Too many new bands from Italy, a whole generation actually, that make edgy alternative music have been hosted on Last Day Deaf, interviewed, reviewed etc. Too many talented bands from a country that has a discreet tradition in all wave music. Here is Two Moons from Bologna, having recently released their 3rd ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ LP, performing live a lot, a band that really got our interest “mixing” darkwave elements along with some kraut and post-punk, not hiding their electronic taste. So, dear people, this is an interesting chat with Two Moons, that we present you here, enjoy!
Hello Two Moons, welcome to Last Day Deaf! Give us the latest on the road news please, what are you up to?
Thanks for the invitation; our new album ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ has just released our fourth job. The album is available in all major online stores (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, etc.) and of course on cd. We started our tour in Italy; soon will come out the other dates that also have different stages abroad.
Almost 8 years since your first release (‘The First Moon‘ EP), 3 studio LP’s, singles, and now you are considered among the edgy acts in the Italian underground. How has the trip been so far and what is the band’s future?
The future of the band is to continue writing our thoughts and to transfer them to music, continuing to search for sounds and to evolve without distorting our music. Taking our music around the world, to glimpse in our audiences’ eyes during our concerts, trying to capture their enthusiasm and surprise is our priority. Music engaging and a notorious commitment and always reaches the heart of those who listen to us.
You describe your music as retrospective, linked to the 80’s darkwave, and shamanic/solar of the modern electronics. Tell us few things about it please, what is the Two Moon’s universe like?
The Two Moons‘ universe is made up of so many facets; the dark wave connection to the 80’s is just one of these components, though important because it was inevitably the soundtrack of our adolescence/life. The Two Moons, however, undergo from British pop to grunge from shoegaze and so on. We are music devotees, we listen to everything the music scene offers us and unconsciously over the years we have turned into musicians, we know that man is what he eats and we have devoured so many genres of music. It is known that there is no new genre so we haven’t invented anything, but a careful listener who does not want to label us to a band or genre can notice how difficult it is to place ourselves in a musical genre. It is the same for us … trust us.
In the last 10 years, underground bands from Italy are making a breakthrough into the global scene, performing a lot abroad, being invited to important, dedicated festivals, releasing noticeable musings etc. Why is that, also where does all that generation’s (Bologna, Pesaro, Roma etc.) influence emerge from?
Italian music is undergoing a paradox. Pop music, light music is very strong in Italy, but it is hardly not affirmed abroad, while the so-called “alternative” music is almost affirmed abroad and finds difficulty in Italy, the bands are very good but suffer from lack of musical culture, “underground” music is considered second place music, and bands are eternally “Emergent”. The fact that there are no important festivals is the demonstration. Only in Bologna, through Bestrass, The Black Veils, Caron Dimonio, Ofeliadorme, Dade City Day (and I don’t remember so many others) there is a panorama that alone would represent Italy in the world.
Krautrock, post-punk, electronic, Joy Division, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, all included as influences in the band’s profile. So, how did it all start with the band, and what does still inspire you?
As mentioned above, Two Moons are the result of what you have listed and much more, we are what we eat and turned into musicians based on what we listen. Obviously this applies to any musician including those who have changed music. The second musician in history, a primate our distant ancestor, made music following someone who was knocking his hands or making some noise, inventing the first rhythmic musical form. Moreover others, followed the shapes of what they listened by shaping it with what they had to communicate reaching up to our days in the same way. Finally, to the above mentioned names, I would add The Smiths, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave, Slowdive and others.
What is the perfect line-up, including Two Moons, to a summer’s festival?
We have not fixed summer dates yet; we’ll probably know it in the next few days. Usually in summer we rest.
Many musicians or bands are keen on ‘interplaying’. Are we expecting any collaboration in time?
Collaborations are the result of mixtures, ideas that are born casually; we do not like planning collaborations for notoriety purposes of or simply doing something different. So if we do not get any unstudied occasions, that’s it, we won’t plan any.
Can you share with our readers few new artists, you are currently fond of?
The new album ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ came out with the label Atmosphere Records in Bologna, even though is a very young label, but a valid one and also a collective of artists. In fact, besides the before mentioned, The Black Veils, Caron Dimonio and Bestrassen, who, in apart from being friends, are bands with a very high potential, orbiting as many bands and artists with continuous exchange making each other grow and always with the will to improve.
Can arts motivate people in changing the world, or is it all just for amusement?
Our new work is called ‘Cognitive Dissonance’, it is based on a somewhat motivational complex concept, which unluckily, as a matter of fact it does not come from music and good intentions, indeed. We believe that with music there are no revolutions (at least we do not believe it anymore), but a chance to open up consciences, teasing, and making people think is our aim and we would like it to be our privilege. Our songs, our music always has a message to communicate, there are never words on which to dance to.
Thank you very much guys for the interview, please close it as you like!
Thank you so much for your interest and for inviting us! Follow us on our site, on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp etc. Usually we like to end our interviews with a quote “Music is one of the ways the soul returns to heaven” (Torquato Tasso) and that is why “I will not curse the stars and the sky” (from the song ‘Across In the sky’) .
Mike Dimitriou