Italian jazz-metal maestros Ephel Duath recently released their latest album, The Painters Palette, through Elitist/Earache records. Marking a significant evolutionary step from the more symphonic, black metal-influenced "Phormula", this release sees the line up expand to a five piece rather than the previous duo. I recently had the opportunity to speak to guitarist, lyricist, composer and all round nice chap Davide Tiso about the bands history, future and latest release - not to forget hugely important matters such as the age of his band members, his leather trousers and if his drummer would be willing to give me a lesson..
"The Painters Palette" is a concept album in which each song is linked to a colour, ranging from bottle green to dirty white thoughtfully provided in the track listings. Hence my first question regarding this link between the visual and the audio - when writing each piece, did Davide have the chosen colour in mind and mould the song around this, or was the colour decided only after recording? " The Painters Palette tries to be a vehicle for of free interpretation, and colours are - in my opinion - a perfect way to symbolise this" comes the response. "Have you ever noticed the differing and curious effects the same colour has on different sensibilities? During composition I intimately fused our music with pigments and, to fully expose myself, I have included these hues in the titles - but not as a definitive guide; this is the reason for the black and white artwork. So, the nine rays of colour that you are searching for in our compositions will hit you - absorb them with the greater perceptions possible, and you will gain a complete sense of our work."
All of this is conveyed through an eccentric fusion of jazz elements, progressive metal sensibilities and hardcore touches. Such a complex sound cannot be done justice through such descriptions, however it has to be heard to be (mis)understood! To play this mind-expanding amalgamation Davide has assembled a line-up which varies from jazz and fusion to metal musicians; quite a contrast to a duo. "I work very well in both situations" explains the man himself "but I have to underline that having a full line up permits a new, important opportunity; now the band can play live gigs! This will reveal a new perspective to Ephel Duath's music: one that is more direct, heavier, and real."
Showing blatant self-interest, I reply Yup, Im looking forward to seeing you in London! Are you still playing the Phormula medley in your live show? "Absolutely! It is a sort of connection between "The Embossed", "Danza" and other new, crazy stuff. It's really fun to play; there is a lot of groove and strange melodic arrangement, and I think it works very well in a live situation. We are considering recording Medley as a bonus track for the new album!"
Bassist Fabio Fecchio, live 'Upstairs @ The Garage', London 26/06/2003
For those new to the band, Ephel Duath were originally signed to Italian underground label code666 before moving to Elitist, a sub-division of Earache managed by Candlelight Records founder Lee Barrett. Upon their formation in 1998 the band recorded a demo by the name of "Opera", which set the template for their following work and sold 2000 copies. Their distinctive sound had black metal elements, and included crazed symphonics, frequent time changes and progressive structures. At this point the project stood as Davide and Giuliano Mogicato, who were responsible for everything - a line-up which recorded debut album Phormula.
Expanding to a quintet from a duo within a year is quite a rapid transformation, so I wonder what prompted this upheaval how did Giulianos departure affect the band? "It was a horrible situation... After the Phormula recording sessions, he was in a complete state of confusion regarding Ephel Duath's future - he wanted to change our sound so it was no-longer metal. Ephel Duath would have become an instrumental group with percussion, cello and other acoustic instruments. I decided to continue alone as he would have destroyed the bands spirit."
Which prompts the question what does Davide consider the spirit of the group? "We are an extreme metal band that tries to create a personal and recognisable sound by fusing various styles and hundreds of different musical intuitions. It's probably the extreme element that Giuliano didn't love anymore; unfortunately for him this is the only way in which I can express myself through music...."
Was it unexpected? "No, for months I had thought the split was inevitable" Davide concludes, which must have created a lot of pressure at the time! "Yes, it was one of the harder times in my young musical career, but I have done everything possible to make up for Giuliano's absence. His contribution had been fundamental to Ephel Duath, but things change, and now I only want to think of our future. I'm so lucky that I have the opportunity to continue Ephel Duath's voyage with an incredible new team."
After the Phormula recording sessions and Giulianos departure, Ephel Duath signed with Elitist (due in no small part to a management deal with code7, run by code666s Emi), who re-released the album under the title rePhormula, including two remixes and the Opera demo. Phormula cemented the direction Opera hinted at, with schizophrenic layering, hugely complex songs and a groundbreaking style. As a duo, all the drums were programmed very successfully, demonstrating how effective they can be if programmed carefully.
Screamer Luciano Lorusso
This is no longer the case, however, as one member of the bands new line-up is drummer Davide Piovesan. A professional jazz percussion teacher, at first he seems slightly incongruous in a metal group, but he is the perfect addition ito such unhinged music. After all this serious discussion, I feel its time to focus on the important questions, so How many times have you been asked "is your drummer really forty-seven" already this week? I begin.
