Adriano Viterbini - Italian Desert Blues

More than three years after the previous interview, Onda Rock meets Adriano Viterbini again, this time not as the singer/guitarist of Bud Spencer Blues Explosion, but promoting his solo debut, “Goldfoil”, on which he gave free rein to his personal guitar technique in an entirely instrumental work.

An intimate, deeply evocative record, in which roots attitudes, desert visions and even Tuareg suggestions converge.

Blues is at the heart of everything, this time in a bare, minimal form, a blues a thousand miles from the electric fury of Bud Spencer, yet one with which it shares an unmistakably common root.

Hi Adriano, a lot of water has passed under the bridge in these three years. First of all, Bud Spencer Blues Explosion have kept growing into a band of national importance...

Hi, and thanks for the attention you give me: since 2009 I've played tons of shows with Bud Spencer Blues Explosion (alongside drummer Cesare Petulicchio, ed.), which has helped me a lot, growing both musically and as a person.

In the meantime you've firmly established yourself as one of the best Italian guitarists, with a technique that has few equals around here. How do you keep in shape? Are you always looking to improve? Do you enjoy exploring new paths?

First of all, thank you so much for the kind words... I'm flattered. I love the guitar, I love digging into and studying the music I listen to and that moves me, I spend a lot of time at home playing along to records.

I've always felt the need to keep in practice with the instrument: if I stop, even for just a few days, I lose sharpness and freshness in my fingers. I see the guitar as a real form of discipline.

The key to your success lies in tying together a strong roots matrix, particularly blues, with contemporary sounds and trends, ranging from 90s grunge and alt-rock to the following decade's indie...

I want to be myself and play what I like most; I try to mix all the influences that move me the most, it's a need I can't ignore.

I feel really fulfilled if, in a solo or within a riff, I manage to bring in the attitude of a modular synth, the power of a roots banjo, or the simplicity of slack-key guitar.

Adriano the session man: alongside Bud Spencer Blues Explosion you've developed some interesting collaborations, among which it's worth mentioning at least Valentina Lupi and Sadside Project.

Engaging with other artists is essential for me, I feel the need for it, to keep learning and explore new directions, or even just out of curiosity.

It's not always easy to channel all of your own facets into a single project, in fact sometimes it can lead to forced results. That's why I keep busy with collaborations and side projects.

For instance, I'm lucky enough to play with the incredible double bassist Enzo Pietropaoli, música sottovoce, and I'm learning a huge amount from that experience.

Let's talk about your side projects: Black Friday. How did the idea come about?

The album released as Black Friday was the result of some sessions shared with singer Luca Sapio.

In 2010, when we recorded "Hard Times", I felt real heart in that music, which is why we decided to turn that encounter into an album that could document it.

Blues classics, but in the middle there's also a Nirvana track (“School”), which actually fits perfectly. A circle closing? Grunge and blues as two expressions of suffering?

I wanted to include that Nirvana cover because both the blues and the grunge sound that had inspired me with Bud were still very much present in my mood.

A signature, a stamp, to bring a delta blues record into the present.

Black Friday is another two-piece project, like Bud Spencer Blues Explosion. Do you feel that playing in a bigger band isn't for you anymore?

Actually, I've always played in bands with more members - it's only since 2007 that I've taken the duo route, a choice made mostly for practical reasons.

But when the occasion arises, I also love playing with bigger groups.

And so we come to 2013: your solo debut is exactly that in every sense - you, your guitar, and almost nothing else...

I felt a strong need for a guitar-only record, one that spoke for me, through which I could bring out my simplest musical side, with no instructions and no particular keys to reading it.

“Goldfoil” was a deep, sincere and honest experience: I knew I could share it with an audience, so I made up my mind and recorded it.

How did “Goldfoil” come about? Had you been thinking about it for years, setting aside ideas and material, or was it an experiment conceived and carried out more recently?

The idea came about during 2012 - a solo record was never a goal of mine, I consider myself a band kind of guy. But these recordings have a meaning that goes beyond the solo project itself: for me they're a fixed point, a snapshot I wanted to capture, otherwise I would have moved on and lost that opportunity forever.

“Goldfoil” contains the American desert, but also the Sahara, the Tuareg suggestions of “Blue Man”.

Exactly. The idea of the desert, of vast horizons, the experience of travel - all elements that recur throughout the record's atmospheres, sometimes unconsciously.

It was surprising even for me to listen back to the CD once it was finished, as soon as I held the complete thing in my hands, with the artwork and everything. Approaching it as a listener had an incredible effect on me, it relaxes me a lot, which is something that never happens to me otherwise.

In this work you once again tend to highlight who you consider your mentors: touches of Son Volt, John Fahey, the two Johnsons and above all Ry Cooder are pretty much everywhere...

There are artists who leave a permanent mark on you, who become an integral part of your existence. It was inevitable that Ry Cooder would echo throughout this record: I basically grew up and dreamed to his albums.

As for John Fahey, I included on the tracklist “Lago Vestapol,” which I wrote after listening to his “America”: it carries the scent of the places where I grew up, of days spent as a teenager with friends.

