{"id":1724,"date":"2019-02-18T11:41:07","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T10:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elgarajedefrank.es\/?p=1724"},"modified":"2023-08-06T22:13:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-06T20:13:47","slug":"interview-spiritual-front","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elgarajedefrank.es\/en\/interview-spiritual-front\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Spiritual Front"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Roma, Spitual Front has succeeded creating its own sound and a particular universe easy to recognize, that made them one of the few bands that need the use of more than three words to describe them. We talked with Simone Salvatori, founder of the group, cinephile, and spiritual guide of the band. They are playing in Madrid, thanks to Indypendientes, on the 22nd of February, at the Wurlitzer with a double set, part Smith’s covers, part their songs.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u2014We wrote an article about Italian New Wave and post punk, were you influenced by bands like Liftiba or Diaframma? Or any other Italian band from the 80s?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I\u2019ve never been influenced by any of these bands, I never found them interesting, even tho I recognized their importance and their influence on so many following bands, but no, not a big fan. I was and I am a big fan of new wave like Loyd Cole<\/strong>, The Smiths, ABC, Ultravox, Talking Heads<\/strong> and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Your music has been described as neo-folk or post-industrial. I would like to ask you for the three most important bands of the genre (at least for us!!!), what do you think of Death in June, Current 93 or Sol Invictus. Have they been an influence for you?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Don\u2019t think it can be considered as neo-folk or post industrial, maybe the very early records, but now, we are so far from those days. Death in June<\/strong> is still a big influence for us, Sol Invictus<\/strong> did many great things like \u201cIn the rain\u201d for example, C93<\/strong>, not at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Your band has been labeled \u201cMafia Folk.\u201d Do you think that your music includes elements of the Italian culture?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Dunno who labeled our music so stupidly, but yes, our music includes many elements of Italian culture, and we are proud of it. It\u2019s stupid to deny our roots and our culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Do you think that Spiritual Front is just the opposite of Agnostic Front?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Hahhahaa yes, in every way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014How was starting a neo-folk band in Rome back in 1999? Is there a dark scene in Rome?\"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In the beginning it was just a parallel project, something born between four walls, it became a real band just after \u201cSatyriasis.\u201d The dark scene imploded on itself, nothing interesting is happening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Your first album is Songs for the Will<\/em>, released in 1999. Who were the members of the band in that moment? What kind of music did you want to make?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014It was a demo tape re\/printed by Old Europa Caf\u00e9, I was involved in other projects, and Spiritual Front<\/strong> was something I wanted to do, something more acoustic more experimental, step by step it grew, it\u2019s still going on. What I wanted to do? Those days reflected my love for some certain type of folk and industrial from Smog<\/strong>, American Music Club<\/strong> to Death in June<\/strong>, Boyd Rice<\/strong>, etc. there was a lot of confusion!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Your second album, Nihilist Cocktails for Calypso Inferno<\/em>, appeared two years later. The band also described your music as nihilist suicide pop. Would you call yourself a nihilist?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014The concept behind this was the refusal for any type of preconception about art, sexuality, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014It took you five years to release your third album, the successful Armageddon Gigolo<\/em>. Was it difficult to finish? How was working with part of Ennio Morricone\u2019s orchestra?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014It took so long \u2019cause we changed several times the arrangement, the crew we work with, was extremely slow and chaotic, we were younger, full of ideas but confused at the same time. The guys involved in the Morricone\u2019s orchestra were so kind, they liked our stuff, we had the chance to work with them even on the following albums, it was a good experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014How did you get the idea of introducing tango in your music? And what part does the accordion play in it?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014I like those sounds, our aim was to find an ideal link to the Nino Rota and Fellini\u2019s movies atmosphere, something like that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u2014Your fourth album Rotten Roma Casin\u00f2<\/em> is a bit more pop. Was your public happy with this change?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Oh no, most of our fans hated, but I may admit that, year after year, many of them confessed us that they started to love it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Would you say that the compilation Open wounds<\/em> worked as an ending for a phase?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Probably it sounds like that, but it\u2019s more like a celebration of a past that is gone but not forgotten, we are still playing many songs from that album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014You wrote an album (Black hearts in black suits<\/em>) based on W.R. Fassbinder, one of our favorite directors. Which of his movies do you like the most? What really interested you in his cinema?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013”Querelle \u00bb is a movie that changed my life, it s still my favorite movie ever. He was a unique director, he was able to put together erotism, literature, social critique.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014You are also interested in Pasolini, especially in his movie Sal\u00f3. We also love his work. Do you think that it is important to reclaim this kind of artist, that seems a bit forgotten today?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014He still actual, his books, his thoughts, his movies still sounds great and influential, many years passed, but his critique on our system is still terrible actual and real.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Your literally influences include Cesare Pavese, Mayakovsky and again Pasolini. How important are lyrics for you? Don\u2019t you think that neo-folk artists usually have better lyrics than other styles?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Lyrics have the same importance as the music, if you write lyrics just to fill the tunes, well, it\u2019s just soulless entertainment, I don\u2019t mean you have to teach math or history or whatever, but at least being sincere, be yourself, put something of your life in your songs. Sometimes it\u2019s true, there are better lyrics than music among neo-folk artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014You have been touring lately playing the songs of the Smiths. How did you get the idea?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014It started like a single gig for friends, but it took form, people started to love it, that\u2019s on, we are bringing this show around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014You recorded a split with Lydia Lunch. Did you contact her? And why the cover of WASP, a band so different in also senses from Spiritual Front?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014It was an idea of Rustblade records, they thought there was a line that can link us. I met Lydia<\/strong> couple of times, but we never went deeper. I was a big fan of 80s metal bands, and doing an acoustic cover of WASP<\/strong>, sounded to me a natural homage to one of those bands who were so important to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014And, what about your side project, The Lust Syndicate? You are going to release a record, called Capitalism is cannibalism<\/em>, right? Is The Lust Syndicate your own Death in June?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Not at all, it\u2019s more on the direction of Test Dept, Einsturzende, Coil, Haus Harafna, Spk<\/strong>, the record will be published by Trisol this upcoming winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014And to finish, what can you tell us about your new record Amour Braque<\/em>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014I guess it\u2019s the best record we did, it\u2019s the right summa of what spiritual front is. It\u2019s pop, it\u2019s dark, it\u2019s dramatic, ironic, it\u2019s stimulating, you can recognize many influences but at the same time it sounds compact and organic. I\u2019ll defend it \u2019till death.<\/span><\/p>\n