"Too many.. Really."
Doesnt this annoy you?
"No...It's really funny! I understand that this appears very curious and unusual for an extreme metal band."
I dont think its curious, just cool! Very few people (in the metal world, at least) seem to realise just how talented many jazz drummers are For example Dennis Chambers - oh my god, have you seen him do those bass rolls with one foot!! Its truly amazing, that guy must have more limbs than hes letting on...
"Our drummer really loves Dennis Chambers! He considers him a great influence, also he really appreciates Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Stewart, Peter Erskine and Trilok Gurtu to name a few. I could carry on, but the list would be very long..."
Cool I laugh. Does the question "is your drummer really forty-seven" get especially irritating considering hes now forty-eight?
"Come on! He's not so old!" Davide chuckles.
Since were on the subject of drummers, we discuss how long it took Davide P. to adapt to a metallic style, and whether the music posed many challenges for him. "After an initial period of adaptation he quickly came to understand my musical conception." Davide enthuses. "There were some problems during the composition (due to the fact that I'm not so good at explaining my guitar lines), but his determination has been a great help in solving these. Ephel Duath represents an important challenge for him, so he's trying to put all his energy into the project. He seems to be confident about our future...".
With such a diverse set of musicians (the other band members stand as prog/fusion bassist Fabio Fecchio, singer and Jeff Buckley fan Davide Tolomei, and hardcore screamer Lucio Lorusso) one has to wonder how Davide got his hands on all these talented performers. "After the Phormula release, I started to compose new material with great determination" explains the man himself.
"In a few months I had written the guitars and structures for six songs, and soon after recorded the new compositions in a small studio in my city. The sound engineer suggested a typical metal drummer would be a disaster on such diverse material, so he put me in contact with Davide Piovesan, a jazz/prog/blues musician. It was a very difficult period; I felt crushed between the will to be bold and the fear our label wouldnt support such an audacious choice. But I followed my instincts and in few weeks I was in the studio with this crazy, forty-seven year old drummer and a friend of his who played the double bass.
Unfortunately in a few weeks the bassist left for various projects, but his help had been fundamental; I understood that this was the right way to create something new. In the following days we found another great bass player, Fabio Fecchio (a funky/pop/fusion musician) and the rhythm section was complete! Finding the right singers has been quite difficult, but after various auditions we finalised the line up. So, we immediately started to play together and after a hundred hours spent in the studio the work took shape."
Such an arrangement marks a drastic change from the projects previous incarnations, so what advantages and disadvantages does Davide feel it brings? "Working in a duo is easier" ponders the guitarist. "You only have to control two points of view, and a lot of different processes are quicker. Moreover there is the opportunity to create a sort of "magic" alchemy, which is difficult to find in a full line up; at the moment I consider this the only disadvantage of the new formation. Advantages include the continuing musical growth allowed by the constant comparison with the other members: it's a really exciting factor!"
This being the case, which does he prefer?
"I prefer to work in a duo, it's better suited to my personality. I have some problems relating myself to people, but I'm trying to improve this to Ephel Duath's advantage."
And what does he see as the pros and cons of having acoustic drums, and a real drummer?
"I've not found any disadvantages to having a real drummer. Thanks to Davide Piovesan's contribution our sound is more organic and groovy. Moreover, with a real drummer there is an absolutely great feeling. The mood we created with a drum machine was the opposite, being cold and cynical, so now we are moving to a different level of negativity."
One of the interesting elements, I imagine, of having non-metal musicians would be their reaction to this new extremity. The members who are new to the genre, it transpires "are very excited to play a genre so distant from their musical roots, and respect my curious vision of music a lot. They are completely involved with the band, which has been fundamental during these months together. There is a good atmosphere between us, and it helps with the composition." If this is the case, does he see the line-up releasing many more albums? "Of course! I hope that we'll collaborate together for a long, long time!"
As one of the few band members familiarised with the metal scene, it would be interesting to see how Lucio reacts to the music. "He's absolutely addicted to what we have created together" Davide says. "He's a musically open-minded person, and he hasn't found any problems fitting in our mosaic. He's becoming more and more important to the band, and he will be a great frontman for Ephel Duath!"
Despite the fact that all Ephel Duaths members seem to appreciate the music greatly, it would seem that such varied backgrounds could make recording and getting along harder. "They are great musicians and it has been great fun making this album, but I can assure you that recording sessions for such intricate material are both hard and stressful. It has been a long and complicated period but the result makes our weariness worthwhile!"
Having exhausted this topic, I query the motive behind Ephel Duaths distinctive style. Is their music so diverse from a conscious effort to push the boundaries of metal, or does it just come naturally upon composition?
