Coscienza di sé is dedicated to Emma Goldman, American writer and philosopher of Russian-Lithuanian origins, also portrayed on the cover pic, with artwork by Stra. The lyrics of the five tracks refer to her words, revolutionary for having conveyed freedom of thought, anarchy and feminism from the end of the Nineteenth century to 1940, the year of her death, but unfortunately “necessary” even in our present. “We started recording the songs in 2018, when feminism was regaining life. Everything, then, has reachead a sort of maturity. Many people, including many young feminists, don’t even know who Emma Goldman is. That’s why her figure must be absolutely valued. The concepts shouted by Goldman a hundred years ago have never been so current. We believe that in this historical moment it’s even more important that musicians return to talk about politics”.
The tracklist moves from Apertura, in charge of starting the record and invoking open mindedness, to Gelosia: “Considering the numerous cases of feminicide and domestic violence, today jealousy is a subject of great relevance”. We continue with Autoaffermazione, the same Coscienza di sé that gives title to the whole work and Amore libero. “Goldman’s feminist vision coincided with the aspiration to an emancipated woman, capable of fighting on the front line. In addition, her idea of anarchy was to be applied to all the aspects of human existence, both political and individual”.
Stefania Pedretti has always experimented with female issues during her career, but never so explicitly. The challenge of using her Italian language, a key-element of the collaboration with Iriondo, makes communication more vigorous. While she sings, declaims and screams, with her voice elaborated through a vocoder, while becoming flesh for the Goldman’s verb and playing also synths, Xabier Iriondo focuses on the bass – his main “weapon” in this duo adventure – and on a drum machine of the early 70s. “The goal was to mantain power and ferocity using instruments not strictly related to rock music in its traditional form”. The result is a modern sound, linked to avant-garde and art-punkbut with a peculiar immediacy. “Coscienza di sé is our most popular record. We wanted to use electronics and some ‘catchy’ rhythms to make very strong and meaningful contents sound direct. We hope people can discuss about all this”.
Involved in many projects, Stefania and Xabier – who recorded the EP at the Zulo Gorria Studio in Milan – have renewed a special alchemy. “There are harmony and cohesion between us”, they say. “We worked with considerable intensity for short periods of time: in less than seven days, spread over a year, we have realized recordings, arrangements and mixes. We trust each other’s intuitions, so our artistic partnership is very constructive”.
The impact is extraordinary: Coscienza di sé explodes loudly, in the deafening silence of a de-evolutionary society. It explodes in the stereo and in the head. To quote Autoaffermazione, “True emancipation has begun!”. Good “listening”, now.
"Coscienza di sé" (Sangue Disken/Cheap Satanism, 2019) Video directed by Barnaba Ponchielli
Rompi i ceppi che imprigionano la mente Rompi i ceppi che imprigionano la tua mente Rompi i ceppi che imprigionano la tua mente Rompi i ceppi che imprigionano la tua mente Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi Anarchismo Anarchismo Anarchismo L'Anarchismo L'Anarchismo L'Anarchismo Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé Coscienza di sé
Coscienza di sé has been recorded, mixed e mastered by Xabier Iriondo at Zulo Gorria Studio (Milan, IT)
?ALOS: vocals, synth signorinaalos.blogspot.com
XABIER IRIONDO: bass, drum machine www.xabieririondo.com
EMMA GOLDMAN: lyrics it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Goldman
?Alos e Xabier Iriondo: il nuovo disco Coscienza di sé, in uscita il 12 aprile 2019, è dedicato alla figura della femminista anarchica Emma Goldman
EN: ?Alos & Xabier Iriondo: new record Coscienza di sé, dedicated to the feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman, will be out 12 April 2019 on Sangue Disken and Cheap Satanism Records
Stefania Pedretti, in arte ?Alos, e Xabier Iriondo non hanno bisogno di presentazioni. Lei è attiva dal 2003 con il suo progetto da solista, ?Alos appunto, ed è protagonista con Bruno Dorella della band OvO, oltre che fondatrice delle Allun. Lui ha fatto parte dei Six Minute War Madness ed è chitarrista degli Afterhours, nonché manipolatore sonoro di formazioni come Uncode Duello, A Short Apnea, Bunuel, The Shipwreck Bag Show, Immaginisti, Todo Modo e molti altri.
