Exposed Vocals sits down to an exclusive interview with “11:95 PM”
Once in a lifetime … a day starts and you realize that something strange is gone inside you
..you try to understand what… but a strange confusion into your eyes, tarnishes the view, something like a glaze that makes strangers your family and the places where you grew up and lived … same as it does the October’s sky in central
Italy.
Is like if a light of life goes out … and you plunge into chaos.
Suddenly…the awakening in the morning, is no longer… full of freshness and life as a sunrise in a rainforest.
Once in a lifetime … on a simply day … the people i had next, became, in my eyes, sterile …. …
I could not give anything, nor could i receive.
Thus it was that suddenly arose within me a force ever known that pushed me towards something that i only realized some time later.
A few days later, almost unconsciously, i loaded my car with the few things i need and left, without a goal or a reliable place to go, almost running away from anyone i knew.
I went instinctively toward the sun remained in October .. the South of Italy absorbed me and then he spitted me out towards Greece, even away from my native language.
I want to have the right to remain silent, the same one granted to those who are in a bunch of people speaking a foreign… unknown…language; …. incomprehensible!
At night, the sea is dark, the fellow travelers on the ship ….. appear sinister and inhospitable .. .but soon, the dawn in a solar and hot southern Greece reassured me with a nice smile, between lips of earth and eyelashes of sky.
Putting foot on the ground, in my quest of rebirth, I get hit by a hot wind of life, noise and shout…but calm at the same time, as in a bazaar excited early in the morning, warm and funny.
My car starts to eat kilometers while the landscape turns orange, then ocher, deep yellow, and then at that time embracing the blue sky.
Some fleeting memory of my origins and .. about yesterday, from which i just escaped, pass through my thougts, but never any doubt!
.. And … well … instictively… my foot pushes decided on the accelerator, giving gas to the engine!
The road runs towards Athens, and a stop for fuel is the best thing to do to set foot on the ground again.
Just a few minutes … and i’m already tired to stay still … I take again to eat asphalt as that beautiful morning disappears… eated by “the past” and a less comfortable afternoon welcome me in going to the north of Greece …towards Thessaloniki …
I do not feel to stop me … I do not feel at home … but … now i’m beginning to feel me like an astronaut, who has just pierced the atmosphere … … spitted out from from Earth orbit… the world so familiarly… is now very far and the direction taken is the exact opposite of a return, but at the same time, he knows that he must get to a point where the perspective changes, where to have the vision of the whole ….
My car has a problem, and certainly, none of those to whom i ask for help… with lack of desire, … have the slightest intention to manifest hospitality.
I decided to go over with anger and frustration … the same anger and frustration that has who’s hunted innocently.
I abandon the proximity to the sea and i penetrate the ground, inside the dark of night, now fallen dense …
I do not understand Road signs with a menacing saltire black to cover a road sign in Cyrillic that, one after another, i meet until arriving at a border …
Macedonia … the ancient Macedonia in front of me, just beyond the customs! Who expected it ?!
Just passed at the border… and i’m between two mountain ranges … no lights … no life…only darkness.
Immediately soon after, with deep relief,i meet a gasoline station and i feel the need to meet human beings, to not miss myself inside solitude.
And ‘them, as soon as i set foot on the ground and i shared a smile with the gas station’s worker,that i feel strong…the feeling similar to the same you have when you are a few steps from home.
The Macedonian people is friendly and ospitale.. even if immersed in the heart of the earth, the sea far away, immediately gives the sense of a people that has a rich history in the millennia.
Wonder what it meant the inscription in Cyrillic that i had met and he explain me that it is the name of their capital Skopje … … of which i didn’t even know the existence … while always been fascinated by geography!
Skopje is hated by the Greeks because of an old dispute on the name of the state of belonging … Macedonia, here then explained why the directions covered with black crosses.
Fixed issue to my car, i feel again the same strange strenght pushing me.. i have to go to Skopje … and then decide whether to stay or not.
I arrive in the middle of the night ..and the city welcome me with his happy movement ..and although it is night … seems day ..
I was so much in the city where everything is life.
I do not wake up happy in the morning yet, but .. ..the streets.. macedonian citizens ..and a woman with a Macedonian name meaning “loving” reminded me that the human being is also merciful, ..who knows befriend without wanting nothing back ..only for the sheer pleasure to be of assistance.
My neighbor … with all the dignity of a real man … offered me his unconditional friendship … he showed me the beauty of its land and its hystory .. basins of water between two mountains called “Matka Lake” which translated would mean “uterus” … where hatching the principle of life!
I remain impressed as the smell of musk, … water as the source of life.
Still i don’t have desire to talk and often i use my false ignorance about their language ..and so… while my friends talk, sitting in a coffee bar in front of the wonderful salads Macedonians unusually served to accompany the beers or Turkish coffee … i take this opportunity to look around, looking nothing… to be honest..
Actually i’m speaking with myself … . long conversations with myself… and my thoughts.. entertain me …
It’s a great feeling the “right to silence” … it’s a bit ‘like when a child, afraid to sleep alone in a dark room, feel the fear disappear, while he slip into sleep, … hearing the voice of his mother speaking.