"Its a spontaneous process that leads to the creation of Ephel Duaths songs, but I know that must appear strange considering how complex our style is. Our compositions are born in a very simple and organic way: guitar lines constitute a sort of architectural skeleton, then we work with the rhythm section jamming together. Adding vocals and electronic patterns are the last steps...nothing else."
Surely this makes writing clean vocal lines much harder?
"Our vocalists base their work on pre-existent structures I have written, as I'm the sole Ephel Duath composer. At the same time I want to emphasise that each member has the opportunity to express his own individual musical personality through the structures that I offer. I'm very happy to revise a section to include contributions and changes, as I love to see to my riffs from a different perspective! This is our way of composing, and I think we'll use it for the next albums as well."
Davides music is born from spontaneity, he explains. "This is the secret of our work, and has been at the roots of our project from the beginning. I have encouraged the new members to express their diverse musical personalities, and this results in a bizarre fusion of various inputs, colours and contrasting influences." As spontaneity is so central to the groups music, how is their sound likely to change in the future? "We have composed two new songs Imploding and New Disorder" enthuses the guitarist.
"They seem to be thicker, more powerful and have a slight seventies vibe, with something like a stoner appeal. We hope to record a new album at the beginning of 2004." Considering this exciting news, does the band intend to play new material at their forthcoming live dates I ponder. "Yes, but only in the future - at the moment we have to promote The Painters Palette in the best way possible. For this reason well play all the songs on that album (except "Praha" which we use as an intro), so it isn't possible to fit in anything else."
"Phormula" had symphonic black touches evident in its sound - an element notably absent from TPP, which has apparent jazz influences all making the consecutive albums rather disparate in sound. With such changes in focus, does Davide still find it necessary to release his creative energies in another form - as a side project perhaps? "I play also elektro noise stuff in a band called Die Wunde with members from Ensoph. This summer we aim to record a promo for the labels."
Then I feel like its time for a break again, so where did you get those leather trousers youre wearing in the TPP publicity shot? I ask.
"They are a present from my last girlfrind...."
Arent they totally uncomfortable?
"Yes, but I love to wear them..."
And who is the tied up woman youre using as a table?
"She's Milena, a friend of mine that is also in our first video The Embossed from Phormula. She's a really beautiful woman, and you can admire her by going to www.earache.com in the video section."
I laugh, Right, Im there. So are all Italian women beautiful like this, or are you just very lucky in your choice of friends?
"Italian women are amazing, I can assure you, but, unfortunately, not all my friends are comparable to Milena!!" comes the slightly discouraging response. Still, no reason to scrap that trip to Italy quite yet..
As Ephel Duath are undeniably pushing the boundaries of extreme music, it seems sensible to ask their main composer what he sees in the future for the genre. "A brand new period - one of experimentation - has probably arrived for the metal scene" Davide asserts. "In the future there will be many bands who expand the musical barriers imposed by genres, and bring extreme music to a more exciting and undefined status. Our times are so complex, this is (unavoidably) reflected in the music." As one of the bands helping expand the boundaries of metal, how important does he think Ephel Duath will be in implementing such a change? "Well try to be in the first line of this experimental crusade!"
So, on a more specific note, what impact does he think The Painters Palette will have on metal?
"I hope a metal audience will approach The Painter's Palette with a really open-minded attitude. It can be very difficult to like upon first hearing, but if the listener wants to enter our strange new dimension they will find lots of interesting elements. If this doesn't happen it won't be a big problem for us; the will to experiment is the only reason behind Ephel Duaths existence." And does Davide think the album will have such an impact on jazz? "Not so much...really..."
Previously the group was signed to top quality, but more underground, code666. How does working with a larger label like Earache/Elitist compare to this?
"Elitist/Earache can offer the band great exposition; thanks to their strong promotional power we can now reach a larger spectrum of the public. Like our first label code666, Lee Barrett and the Earache crew really support our work - they respect our musical choices, and they are really trusting. Our collaboration is going really well, and I hope it will continue this way."
The Painters Palette is earning massive critical acclaim, so I ask if the guitarist himself is pleased with it? "Completely, Ephel Duath has a new spirit that I'm really proud of. We have done everything possible to create an interesting release, especially considering the fact that we had only played together for six months before the recording sessions. The result is very similar to my ego: cynical, bizarre and touched by negative inputs."
Davide Tiso and Fabio
With a full line up and the ability to play live, the group has recently headlined several concerts at jazz clubs which seems an excellent achievement and first for a metal band, and must be an amazing experience. Hence I ask Davide what how this new audience has reacted? "It appeared a really strange experience to listen to music that fuses jazz elements with such violent parts. We hope to offer a challenging show, and an interesting way of contaminating jazz with something that is not so familiar to that kind of audience." And I am in no doubt the band succeeded!