In uscita il 12 aprile 2019 per le etichette Sangue Disken (Milano) e Cheap Satanism (Bruxelles), in vinile e digitale, Coscienza di sé è il loro nuovo EP in duo ed è la terza uscita realizzata fianco a fianco dopo il 7” omonimo del 2011 e l’album Endimione del 2012, incentrato sui Madrigali di Antonin Artaud.
Coscienza di sé è dedicato a Emma Goldman, scrittrice e filosofa statunitense di origini russo-lituane, ritratta anche nella fotografia di copertina, con artwork di Stra. I testi delle cinque tracce si rifanno direttamente alle sue parole, rivoluzionarie nel propagandare libero pensiero, anarchia e femminismo dalla fine dell’800 al 1940 della sua morte ma purtroppo “necessarie” persino nel presente. “Abbiamo iniziato a registrare i pezzi nel 2018, quando il femminismo stava riprendendo linfa vitale, anche grazie al movimento Non Una di Meno. Tutto, poi, è giunto a maturazione. Parecchie persone, incluse molte giovani femministe, non sanno neppure chi sia Emma Goldman. Ecco perché la sua figura deve essere assolutamente valorizzata. I concetti gridati dalla Goldman, cento anni fa, non sono mai stati così attuali. Crediamo che in questo momento storico sia ancora più importante che nella musica si torni a parlare di politica”.
La scaletta passa da Apertura, incaricata tanto di aprire il disco quanto di invocare “apertura mentale”, a Gelosia: “Considerando i numerosi casi di femminicidio e violenza domestica, oggi è un argomento di grande rilevanza”. Si prosegue con Autoaffermazione, la stessa Coscienza di sé che dà titolo all’intera opera e Amore libero. “La visione femminista della Goldman coincideva con l’aspirazione a una donna emancipata e capace di lottare in prima linea. In più, la sua idea di anarchia era da applicare a tutti gli aspetti dell’esistenza umana, sia politici sia individuali”.
Stefania Pedretti si è sempre confrontata con tematiche femminili durante il suo percorso artistico, ma mai in modo talmente esplicito. La sfida dell’utilizzo della lingua italiana, uno degli elementi-chiave della sua collaborazione con Iriondo, rende la comunicazione più vigorosa. Mentre lei canta, declama e urla, con la voce elaborata attraverso un vocoder, mentre si fa carne per il verbo della Goldman suonando anche i synth, Xabier Iriondo si concentra sul basso – la sua arma principale in questa avventura a due – e su una drum machine dei primi anni 70. “L’obiettivo era mantenere potenza e ferocia tramite strumenti non propriamente legati al rock nella sua forma tradizionale”. Ne viene fuori un sound moderno, legato all’avanguardia e all’art-punk eppure munito di una sua peculiare immediatezza. “Coscienza di sé è il nostro lavoro più popolare. Volevamo usare l’elettronica e ritmiche talvolta ‘accattivanti’ per fare arrivare a destinazione e magari canticchiare contenuti molto forti e significativi, soprattutto ora. Auspichiamo se ne possa discutere”.
Impegnati su vari fronti, Stefania e Xabier – che ha registrato l’EP allo Zulo Gorria Studio di Milano – hanno rinnovato un’alchimia speciale. “Tra noi”, raccontano, “ci sono sintonia e coesione di intenti. Siamo andati avanti con notevole intensità per brevi periodi: in meno di sette giorni complessivi, spalmati però nell’arco di circa un anno, abbiamo effettuato incisioni, arrangiamenti e mix. Ci fidiamo delle reciproche intuizioni, quindi il nostro rapporto è molto costruttivo”.
L’impatto è straordinario: Coscienza di sé deflagra, a tutto volume, nel silenzio assordante di una società in de-evoluzione. Esplode, nell’impianto stereo e nella testa. Citando Autoaffermazione, “La vera emancipazione ha inizio!”. Buon “ascolto”, adesso.