And then a cover of Woody Guthrie, another one of your idols…

That track, “Vigilante Man,” has the same heartbeat as John Steinbeck's books: it's a romantic imagery that fit perfectly on the record, especially for the big finale, with the solo I added myself, which still gives me chills every time I listen back to it. These songs should never be left alone, never abandoned.

The album opens with “Immaculate Conception”

The echo of Blind Willie Johnson is unmistakable: he's my absolute reference point when it comes to slide technique.

The tuning is open D, the one that helps me most to play slide guitar with my eyes closed, with the fullest passionate abandon.

“Kensington Blues,” on the other hand, is a Jack Rose piece.

An incredible artist, who passed away just a few years ago. I decided to include this track because it strikes something in my soul: it's incredible how much tenderness can hide within the folds of an arpeggio.

Let's talk about the collaboration with Alessandro Cortini, already known for his work with Trent Reznor in Nine Inch Nails.

I wrote the music for “New Revolution Of The Innocents” within the few square meters of the room where I lived for years in Rome, in the Testaccio neighborhood; over time the track changed shape, and now it feels almost like a film, somewhere between “The Twilight Zone” and “A Scanner Darkly.”

So I thought Alessandro would feel right at home in a situation like this, and that's how the idea for the album's only featured collaboration came about. I'm a huge fan of all of Cortini's work, both with his many solo projects and with the bands he's played in. Today he keeps doing excellent work with Sonoio and Blindoldfreak. I've always been fascinated by the way Alessandro approaches music, by the way he uses his incredible gear, made up mostly of modular synths. In this case, the BUCHLA was used. I also love Nine Inch Nails, so you can imagine what an honor it was to share a track with Cortini. As well as a great opportunity.

Any scattered notes on the other tracks?

“God Don't Never Change” is a traditional spiritual with a mystical flavor.

“No Name Blues” is a bouncy blues number that brings to mind cotton fields and delta stories.

"Stile-O-Blues" is a fast track, somewhere between Robert Johnson and the more recent Alvin Youngblood Hart; it's named after the guitar I play it on.

"Montecavo" is the name of the mountain that looms over the place where I was born: when clouds cover the mountain, you'd better hurry home. The music of this track, though, is very "desert" — a place where it never rains — and I liked the contrast between the two situations.

"Stella South Medley" is a collection of traditionals that I wanted to string together and play all in one breath. The guitar I use is in fact a "Stella", a cheap guitar with a great blues sound.

Poi c’è l’evergreen “If I Were A Carpenter”.

Yes, that all-time classic by Tim Hardin just had to be there, because it gets whistled a lot around my parents' house, and I liked the idea of having it inside "Godfoil".

Given your background, what are you listening to these days instead? Which records have you enjoyed most over the past few months?

Quite a range of different things. I really liked Alain Johannes's solo album, and also Jack White's solo debut, but at the same time I've also enjoyed How To Destroy Angels and St. Vincent. 

Are you still living in Rome?

For now, yes, although a bit away from the chaos, in the Castelli Romani area.

Do you ever think that moving to London or New York could exponentially boost your visibility, put you in a position to collaborate with major international artists, and maybe help you break through beyond Italy's borders?

I'm not really thinking about that right now, but I wouldn't rule out living or working elsewhere in the future. I'd love to go to the United States to be able to play in their scene.

Meanwhile, this autumn Rough Trade will be handling the European rollout of "Goldfoil". How did you get in touch with the major London label?

Thanks to the Italian distributor, Audioglobe, I got this incredible opportunity: my record has no language, so it can sound genuine, without an accent, anywhere.

How do you find the Italian alternative music scene in general, and the Roman one in particular? In good shape?

Absolutely, in great shape. I find that bands draw vital energy from this ruthless moment - it's good for art and for artistic honesty.

It's tough, no doubt about that, but this work is truly very rewarding.

Are there any bands/artists that have caught your attention, maybe among the younger acts that open for BSBE's shows?

We've shared the stage with tons of bands, and a lot of them turned out to be really strong. The ones that usually stick with me are the more hardcore ones: they feel more sincere to me

You're on a path that's giving you a lot of satisfaction. What are you aiming for these days? What do you wish for? What will your next moves be?

The main goals are to keep making good music, and to engage with other artists.

I'd like to follow up on this solo-guitar path, but who knows... these days my mind is on the new Bud record, but there will be other surprises too...

Any hints about Bud Spencer's future?

Surprise!

Name an artist you'd like to collaborate with in the future. Any dreams in the drawer...

I'd love to do something with Verdena: I've always been a fan of theirs.

And I dream of playing with David Lindley and with Tinariwen.

Well, the message has been sent...

The crisis in the record market is bottomless: how many copies has "Do It" sold?

Unfortunately I don't know the real numbers, but I know it did well, much better than we expected. But keep in mind that we're happy with very little.

With the sales you can achieve today, the only source of income comes from playing live...

For me, gigs have always been important, they remain the most sincere moments you can give to a listener.

Magic moments, which also allow for improvisation, making every show different from the last.

For or against "illegal" downloading?

In favor, even though I actually buy records myself.

Usually online, since sadly record shops are gradually disappearing.

Aside from those you have ongoing projects with, which Italian musicians do you feel closest to?

I'll give you one name: Colle der Fomento.

Ride the wave of great music

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