With so much talk of live shows, it seems about time the extremely talented fusion quintet toured. When ask if there is anything arranged, Davide informs me that "at the moment there isn't a tour planned. In the next month we'll be playing various shows in Italy (we have supported Lacuna Coil and we are going to play with Entombed), and on the 24th of June we'll do a show in London Upstairs @ The Garage, with Mistress and Desolation."
As I fully intend to be there, and having heard Davide Piovesans mind-expanding percussive work, I feel that I must ask when you come to the UK please can I borrow your drummer for a lesson or two? (Do you know how much he charges?) "Ha, ha, ha, ha no problem man" Davide laughs. "He will be really happy to give you some advice, moreover he is not so expensive."
Wow, bargain! Say, does your live show have any drums solos in it? Im sure that would be a sight to see!
"No, there arent any instrumental solos in our show, we arent that type of technical band. Playing live we aim to create a unique entity that unifies five different personalities - not one of five people that simply play together trying to show how accomplished they are instrumentally. It's would be so sterile, don't you think?" I am forced to agree, despite my desire to see Davide P. at full tilt.
Returning to the topic of Ephel Duaths latest album, why the decision to exclude symphonics? Was this decided early on, or only in the studio? "I decided not to use symphonics before the recording sessions" says Davide. "We have, however, inserted soft veils of electronics and some drum-machine parts to offer contrast to the acoustic instruments. All the programming work has been composed by our producer Paso."
While many bands utilise their producers skills to the full, it strikes me as strange in a band so focused (creatively) on one person that this would be the case. "Paso offered an excellent contribution to The Painter's Palette and I was very happy to leave this chore to another person they would offer a fresh perspective to our compositions. I have composed the structures, guitar lines and lyrics, so it was a good choice not to take it upon myself to do this other work."
Singer Davide Tobmei
Davide seems an intriguing yet refreshingly normal personality his hobbies, it conspires are "my crazy woman, a few friends, and something to drink and smoke...." my point is proven. Yet, his music is anything but ordinary, so I ask what he likes to listen to in his spare time. "Robert Fripp, Steve Von Till, Mike Patton, Mikael Akerfeldt, Ulver, Diabolicum and Void of Silence above all" is his (most satisfactory) reply.
Being a fan of all but a couple of the musicians mentioned, I cant help but focus on one of my all time favourite artists Im glad to see Ulver on the list! What is your favourite release? I ask, before excitedly adding You know they have four releases coming out this year!
"At the moment I consider Perdition City my favourite Ulver album" he humours me. "But Im sure that they will compose other great stuff in the future! I'm really happy to know they will be so busy this year!"
My interest aroused, I continue who else do you cite as major influences, in films, art and literature?
"I love movies, especially the works of Kieslowsky, Amenabar, Polansky, Antonioni, Joel Coen, Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, Lars Von Trier, Scorsese and Kusturica. My favourite painters are Chagall and Mirò. They have offered a new dimension to colours, and their technical search has been really illuminating for my artistic development. I love also Magritte, Dalì and Pollock for their innovative and crazy attitude. In literature Bukowsky, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Kundera, Tibor Fisher and J.T.Leroy above all...."
Wow, great list! Whats your favourite Chuck Palahniuk novel? And would you care to recommend any films by the directors not many of us will have heard of?
"I think that Survivor is probably my favourite novel by Palahniuk, but I also loved 'Invisible
Monsters': these works are simply ingenious!"
Agreed!
"I recommend in particular these films: "Film Blue", "Film White", "Film Red" and the "Decalogue" (ten films on the Ten Commandments) by Kieslowsky , "The Kingdom", "Idiots", "Breaking the Waves" and "Dancer in The Dark" by Lars Von Trier, "Blow-up" and "Zabriskie Point" by Antonioni, "The Snatch" by Guy Ritchie, "Big Lebowsky" by Joel Coen, as well as all the works of the other famous directors that I have mentioned.."
As if my DVD to buy list wasnt big enough already! On this note I feel I have taken up enough of Davides valuable time already, but throw in one final question does he find it irritating when people try to explain Ephel Duaths music in terms of genres and influences (especially since this isnt really applicable to the style)?
"It is interesting the hugely different labels people use to explain our music. It annoys me only when we are associated with the black metal scene. I respect this movement fully, but we are distant from it. Since our formation we have only shared a few similarities with black metal, but a lot of people continue to draw parallels between us."
Cool, cool, cool I reply, One final question for you: two trains are travelling towards each other on a straight track with a coefficient of friction of 4.5.. just kidding . Strangely, there is no reply, and so a memorable interview draws to a close, leaving me feeling that with a man like Davide in the band, Ephel Duath have a very bright future.