ENG:
?Alos & Xabier Iriondo: new record Coscienza di sé, dedicated to the feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman, will be out 12 April 2019 on Sangue Disken and Cheap Satanism Records
?Alos, born Stefania Pedretti, and Xabier Iriondo need no introduction. She is active since 2003 with her solo project ?Alos, is a member of OvO and of the historical female band Allun. He was part of Six Minute War Madness and actually is guitarist of Afterhours, as well as sound manipulator for projects like Uncode Duello, A Short Apnea, Bunuel, The Shipwreck Bag Show, Immaginisti, Todo Modo and many others.
Out the 12 April 2019 on the labels Sangue Disken (Milan) and Cheap Satanism (Brussels), available in vinyl and in all digital formats, Coscienza di sé is their new EP as a duo and the third release side by side after the homonym 7” of 2011 and the album Endimione of 2012, focused on Antonin Artaud’s Madrigals.
Coscienza di sé is dedicated to Emma Goldman, American writer and philosopher of Russian-Lithuanian origins, also portrayed on the cover pic, with artwork by Stra. The lyrics of the five tracks refer to her words, revolutionary for having conveyed freedom of thought, anarchy and feminism from the end of the Nineteenth century to 1940, the year of her death, but unfortunately “necessary” even in our present. “We started recording the songs in 2018, when feminism was regaining life. Everything, then, has reachead a sort of maturity. Many people, including many young feminists, don’t even know who Emma Goldman is. That’s why her figure must be absolutely valued. The concepts shouted by Goldman a hundred years ago have never been so current. We believe that in this historical moment it’s even more important that musicians return to talk about politics”.
The tracklist moves from Apertura, in charge of starting the record and invoking open mindedness, to Gelosia: “Considering the numerous cases of feminicide and domestic violence, today jealousy is a subject of great relevance”. We continue with Autoaffermazione, the same Coscienza di sé that gives title to the whole work and Amore libero. “Goldman’s feminist vision coincided with the aspiration to an emancipated woman, capable of fighting on the front line. In addition, her idea of anarchy was to be applied to all the aspects of human existence, both political and individual”.
Stefania Pedretti has always experimented with female issues during her career, but never so explicitly. The challenge of using her Italian language, a key-element of the collaboration with Iriondo, makes communication more vigorous. While she sings, declaims and screams, with her voice elaborated through a vocoder, while becoming flesh for the Goldman’s verb and playing also synths, Xabier Iriondo focuses on the bass – his main “weapon” in this duo adventure – and on a drum machine of the early 70s. “The goal was to mantain power and ferocity using instruments not strictly related to rock music in its traditional form”. The result is a modern sound, linked to avant-garde and art-punkbut with a peculiar immediacy. “Coscienza di sé is our most popular record. We wanted to use electronics and some ‘catchy’ rhythms to make very strong and meaningful contents sound direct. We hope people can discuss about all this”.
Involved in many projects, Stefania and Xabier – who recorded the EP at the Zulo Gorria Studio in Milan – have renewed a special alchemy. “There are harmony and cohesion between us”, they say. “We worked with considerable intensity for short periods of time: in less than seven days, spread over a year, we have realized recordings, arrangements and mixes. We trust each other’s intuitions, so our artistic partnership is very constructive”.
The impact is extraordinary: Coscienza di sé explodes loudly, in the deafening silence of a de-evolutionary society. It explodes in the stereo and in the head. To quote Autoaffermazione, “True emancipation has begun!”. Good “listening”, now.
'The Chaos Awakening' was born as a ritual before becoming an album. Dio Drone went searching for all the elements of this ceremony, far away in the woods where ?Alos hid herself to engrave her liturgy into the grooves.
Recording and shotting were done live during an artistic residency in Valico Terminus (Ramiseto), a roadman's cottage situated between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, managed by two curators; Giovanni Cervi and Nila Shabnam Bonetti. A location dedicated to receive and support artists in the production of new works.
