Stefano Pilia

Stefano Pilia, born in Genoa in 1978 but a Bolognese by adoption, is a guitarist, double bassist and electroacoustic composer.

His conservatory diploma led him to start exploring the depths of improvisation within a strictly classical ensemble, though his first official steps were taken as a virtuoso guitarist and double bassist within the punk-rock scene, before moving over the years toward crafting textures from sound forms that, beyond the guitar, involved loops, field recordings and orchestral recordings.

His work takes shape starting from multi-instrumentalist performance practice, in relation to recording and production processes.

Pilia pursues a line of research aimed at sonic experience as an ecstatic and creative possibility, through the investigation of sound's synesthetic properties and its relationships with space, time and memory.

In addition to his solo work, he's one of the founders of the group 3/4HadBeenEliminated, a synthesis of improvisation, electroacoustic composition and avant-rock sensibility. He plays with ZU, with the psychedelic quartet In Zaire, with David Grubbs and Andrea Belfi in the BGP trio, in Sogno del Marinaio with legendary bassist Mike Watt and Paolo Mongardi on drums, and with guitarist Alessandra Novaga.

Equally important are his collaborations with Massimo Pupillo, Alberto Boccardi and Paolo Spaccamonti, with whom he has released several compelling, clearly experimental projects spanning areas such as electronic music, drone and post-rock.

From 2008 to 2016 he was a member of Massimo Volume; since 2012 he has been the guitarist for Malian star Rokia Traoré, and since 2015 a member of Afterhours.

He has frequently worked on sound design, both live and recorded, for theatre productions, readings, films, installations and video art (Gianluigi Toccafondo, Angela Bullock, Zimmerfrei, Nico Vascellari, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Homemovies, Wuming, Emidio Clementi).