Ephel Duath - rePhormula
Ephel Duath - The Painter's Palette
Ephel Duath - 24/06/2003 Live "Upstairs @ The Garage"
Photos copyright B J Shortland
"The Painters Palette" is a concept album in which each song is linked to a colour, ranging from bottle green to dirty white thoughtfully provided in the track listings. Hence my first question regarding this link between the visual and the audio - when writing each piece, did Davide have the chosen colour in mind and mould the song around this, or was the colour decided only after recording? " The Painters Palette tries to be a vehicle for of free interpretation, and colours are - in my opinion - a perfect way to symbolise this" comes the response. "Have you ever noticed the differing and curious effects the same colour has on different sensibilities? During composition I intimately fused our music with pigments and, to fully expose myself, I have included these hues in the titles - but not as a definitive guide; this is the reason for the black and white artwork. So, the nine rays of colour that you are searching for in our compositions will hit you - absorb them with the greater perceptions possible, and you will gain a complete sense of our work."
All of this is conveyed through an eccentric fusion of jazz elements, progressive metal sensibilities and hardcore touches. Such a complex sound cannot be done justice through such descriptions, however it has to be heard to be (mis)understood! To play this mind-expanding amalgamation Davide has assembled a line-up which varies from jazz and fusion to metal musicians; quite a contrast to a duo. "I work very well in both situations" explains the man himself "but I have to underline that having a full line up permits a new, important opportunity; now the band can play live gigs! This will reveal a new perspective to Ephel Duath's music: one that is more direct, heavier, and real."
Showing blatant self-interest, I reply Yup, Im looking forward to seeing you in London! Are you still playing the Phormula medley in your live show? "Absolutely! It is a sort of connection between "The Embossed", "Danza" and other new, crazy stuff. It's really fun to play; there is a lot of groove and strange melodic arrangement, and I think it works very well in a live situation. We are considering recording Medley as a bonus track for the new album!"
Bassist Fabio Fecchio, live 'Upstairs @ The Garage', London 26/06/2003
For those new to the band, Ephel Duath were originally signed to Italian underground label code666 before moving to Elitist, a sub-division of Earache managed by Candlelight Records founder Lee Barrett. Upon their formation in 1998 the band recorded a demo by the name of "Opera", which set the template for their following work and sold 2000 copies. Their distinctive sound had black metal elements, and included crazed symphonics, frequent time changes and progressive structures. At this point the project stood as Davide and Giuliano Mogicato, who were responsible for everything - a line-up which recorded debut album Phormula.
Expanding to a quintet from a duo within a year is quite a rapid transformation, so I wonder what prompted this upheaval how did Giulianos departure affect the band? "It was a horrible situation... After the Phormula recording sessions, he was in a complete state of confusion regarding Ephel Duath's future - he wanted to change our sound so it was no-longer metal. Ephel Duath would have become an instrumental group with percussion, cello and other acoustic instruments. I decided to continue alone as he would have destroyed the bands spirit."
Which prompts the question what does Davide consider the spirit of the group? "We are an extreme metal band that tries to create a personal and recognisable sound by fusing various styles and hundreds of different musical intuitions. It's probably the extreme element that Giuliano didn't love anymore; unfortunately for him this is the only way in which I can express myself through music...."
Was it unexpected? "No, for months I had thought the split was inevitable" Davide concludes, which must have created a lot of pressure at the time! "Yes, it was one of the harder times in my young musical career, but I have done everything possible to make up for Giuliano's absence. His contribution had been fundamental to Ephel Duath, but things change, and now I only want to think of our future. I'm so lucky that I have the opportunity to continue Ephel Duath's voyage with an incredible new team."
After the Phormula recording sessions and Giulianos departure, Ephel Duath signed with Elitist (due in no small part to a management deal with code7, run by code666s Emi), who re-released the album under the title rePhormula, including two remixes and the Opera demo. Phormula cemented the direction Opera hinted at, with schizophrenic layering, hugely complex songs and a groundbreaking style. As a duo, all the drums were programmed very successfully, demonstrating how effective they can be if programmed carefully.
Screamer Luciano Lorusso
This is no longer the case, however, as one member of the bands new line-up is drummer Davide Piovesan. A professional jazz percussion teacher, at first he seems slightly incongruous in a metal group, but he is the perfect addition ito such unhinged music. After all this serious discussion, I feel its time to focus on the important questions, so How many times have you been asked "is your drummer really forty-seven" already this week? I begin.
"Too many.. Really."
Doesnt this annoy you?
"No...It's really funny! I understand that this appears very curious and unusual for an extreme metal band."
