I
first met Massimo Danieli at a friend’s wedding in June 2009: he sang 2 or 3 numbers in the church and then
I was lucky enough to have been seated at the same table as him for the
reception. I then, to my surprise, saw him perform an acoustic set with Yumiko
at the Sherwood Festival just one month later... but it was not to be until six
months after that I eventually saw him perform with Soulshift, his band and
even longer before I saw him as a solo artist. I asked him about the
relationship between his solo work, his work with Massimo Danieli Soulshift,
and with Yumiko...
“Massimo
Danieli Soulshift is a necessity and a therapy” he explains “a box of
photographs which has my name on it but includes anyone who plays in it, or is
near to me... the energy is the same for all sets, whether I am alone or with
others, electric or acoustic... for over a year now, I feel more akin to empty
minimal sounds, but often I am alone merely because of logistical reasons or
gig management requirements rather than through choice. By character (and
perhaps alignment of the stars) I have always been eclectic, attracted by
differences and loves of experimentation, and find that mixing elements, often
very different from each other, can give rise to unpredictable and magical
solutions. I believe in shared individuality and in the ability to mix the ego
of several elements to collectively enhance the effect. Here in Veneto, it’s not
for everyone – you need both the brain and the stomach to do it, and lots and
lots of confidence.
“The
musicians who play with Massimo Danieli Soulshift are first of all friends, people
who want to exchange ideas. Currently my only stable musical companion is
Davide Pigazzi, who is not only my bassist both live and in the studio, but
also helps me with arrangements and sorts out all the wrong ideas that go
through my head. Our historic drummer, Andrea Franceschi, left due to work
commitments and since then we’ve not had a fixed component – but we’ve played
with trusted friends who I respect very much: Davide Eulogi (who has played
both at concerts and played drums on “Love song for a vampire”) and Mauro
Violata who has supported us enthusiastically at recent concerts.
“Yumiko,
on the other hand, have been friends since adolescence. I was a drummer with Pippo
(Filippo Testolina, bass) in a funk rock band back in 1995 with David Battisti
(guitarist with Flypaper for Freaks and Milksnake) and also shared other
projects. Lars (Paolo Larese, voice and guitars) and Gianni (Gianni Gottardo,
drums) weaned me into “musical life” through dozens of concerts when I was only
fifteen years old. Three years ago, Yumiko’s long standing guitarist Cristian
Milani went to the States for a time so they asked me to stand in for him for a
few gigs. Even though I’m really only an arm-chair guitarist, I accepted.
Things went well enough, and when although Cristian returned, it was only
briefly and Yumiko were in the midst of writing new songs and there were gigs
to be done, so the guys asked me back and since then I’ve worked with them in
rehearsal, live gigs and writing arrangements. I feel at home with Yumiko, and
even though their sound crosses my own personal mood, it keeps me on my toes
and I can experiment in new worlds with good friends.”
I
know that Massimo rarely plays outside of the North-East of Italy so I ask him
about that and what the barriers are to “escaping” from that environment...
“Our
charming North-East is a cradle of ignorance” he says “productive, saturated
with offers, but where questions are increasingly scarce. It’s increasingly
difficult to break out of this vicious circle – you need to be aware of your
own identity, to be patient, and to adapt to situations which may not always be
pleasant, continuing on your own path. There are many barriers: perhaps the
main one being the lack of personality of people who no longer wish to listen
to unknown artists. Publicity has absolute sovereignty and to do it well you
must know how, and know how to sell, big time. Unfortunately, more and more,
music is a numbers game: how many follows have you got, how many friends have
you got in the right circles... This has changed the reasons why many musicians
play... I believe that to really enjoy music we need to take a step back, get
back in the garage and discover those addicted to playing, with no need for
tacit approval from the public.”
I’ve
witnessed a lot of “envy” between musicians here in Italy and I ask Macy whether
he too things it exist... “Absolutely yes!”
he says, “Envy is part of every human being, but in some it’s
particularly strong. If we look at both sides of the coin, envy can also be a
good reason to be encouraged to improve, but the fact is that too often it creeps
in and eventually destroys. I have the misfortune of not being competitive at
all, I do not play to win, I like to help when I can and I always do it willingly,
but often I find myself surrounded by lies and ‘convenient attitudes’.”
Recently
Macy sent me a recording of a cover of “Love Song For a Vampire” by Annie
Lennox and I found it haunting. I ask him why he chose to do that particular
song: “I love Annie Lenox” he tells me “I heard it first as a teenager. I
played it first in a band in 2002 which subsequently broke up, put it in a drawer,
but know that sooner or later it would see the light of day again. Last summer
we were asked to record a song for a charity compilation and the first song
that came to mind was this one. I’m a melancholic sentimentalist, and I
associate the song with happy events from my past. The compilation should be
out sometime early this year, but there are some problems and it’s currently
blocked. Of course, the song will be on our own album.”
The
album has been in production for over a year with half the tracks ready. Work
has stopped for some personal reasons, and also because Macy wanted to include
some new songs. Now that the songs are ready, the problems are more economical “I
don’t have the money to finish it” he says. It’s also the reason why the album
is self-produced: “There’s no money even to finish the recording,” he explains “let
alone pay for others to work on it.”
Macy
writes and sings in Italian, I ask if he considers that this perhaps reduces
his appeal to audiences outside of Italy: “I consider music to be everyone’s
second language” he says “and although the lyrics of a song are an important
part, I think those who know how to listen from the heart can enjoy it without understanding
a single word. My background is quite diverse, I grew up with rock, but I’ve
discovered other genres and consumed English language music by the truck load
while still enjoying many Italian artists. What I write represents me fully and
I couldn’t express myself other than in my own language. I also love Italian –
it has incredible potential: both communicative and musically. Sigur Ros
invented their own language for melodic purposes, I am more lazy, and although
Italian has many qualities, it’s also interesting to know it’s limits. I’m also
not capable of managing English… as you well know… but you never know, I might
even try some experiments, I could even try and sing in Kazakh!”
So
where is 2012 taking Massimo Danieli? “2012 will be a year of work” he says “2011
was a year of transition, Davide and I are working on our sound and we really
want to get back into playing. We want to finish the album, complete our
line-up and have fun. Personally, I need to get moving again, play outside of
the usual circles and collaborate more with artists less related to me musically.
We won’t stop: crisis or no crisis…
Contacts details and links for the Massimo Danieli Soulshift:
Contact address: macydanieli@gmail.com
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