What kind of program do you prepare?
As I play very few liveshows, I can afford to have a good amount of new material written expresselyfor the show. Some of the better tracks from
releases will be played too, but that's less than 50 percent of theshow. I try and avoid playing too many pre-programmed, pre-recordedstuff, I prefer creating sounds directly on stage. Some slightly more"athmospheric" sections will be used for the beginning andend of the show, probably, while the central section will be more rhythm-oriented.
Any message for ourreaders?
I remind to everybodythat I am happy to exchange deviant ideas, stories, images, sounds,etc. Thus, feel free get in touch. My email is
pulsar@spin.it, my snailmail address is Piero Stanig, Via Romagna 66,34134 Trieste, Italia. Also, I think live shows are a great chance tomeet and exchange ideas. Obviously anybody attending the Prague showand having something to say is welcome to come and say hi.
Free mp3s from Cazzodio-Il tempo della locusta at
http://www.malignantrecords.com/blackplagve.html
OUT NOW on deafbornrecords:
Noise Transmission (CD) dbcd01
MÖRDER MACHINE - CAZZODIO - IRIKARAH - RECTAL SURGERY
http://www.deafborn.de
info@deafborn.de
ANTHONY GIDDENS DESERVESTO DIE