I dont think its curious, just cool! Very few people (in the metal world, at least) seem to realise just how talented many jazz drummers are For example Dennis Chambers - oh my god, have you seen him do those bass rolls with one foot!! Its truly amazing, that guy must have more limbs than hes letting on...
"Our drummer really loves Dennis Chambers! He considers him a great influence, also he really appreciates Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Stewart, Peter Erskine and Trilok Gurtu to name a few. I could carry on, but the list would be very long..."
Cool I laugh. Does the question "is your drummer really forty-seven" get especially irritating considering hes now forty-eight?
"Come on! He's not so old!" Davide chuckles.
Since were on the subject of drummers, we discuss how long it took Davide P. to adapt to a metallic style, and whether the music posed many challenges for him. "After an initial period of adaptation he quickly came to understand my musical conception." Davide enthuses. "There were some problems during the composition (due to the fact that I'm not so good at explaining my guitar lines), but his determination has been a great help in solving these. Ephel Duath represents an important challenge for him, so he's trying to put all his energy into the project. He seems to be confident about our future...".
With such a diverse set of musicians (the other band members stand as prog/fusion bassist Fabio Fecchio, singer and Jeff Buckley fan Davide Tolomei, and hardcore screamer Lucio Lorusso) one has to wonder how Davide got his hands on all these talented performers. "After the Phormula release, I started to compose new material with great determination" explains the man himself.
"In a few months I had written the guitars and structures for six songs, and soon after recorded the new compositions in a small studio in my city. The sound engineer suggested a typical metal drummer would be a disaster on such diverse material, so he put me in contact with Davide Piovesan, a jazz/prog/blues musician. It was a very difficult period; I felt crushed between the will to be bold and the fear our label wouldnt support such an audacious choice. But I followed my instincts and in few weeks I was in the studio with this crazy, forty-seven year old drummer and a friend of his who played the double bass.
Unfortunately in a few weeks the bassist left for various projects, but his help had been fundamental; I understood that this was the right way to create something new. In the following days we found another great bass player, Fabio Fecchio (a funky/pop/fusion musician) and the rhythm section was complete! Finding the right singers has been quite difficult, but after various auditions we finalised the line up. So, we immediately started to play together and after a hundred hours spent in the studio the work took shape."
Such an arrangement marks a drastic change from the projects previous incarnations, so what advantages and disadvantages does Davide feel it brings? "Working in a duo is easier" ponders the guitarist. "You only have to control two points of view, and a lot of different processes are quicker. Moreover there is the opportunity to create a sort of "magic" alchemy, which is difficult to find in a full line up; at the moment I consider this the only disadvantage of the new formation. Advantages include the continuing musical growth allowed by the constant comparison with the other members: it's a really exciting factor!"
This being the case, which does he prefer?
"I prefer to work in a duo, it's better suited to my personality. I have some problems relating myself to people, but I'm trying to improve this to Ephel Duath's advantage."
And what does he see as the pros and cons of having acoustic drums, and a real drummer?
"I've not found any disadvantages to having a real drummer. Thanks to Davide Piovesan's contribution our sound is more organic and groovy. Moreover, with a real drummer there is an absolutely great feeling. The mood we created with a drum machine was the opposite, being cold and cynical, so now we are moving to a different level of negativity."
One of the interesting elements, I imagine, of having non-metal musicians would be their reaction to this new extremity. The members who are new to the genre, it transpires "are very excited to play a genre so distant from their musical roots, and respect my curious vision of music a lot. They are completely involved with the band, which has been fundamental during these months together. There is a good atmosphere between us, and it helps with the composition." If this is the case, does he see the line-up releasing many more albums? "Of course! I hope that we'll collaborate together for a long, long time!"
As one of the few band members familiarised with the metal scene, it would be interesting to see how Lucio reacts to the music. "He's absolutely addicted to what we have created together" Davide says. "He's a musically open-minded person, and he hasn't found any problems fitting in our mosaic. He's becoming more and more important to the band, and he will be a great frontman for Ephel Duath!"
Despite the fact that all Ephel Duaths members seem to appreciate the music greatly, it would seem that such varied backgrounds could make recording and getting along harder. "They are great musicians and it has been great fun making this album, but I can assure you that recording sessions for such intricate material are both hard and stressful. It has been a long and complicated period but the result makes our weariness worthwhile!"
Having exhausted this topic, I query the motive behind Ephel Duaths distinctive style. Is their music so diverse from a conscious effort to push the boundaries of metal, or does it just come naturally upon composition?
"Its a spontaneous process that leads to the creation of Ephel Duaths songs, but I know that must appear strange considering how complex our style is. Our compositions are born in a very simple and organic way: guitar lines constitute a sort of architectural skeleton, then we work with the rhythm section jamming together. Adding vocals and electronic patterns are the last steps...nothing else."
