Whitemary - Darkness on a Four-to-the-Floor Beat

Laying your own psyche bare over a four-to-the-floor beat is a rare thing. Turning it into an inner monologue to lose yourself in and dance to, in which electronics become a space of dispersal, is synesthesia. Whitemary brings the spirit of jazz into the enveloping darkness of electronic music. We meet her to hear about her journey.

Hi Biancamaria, let's start right away with the live shows. The tour has begun, how did the first date go?

Wonderfully, sold-out, the audience was amazing. On top of that, I have a special emotional bond with Locomotiv in Bologna.

Staying on the subject, you presented the album through live shows even before it was fully released. What's it like playing in front of an audience that doesn't know what to expect?

I started this summer by playing the record live, even before it had fully come out. It was the strongest, most emotional connection with an audience I've had so far, since they didn't know anything yet. And it was really beautiful, because I felt like I was sparking even more curiosity in the people who had come to hear me, and I got to see a first reaction live. Listening collectively at a live show is always a different experience compared to listening alone with headphones. I myself have always grown more attached to artists after seeing them live. I really enjoyed presenting the album this way.

Moving on to "New Bianchini"... the lyrics are very intimate, almost more like a personal writing of thoughts and emotions. Is that right?

Actually, there was a long period of gathering lyrics, and since they weren't intended for an album, they were more sincere, more personal. Some of that writing found space with the music and became an album, while I set others aside.

And how did you decide?

Unconsciously — the choice of what I keep and what I set aside is the result of an instinctive decision.

Speaking of lyrics, in the track "Un'esercitazione" there's a verse where you sing "e la mia parte con il buio dov'è", a line that evokes a melancholy not usually associated with electronic music...

Actually, I've always experienced clubbing moments with that approach. Even if you're not alone but surrounded by other people, there's always a state of isolation where thoughts wander and you reflect a lot. Rather than emptying your mind, for me those moments are quite the opposite — a space where the mind travels a great deal. That's exactly why I really like talking about these themes, even with a musical approach that might seem to have little to do with them.

Meanwhile, the track "Denso", produced with Emanuele Triglia, shifts gears a bit. How did your collaboration come about?

We had already collaborated on "Numeri e basta" — we've been friends for a long time and studied together in the past, at the academy. We came up through the ranks together: for years we played at gigs and events together. That day we found ourselves in the studio playing, and that's how "Denso" came about, very spontaneously.

And how did the other tracks come about instead? Is there a specific event you remember associated with their creation?

Maybe I'm not very aware of it. I attach specific meanings to things afterwards. I prefer to give a broader, more overarching meaning to the project as a whole, one that encompasses and embraces all the tracks. But in the end, I'm sure that later on I'll find pieces of myself behind each song.

The album does in fact open and close in a perfect circle...

The beautiful thing is that it was written in this chronological order — the tracklist came about naturally, the songs weren't assembled in a deliberate way. For example, the track "MI DISPIACE", the last one on the album, is also the last one I composed, as well as the one that made me say: okay, now it's fine, the record is finished.

Is there a line between what you decide to give to the audience and what you keep for yourself when writing lyrics?

No, I don't think so. At most I work around the boundary, I find a way to bring out what I feel I need to express, maybe just in a less direct way.

During the writing process, was there a moment when you realized you were heading in the right direction?

I think it was while writing “OGGI VA COSÌ”. That was about a year ago, I'd written a few tracks, I was putting them together, setting them aside, but I wasn't convinced. But when I wrote that track, it intrigued me and made me think: this interests me, this can work. And from there everything else followed too.

So you start with the writing?

It depends, actually it all happens together. When I write, I do it in the studio with the synths on, so it all happens naturally, all at once.

You come from jazz - how did your path take shape over time? How did you end up combining these lyrics with electronic music?

I went through phases, through trial and error, it took me a while to find an approach that truly represented who I am. I also played jazz for a long time, but I realized it wasn't working for me - not in terms of success, but simply because I wasn't writing anything. It wasn't a field where I could work in a way that satisfied me. Electronic music, on the other hand, was the perfect environment for me. It fascinated me both technically and sonically. And from there I started thinking about whether to write in Italian or English. But I believe the power of words is extremely important, and you can't do that at your best in a language that isn't your own.

And how do you expect this path to continue? Do you already have an idea of whether you'll keep going in this direction or want to explore other genres?

Right now, I'm enjoying this phase, the here and now, and I intend to keep doing that for a good while. The moments on tour are full of experiences and emotions that need to be lived fully. In the future, I'd like to play abroad, I'd like to take my music outside Italy, but not out of vanity, more for personal growth.

You already have a big following in Italy - the opening show in Bologna, in fact, was sold out..

I'm always amazed to see so many people at my shows. I think there's an audience for electronic and underground music that in Italy doesn't find space in the mainstream media, like radio or TV. But it's there, and I'd be curious to find out what it might be like abroad. I'd especially like to do it to bring something back from outside. For a few years now I've been traveling abroad mainly for this reason, to see shows - that's how I choose my destinations. Right now I feel the need to explore a bit.

Thank you, Biancamaria.

Whitemary is now on tour with these dates:

Ride the wave of great music

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