Après avoir digéré son très impressionnant premier album, on est ravi d’avoir l’occasion de tailler une bavette avec Gianluca Divirgilio, l’homme derrière le Plateau Arctique. La Rédaction ne disposant pas des moyens d’envoyer son chroniqueur à Rome pour réaliser l’interview, et ledit chroniqueur redoutant une interview par téléphone en anglais (’faut dire que je n’ai jamais pu suivre un film de Scorsese en VO sans sous-titres), il fut tenté une interview par chat, garante d’une certaine spontanéité et qui permit au final de créer un très bon contact entre les deux causeurs qui entamèrent l’interview qui suit après les quelques palabres et usuels reniflages de derrières.
I think you’re in rehearsal right now. How is it going ?
Oh, very well. I have a new drummer and a new guitarist. We play every song of the album, except Lepanto.
Don’t you play with the same musicians that helped you recording the album ?
Only Cesare, the drummer played in studio and will not follow us on stage. He is very busy with his band.
OK. Have you ever played live with Arctic Plateau (with this line-up or another) ?
Never. Right now this is the only band that I formed : Fabio Fraschini (bass), Gino chiarizia (guitar), and Massimiliano Chiapperi (drum). This is the official line-up.
Arctic Plateau is described as your solo project. Can we consider it is becoming a band ?
Uhm… I don’t think so… Do I explain ?
Yes, of course !
The musicians who participate in this project are free to bring ideas, if they wish. But the project remains a project that I develop personally. It’s a very personal thing. Now this is my intention. Emerald Recordings helps me in all this. The composition of songs is a personal thing, too personal.
I can understand that and it’s very good for you if everybody walks the same way. Have you been in previous bands as a guitar player, or singer ?
Ehehehe… Many Italian underground bands, but I played for years by myself. I played many musical genres...
We can feel that listening to On a sad sunny day. Post-rock and shoegaze are of course very dominant, but one can hear prog music, post-core and so on. Is Arctic Plateau the closer to your personal music tastes ?
My relationship with music is very strange and I love many genres, but I prefer instrumental songs or music from the eighties, bands like The Cure or A-ha, Alphaville, etc. I also love post-rock and classical music, Sigur Ròs, etc.
I’m very inspired by water. I sometimes think that the sun is energy, and sometimes I think that this energy must be driven... the music helps me.
Just a little aside : The Cure is a very influent band for post-rock and post-core bands (listen to the bass in bands like Isis, or Mogwai). I don’t know why because The Cure has nothing of a post-something band.
Yes, I agree, but you must consider Disintegration. That album is post-romantic shogeaze in my opinion.
You describe your record as « explicitly dreamed music ». Not especially funny dreams…
Dreams are the subconscious, and the unconscious often tells the truth. The truth is not always fun...
Yes, but this must not be that easy to put it in music, and in lyrics. To put lyrics and singing on a post-rock music basis, was it natural to you ?
Yes. I find it very natural because words are not forcing. I do not think gender when I compose, I write only one song... This album was a pleasant and unpleasant moment with myself...
That’s when music becomes a way to express yourself. Do you feel better when it’s done ? Or are you scared of throwing yourself away on a record that anyone can hear ?
I’m not afraid. I’m happy that anyone can listen to all this because I am sure that what I feel is something experienced by all humans. I do not speak of legends and dragons but I speak of real life.
And this would be so sad if people couldn’t have their own interpretation of music, of how it makes them feel. What about legends and dragons ? I’m sure bands like Manowar are touching the essence of human behavior, conscience and feelings.
I completely agree with you. Each of us needs to identify themselves in a healthy way. This is not to feel alone. About dragons, they exist also in reality…
Just a little digression : i’m listening to Coldream right now. Beautiful song, really ! Something particular to say about this song ?
I wrote this song for my brother, who is now very sick. It’s a memory and a hope for a person who has lost time. But, though this song is dedicated to my brother, the record speaks of other things in my life. Coldream also speaks of lost love and death. And this is similar to the message contained in the album.
And how has your record been received so far ?
The record has a very good feedback. I’m happy and I hope to take all this on stage very soon.
And what were your expectations about the release of the album ?
I never had expectations for sales of the album, even though I knew he would have had positive feedback.
And now you’re getting ready for your first live performances. When and where will you start ?
This doesn’t only depend on me. We are ready and we are addressing this speech with the right people that we can put into a proper overview.
Fursy Teyssier made the album’s artwork. I really love what he’s doing. For Arctic Plateau, the artwork is really different from the rest of his job. Was it prepared in collaboration, or did he make it on his own ?
It was a cooperation, but Fursy is a genius and has had some wonderful ideas. It was great to work with a real artist.
Well, I think it’s OK for me for the interview, although I could keep talking with your for a while because I find it very pleasant. But I can guess you’re busy. What do you think about having an interview this way ?
I’m at work right now, but tomorrow I go back to rehearsal for the final day of testing ... it is very pleasant for me to talk to you. Very nice interview in this way, fast and concise.
A noter que le "fast and concise" don’t parle Gianluca signifie pas loin d’une heure et demie… D’autant plus que si l’interview à proprement parler prit fin à ce moment, la conversation dura encore quelques instants pour s’égarer du côté de Darkthrone, Spellcraft, Cult of Luna et Crippled Black Phoenix…
Un tout grand merci à Gianluca pour sa disponibilité et son amabilité et à Stefan Belda (Prophecy Records) pour avoir permis cet échange.