Surely this makes writing clean vocal lines much harder?
"Our vocalists base their work on pre-existent structures I have written, as I'm the sole Ephel Duath composer. At the same time I want to emphasise that each member has the opportunity to express his own individual musical personality through the structures that I offer. I'm very happy to revise a section to include contributions and changes, as I love to see to my riffs from a different perspective! This is our way of composing, and I think we'll use it for the next albums as well."
Davides music is born from spontaneity, he explains. "This is the secret of our work, and has been at the roots of our project from the beginning. I have encouraged the new members to express their diverse musical personalities, and this results in a bizarre fusion of various inputs, colours and contrasting influences." As spontaneity is so central to the groups music, how is their sound likely to change in the future? "We have composed two new songs Imploding and New Disorder" enthuses the guitarist.
"They seem to be thicker, more powerful and have a slight seventies vibe, with something like a stoner appeal. We hope to record a new album at the beginning of 2004." Considering this exciting news, does the band intend to play new material at their forthcoming live dates I ponder. "Yes, but only in the future - at the moment we have to promote The Painters Palette in the best way possible. For this reason well play all the songs on that album (except "Praha" which we use as an intro), so it isn't possible to fit in anything else."
"Phormula" had symphonic black touches evident in its sound - an element notably absent from TPP, which has apparent jazz influences all making the consecutive albums rather disparate in sound. With such changes in focus, does Davide still find it necessary to release his creative energies in another form - as a side project perhaps? "I play also elektro noise stuff in a band called Die Wunde with members from Ensoph. This summer we aim to record a promo for the labels."
Then I feel like its time for a break again, so where did you get those leather trousers youre wearing in the TPP publicity shot? I ask.
"They are a present from my last girlfrind...."
Arent they totally uncomfortable?
"Yes, but I love to wear them..."
And who is the tied up woman youre using as a table?
"She's Milena, a friend of mine that is also in our first video The Embossed from Phormula. She's a really beautiful woman, and you can admire her by going to www.earache.com in the video section."
I laugh, Right, Im there. So are all Italian women beautiful like this, or are you just very lucky in your choice of friends?
"Italian women are amazing, I can assure you, but, unfortunately, not all my friends are comparable to Milena!!" comes the slightly discouraging response. Still, no reason to scrap that trip to Italy quite yet..
As Ephel Duath are undeniably pushing the boundaries of extreme music, it seems sensible to ask their main composer what he sees in the future for the genre. "A brand new period - one of experimentation - has probably arrived for the metal scene" Davide asserts. "In the future there will be many bands who expand the musical barriers imposed by genres, and bring extreme music to a more exciting and undefined status. Our times are so complex, this is (unavoidably) reflected in the music." As one of the bands helping expand the boundaries of metal, how important does he think Ephel Duath will be in implementing such a change? "Well try to be in the first line of this experimental crusade!"
So, on a more specific note, what impact does he think The Painters Palette will have on metal?
"I hope a metal audience will approach The Painter's Palette with a really open-minded attitude. It can be very difficult to like upon first hearing, but if the listener wants to enter our strange new dimension they will find lots of interesting elements. If this doesn't happen it won't be a big problem for us; the will to experiment is the only reason behind Ephel Duaths existence." And does Davide think the album will have such an impact on jazz? "Not so much...really..."
Previously the group was signed to top quality, but more underground, code666. How does working with a larger label like Earache/Elitist compare to this?
"Elitist/Earache can offer the band great exposition; thanks to their strong promotional power we can now reach a larger spectrum of the public. Like our first label code666, Lee Barrett and the Earache crew really support our work - they respect our musical choices, and they are really trusting. Our collaboration is going really well, and I hope it will continue this way."
The Painters Palette is earning massive critical acclaim, so I ask if the guitarist himself is pleased with it? "Completely, Ephel Duath has a new spirit that I'm really proud of. We have done everything possible to create an interesting release, especially considering the fact that we had only played together for six months before the recording sessions. The result is very similar to my ego: cynical, bizarre and touched by negative inputs."
Davide Tiso and Fabio
With a full line up and the ability to play live, the group has recently headlined several concerts at jazz clubs which seems an excellent achievement and first for a metal band, and must be an amazing experience. Hence I ask Davide what how this new audience has reacted? "It appeared a really strange experience to listen to music that fuses jazz elements with such violent parts. We hope to offer a challenging show, and an interesting way of contaminating jazz with something that is not so familiar to that kind of audience." And I am in no doubt the band succeeded!
