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Arctic Plateau is a project from Italy - and probably nothing you expect... Anyway, mastermind Gianluca created an very interesting musical piece. Time to learn more about Arctic Plateau!
Arctic Plateau is a one-man project which you started in 2006. Why do you choose the name Arctic Plateau? And what does it mean to you?
It represents everything that I am and the name was born while I was playing and thinking about some great open spaces. I wrote this album in total solitude. This album it's a sublimation of the state of being and a sort of purely human warning.
For the album On A Sad Sunny Day you worked with 2 session musicians. Have you never thought about recruiting band members? Or is your vision of music so specific that you prefer to work alone?
When I am doing my music I prefer working alone, because I consider Arctic Plateau as a personal thing.
Fabio and Cesare are friends and professionals session man who helped to play and record songs in Emerald studio. Arctic Plateau is a project, not a band in a classic sense. Playing live is a necessity so there will be someone who accompanies me, but not in composition process. I couldn’t have the approach of a band in a classic sense, it wouldn't be Arctic Plateau.
Have the songs been gathered over a longer period?
I wrote this record in a few months in total solitude in the room where I grew up.
Why did you choose the album title On A Sad Sunny Day?
Arctic Plateau music is dedicated to people who want to dream about something else. Sad Sunny concept is ironic and provocative at the same time; even inside a sunny day you can be sure and it's not a thought of pessimism, but the real certainty of the human being and that everything is based on continuous motion.
The album cover is a kind of nostalgic photo... It looks like been taken in the 70's... A kind of nostalgic memory?
I was born in 1973, perhaps I'm nostalgic for those type of colours and image, but I don't like much music of the seventies, I grew up in the eighties! I think that it's always very difficult to choose the appropriate images and I have talked a lot about this.
Fursy Teyssier had an important role, because he designed and draw wonderful graphics and elements on the artwork album. Fursy has a unique style and we understood immediately. The photography is a work of Chiara Taddei, a great Italian talent. I didn't want to cover an object or a person only. This cover represents something of the past for us all.
What bands / musicians have influenced you? And what are you listen to these days?
In these days I'm listening to M83, Airiel, and a lot of underground band. My biggest influences come from Pink Floyd and Slowdive, but these are only indicative references.
I listen to everything, apart ska music and some types of useless cheerful music.
What inspires you when you write lyrics?
I am very inspired by time and life, by the death of things. I am inspired by the paradoxes, the birth and the end, and I am inspired by the love, the sea. The unconscious ...
One of my favorites is Coldream... Can you tell us something about the story behind the song?
The song speaks of a man who died while being physically present to the others. I tell you this, I have three older brothers, I am the fourth and last. This song is dedicated to my third brother, Franco. He was a good bass player when he was young, but now he has a very serious illness and he can't play anymore. Never again. This song is dedicated to him.
The last track is In Time... After about 6 minutes the music dies and there is a long silence... After about 12+ minutes a piano is joining in the sound of rain. Please explain why you added a long silence to this song!
Time may generate noise, but also silence and in my point of view the silence can be death. Life it's noisy. In those few minutes I wanted to represent the time, as if the silence had music. The rain it's like life, sooner or later it ends.
Don't you fear that people just switch off and never get to the last part of In Time?
No, I never had doubts about this.
The album is the perfect soundtrack to daydream... Do you like to let your mind drift away?
Yes, I like. But I must always be very careful not to leave me too. :)
If you would get a show or a tour offered, is there a chance we'll see Arctic Plateau live?
I'm working for this.
Beside writing / playing music, what keeps you busy?
For many years I worked in a gas station. Today I teach electric guitar and an employee in a Italian service center.
What's on your schedule for the rest of 2009?
Some good live concert.
I really hope to meet Gianluca at a concert of Artic Plateau one day and talk a bit more about music and life. Arctic Plateau is worth keeping an eye on!
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