Interview with K-CONJOG
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Interview with K-CONJOG
Aka FABRIZIO SOMMA
Three words to describe Fabrizio Somma… Cerebral but also passionate. Definitely untidy. How did you come up with K-Conjog as your artistic identity? What does (if anything) K-Conjog stand for? “K-Conjog” unites the names of two buttons on the stereo system where I listened to my very first albums. All those hours in front of a household appliance that was so important for me growing up deserved their proper tribute. The thing I never would have imagined at the time is how hard it would have been to get people to pronounce it properly. But it’s too late for that now. In what ways K-Conjog compliments Fabrizio Somma and vice versa? I think they complement each other in a very natural way, each one of us brings themselves completely into everything they do. I read that you define your work as "SIMPLE MUSIC FOR DISTORTED MINDS”; how so? It’s a definition I would always use for my earliest works, with structures that weren’t actually very conventional. However, I don’t think I’ve ever made music that was particularly complicated, if not in its aesthetic approach. The structures of things are rather simple. In November your latest album “Magic Spooky Ears” (Schole Records) was released: How would you describe this album? What are the main traits that characterize it? “Magic Spooky Ears” is quite a change of direction for me. I finally managed to leave my old sound behind and develop new and different styles. It’s been quite a challenge, and I hope I’ve succeeded. Besides the technical side, the considerable use of synthesizers, and so on, I think the feature that characterizes it the most is the rediscovered joy in challenging myself once again and writing music that is new. Every track has its own specific sonic context, and despite these differences, I like to believe that no tracks are waging a hidden war to stand out over the others because there is an actual harmony between all of them. Or at least, that’s what I think. “Magic Spooky Ears” includes the “Same Old Grace” track; a pure electronic gem, with a modern classical mood and an electronic vibe…What is the message behind “Same Old Grace”? “Same Old Grace” is the first track I’ve ever written where I also use my own voice. So this time I also played around as a singer. I wrote it for my lifetime partner, and it’s about all those obstacles and struggles that every one of us needs to deal with if they want to reach any one of their goals. The path is similar for all of us, but it’s never the same, it’s a forced but necessary suffering that throws you down at first and then lets you take flight. “Same Old Grace” is captured in an atypical and at the same time hooking video clip, directed by Francesco Lettieri and accompanied by Alessandro Gabini’s animated drawings, paving the way to a hallucinated road trip of sex, drugs, and fun. Would you tell me a little bit more about this choice of video clip free from any sort of censorship? I’ve been working with Francesco for years now, and I trust his work completely, so I fully relied on him for the visual interpretation of the track. The use of Alessandro Gabini’s art and animations was a winning choice that turns the whole project into more than the sum of its parts. The way Alessandro’s drawings go along with the narration until becoming the main character, even censoring some scenes, is what I enjoy the most. The decision to make a video like this was almost automatic: I don’t belong to the mainstream world (also because I don’t think I have the proper characteristics) so we felt it would be useless to follow specific rules. It’s quite sad to observe that the world of independent music is increasingly locked up into its own specific rules, as if it was some sort of waiting room before finally getting to a wider audience, at all cost. It’s not that it’s an inherently bad thing, but from the position, I’m in I want to give myself the luxury to be able to do whatever I like and make up my own rules. Your musical path is highlighted by a change of course; from a handful of digital releases to a melodic Lo-Fi album to an orchestral and ambient release to a banging new single revealing a synthetic texture and dance shades. How important is change for you? It’s fundamental. I’d almost forgotten this, but constant research is what defines a work well done, and I like to believe that I’m never going to be still for so long again. How do you come up with your song/album titles? Song titles are essential, they act as a frame for the message you’re trying to give, and they point listeners in the right direction. Even though I’ve always liked to believe that each one of us can give whatever meaning they like to what they listen to. And it’s fine that way, too. “Magic Spooky Ears” is the way I managed to exorcise my terrifying protruding ears, always hidden over 36 years of existence. Tell me one thing/aspect you would like to evolve (or continue developing) in your music? As I was saying earlier, I never want to lose my disposition to study and research, which are things that can lead us into unexpected territories. Walking on this path I found myself singing, and that’s another side I’d like to develop more. Tell me one thing that not many people know about you… Never invite me out to dinner, I eat like a pig. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Qxt2ZNhOBs6VDX4zmxcdA Bandcamp https://k-conjog.bandcamp.com/ Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/k-conjog Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kconjog Twitter https://twitter.com/KConjog Interview/Content Editor: Annie Markitanis
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