With so much talk of live shows, it seems about time the extremely talented fusion quintet toured. When ask if there is anything arranged, Davide informs me that "at the moment there isn't a tour planned. In the next month we'll be playing various shows in Italy (we have supported Lacuna Coil and we are going to play with Entombed), and on the 24th of June we'll do a show in London Upstairs @ The Garage, with Mistress and Desolation."
As I fully intend to be there, and having heard Davide Piovesans mind-expanding percussive work, I feel that I must ask when you come to the UK please can I borrow your drummer for a lesson or two? (Do you know how much he charges?) "Ha, ha, ha, ha no problem man" Davide laughs. "He will be really happy to give you some advice, moreover he is not so expensive."
Wow, bargain! Say, does your live show have any drums solos in it? Im sure that would be a sight to see!
"No, there arent any instrumental solos in our show, we arent that type of technical band. Playing live we aim to create a unique entity that unifies five different personalities - not one of five people that simply play together trying to show how accomplished they are instrumentally. It's would be so sterile, don't you think?" I am forced to agree, despite my desire to see Davide P. at full tilt.
Returning to the topic of Ephel Duaths latest album, why the decision to exclude symphonics? Was this decided early on, or only in the studio? "I decided not to use symphonics before the recording sessions" says Davide. "We have, however, inserted soft veils of electronics and some drum-machine parts to offer contrast to the acoustic instruments. All the programming work has been composed by our producer Paso."
While many bands utilise their producers skills to the full, it strikes me as strange in a band so focused (creatively) on one person that this would be the case. "Paso offered an excellent contribution to The Painter's Palette and I was very happy to leave this chore to another person they would offer a fresh perspective to our compositions. I have composed the structures, guitar lines and lyrics, so it was a good choice not to take it upon myself to do this other work."
Singer Davide Tobmei
Davide seems an intriguing yet refreshingly normal personality his hobbies, it conspires are "my crazy woman, a few friends, and something to drink and smoke...." my point is proven. Yet, his music is anything but ordinary, so I ask what he likes to listen to in his spare time. "Robert Fripp, Steve Von Till, Mike Patton, Mikael Akerfeldt, Ulver, Diabolicum and Void of Silence above all" is his (most satisfactory) reply.
Being a fan of all but a couple of the musicians mentioned, I cant help but focus on one of my all time favourite artists Im glad to see Ulver on the list! What is your favourite release? I ask, before excitedly adding You know they have four releases coming out this year!
"At the moment I consider Perdition City my favourite Ulver album" he humours me. "But Im sure that they will compose other great stuff in the future! I'm really happy to know they will be so busy this year!"
My interest aroused, I continue who else do you cite as major influences, in films, art and literature?
"I love movies, especially the works of Kieslowsky, Amenabar, Polansky, Antonioni, Joel Coen, Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, Lars Von Trier, Scorsese and Kusturica. My favourite painters are Chagall and Mirò. They have offered a new dimension to colours, and their technical search has been really illuminating for my artistic development. I love also Magritte, Dalì and Pollock for their innovative and crazy attitude. In literature Bukowsky, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Kundera, Tibor Fisher and J.T.Leroy above all...."
Wow, great list! Whats your favourite Chuck Palahniuk novel? And would you care to recommend any films by the directors not many of us will have heard of?
"I think that Survivor is probably my favourite novel by Palahniuk, but I also loved 'Invisible
Monsters': these works are simply ingenious!"
Agreed!
"I recommend in particular these films: "Film Blue", "Film White", "Film Red" and the "Decalogue" (ten films on the Ten Commandments) by Kieslowsky , "The Kingdom", "Idiots", "Breaking the Waves" and "Dancer in The Dark" by Lars Von Trier, "Blow-up" and "Zabriskie Point" by Antonioni, "The Snatch" by Guy Ritchie, "Big Lebowsky" by Joel Coen, as well as all the works of the other famous directors that I have mentioned.."
As if my DVD to buy list wasnt big enough already! On this note I feel I have taken up enough of Davides valuable time already, but throw in one final question does he find it irritating when people try to explain Ephel Duaths music in terms of genres and influences (especially since this isnt really applicable to the style)?
"It is interesting the hugely different labels people use to explain our music. It annoys me only when we are associated with the black metal scene. I respect this movement fully, but we are distant from it. Since our formation we have only shared a few similarities with black metal, but a lot of people continue to draw parallels between us."
Cool, cool, cool I reply, One final question for you: two trains are travelling towards each other on a straight track with a coefficient of friction of 4.5.. just kidding . Strangely, there is no reply, and so a memorable interview draws to a close, leaving me feeling that with a man like Davide in the band, Ephel Duath have a very bright future.
Ephel Duath - rePhormula
Ephel Duath - The Painter's Palette
Ephel Duath - 24/06/2003 Live "Upstairs @ The Garage"
Photos copyright B J Shortland