.. Voices and lights reaches his bed ..and he’s not alone , so he can relax and think about the things he will do the next day ..a fantasize of a new sunshine day and many new games … while the sleep, secretly ..before he can realize, won.
Continental cold winters .. when the thermometer drops 14 ° below zero and the roads are a skating rink where old machines, swinging like a carnival … clashing festively, without serious consequences … and the steam comes out from the houses and supermarkets, as well as hot summers … over 40 ° in the evenings … ..but who knows become fresh and seductive, are telling me…”time is passing”
During one of these hot nights, i decided to take a walk in the city center.
New buildings are growing rapidly, while a car with the rear window smashed by a stone, stops at a traffic light and a chariot pulled by two horses dressed with beautiful colored feathers placed parallel to the ears, alongside …
Sounds of gypsy rhythms, come from streets ..as a carnival .. my steps are relaxed and calm until my feet stop.
Looking at the ground ,i realize to stay over a tile with a written … . in cyrillic obviously ..that, ..for my laziness, still not learned ..and so i ask the meaning.
Someone explained me that this is the point where the native house of Mother Teresa was located.
At that exact moment, the time around me has stopped … a feeling of warmth and well-being has pervaded me … and i’ve understood why i had to do all those miles to reach a certain point of the earth, with … an exact latitude and longitude ..
I understood why the Macedonian people was immediately so familiar and friendly to me.
The feeling of loneliness, confusion and bewilderment abandoned me that moment ..and , in the same instant .. a sense of balance in the world sorrounding, had taken me…… finally!
In that moment i realized that we, human beings, are committed till exasperation in manipulating our destiny, just because influenced by other models or false induced needs, for all the life, when in fact this balance has always given us everything we had really needed.
Just then, finally, i understood the reason for that strength to whom it had been impossible to resist, that pushed me, that distant day, starting and following my instincts.
Life had returned serene and lush inside me, as if by magic.
Finally i understood why all this days was submerged inside a particular balance.
Shortly after, i got home, … to my true home ..and at the doorway i found, waiting for me, a wonderful scarab. To the ancient Egyptians, the scarab (Kheperer that comes from the verb kheper , “rebirth”) was a symptom of resurrection to new life … human civilization then, had already had my same path many times.
Exclusive Interview:
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
11:95 PM: we heard about Exposed Vocals on twitter
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
11:95 PM: We are a band that has formed along the way.
At the beginning in two, a classical pianist, composer, Marco Velocci and a singer and guitarist who loved to use electronic instruments like MOOG etc., Fabio Tanev
Subsequently, it was added to the band a drummer / percussionist , Cristiano Coraggio who came from sounds Jazz. We wanted to mix electronic frequencies to those instrumental classic.
As you can easily understand we’re Italian ..but we’ve decided in using English language to reach the most people around the world. We think every product should be available and accessible from the most part of the people around the world, the same for a painter…he paint for every human around the world , sometimes even for other creature as animals … they love music.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
11:95 PM: is a name that recalls the surrealism . Surrealism can be found in the texts also. Metaphors and surrealism at the same time.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
11:95 PM: we think that no work should be done for free. The value should be different according to the value of the work
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
11:95 PM: Being perfectionists. quality always pays
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
11:95 PM: we think it’s pretty normal to make mistakes. but if you work hard, you know well how to overcome.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
11:95 PM: This is our first album as a Band, so we hope in the next future.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
11:95 PM: It’s different song by song…Drug oriented in example had come into my mind in the middle of the night…i was sleeping and the melodies had come into my dream.
So i switched on the computer, and the keyboard at 4 Am . Other songs are coming working together.
Initially there’s a motif , working with a sequencer, we start with the structure and after building part after part in the same session.
After generally we take time to listen waiting for the right intuition.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
11:95 PM: At the moment we’re using twitter @1195pm and Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/project-veta/sets/uncoordinated-watches
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
11:95 PM: ooh, maybe Hospital Workers, “Show me the Eden”, this words have different point of view but we don’t think it should be embarrassing, considering the rest of the lyrics.. the real meaning is inside you at the end…but it’s wrong!
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
11:95 PM: NO doubt ! A musical Studio,new professional instruments and “come on, let’s work for a new album”
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
11:95 PM: We work really hard with electronic instrument , so we have an upgrade every day, with software and with technical aspects related.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
11:95 PM: we believe in Word of mouth
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
11:95 PM: The Doors and Brahms in a theater in Paris because of the intensity of the composition and for the use of arcs
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
11:95 PM: Yes, we’re working on a new single but for the detail , sure, we’ll have other opportunity in next future
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
11:95 PM: Sound engineer for sure!
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
11:95 PM: Yes it was Terence Trent D’Arby – Introducing the Hard-line According to Terence Trent D’Arby, a wonderful album.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
11:95 PM: We think everyone of us , with a goal to reach, it’s able to find time for everything, but not wasting time.. you need to work everyday, so you’ll be always forward
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
11:95 PM: For our album to be released. We’re still without a publisher because none of the proposal satisfied us as we’re exigent in respect of the work we’ve done, and for that we’re waiting the right moment.
