Hiya folks thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
The urge to listen to music right from our prime. I don’t think a day ever passed in which we didn’t listen to music, strumming on the table or play any instrument we found in front of our eyes.
Introduce us to all to the members and your musical history.
We formed around 2005. We come from different bands from the Milan underground scene like Scanferlato and La Camera dell’Amore Sonico. Several musicians have collaborated with the band through the years bringing with them diverse backgrounds, sounds and souls. This has made LATO’s influences go beyond labels and possibly beyond space and time.
For our first album “Out of the Dark” we toured throughout Europe and the US. We started writing songs for the current album shortly after that with the goal of transferring the live atmosphere of our music into an album. We didn’t want it to sound like a studio album, so we spent a lot of time playing the songs live and jamming in our practice room. It took a while for the music to come together but the songs gradually came to life, and we feel really happy about the whole songwriting process we went through.
We are Filippo Pavesi (guitar & vocals), Tommaso Tofanetti (bass guitar), Alessandro Pastorelli (drums), Stefano Pavesi (lead guitar) and Roberto Bobby Fappani (Keyboards & synth). Other musicians that played on our upcoming album “Karisma” are Michele Obizzi (@micheleobizzi) on sax, Antonio Cupertino (@toni_qper) on synth, and the string session by Francesco Saverio Gliozzi from Sursumcorda Corda (@sursumcordamusica).
Name me your 3 favorite Albums.
Difficult to narrow down to three but we’ll try: “Controls” by Pedro the Lion, “Atom Heart Mother” by Pink Floyd and “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space” by Spiritualized.
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
Probably “The final countdown” by Europe and maybe Thriller by Micheal Jackson. Ha ha ha how does that sound?
The music industry is the hardest industry in the world to progress in, How do you feel you are doing?
The music industry is like a pizza with many toppings. Sometimes when you add too many the result can be disgusting. We keep it simple and try to attract the people that don’t care too much about the number of toppings, but only about how they taste together.
I’m seeing a lot of debate about women not feeling safe at music gigs, any thoughts on what we need to do to help?
This is a really important issue that goes beyond music. In Italy there’s a huge debate but the country is still trapped in a chauvinist culture that relegates women to the background. We think it’s of utmost importance to inform and create more awareness on how locked in the culture in this country is. Starting from children we should dedicate a lot more effort to developing a culture of respect for any gender, social class or ethnicity, going beyond mere political correctness.
As you develop as an artist and develop using socials, what ways do you get new ears on your music? Any tips?
We grew up in a musical world with totally different rules. Our feeling is that if you have something to say and a strong message, perseverance always pays off and this probably also applies with social media. We believe that the artistic component of every message is essential if you’re an artist. But maybe we’re not the most appropriate people to ask for advice on how to use social media🙂
Tell us Two truths and a lie about you.
We are great, beautiful and we’re also liars.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories?
We conspire to eliminate pineapple from pizza (one of the disgusting toppings mentioned before).
Did you buy anything you don’t need during the pandemic?
Alexei (the drummer) bought the PS4. He played it only 2 times altogether. My girlfriend was one of those that bought hundreds of rolls of toilet paper. For more than a year a room in our house was full of toilet paper (Filippo the singer/guitarist)!
What was the worst experience on stage?
When our keyboard (and synth) player fell right through a hole that opened on stage! Worst moment as a band but also the most funny ever!
What makes you stand out as a band/artist?
Our music is deeply rooted in the groove and rhythm which we feel deeply about, but it’s also got vocal harmony, rocking guitars, and original keys, synths, strings and saxophones which complete the LATO vibe.
Also, our sound depends a lot on what we’re feeling in that specific moment. The structures of our songs are given, but we never exactly know where each song will go when we’re playing it live. We tend to listen and guide each other as if we were playing a jazz standard.
I hear you have new music, what can you tell us about it?
So far we released three singles taken from our upcoming album “Karisma” that will be out by the end of the year (not sure on the exact date yet). We are really happy about the feedback we’re getting from both our fans and those that just discovered our music. The latest single is “Karisma Ape” which came out on January 26th, while “Machine Head Waring” and “Camouflage” were released in the second half of 2022. You can find all our music on the usual digital platforms and our videos on Youtube. Keep in mind that the visual part is really important for us, and an integral part of our music.
Talk me through the thought process of the new tune/s.
Often they come out randomly, from a spark, an intuition, a thought, an event, or even a scent that generates lyrics, rhythm, and even melody. We bring these embryos into the practice room and we take it from there.
What was the recording process like?
Well, for this album we wanted the songs to naturally come together starting from the rhythm or a riff. For our first single “Machine Head Warning” the song actually came to life from jamming on an organ riff, while the second single “Camouflage” originated from a guitar riff. “Karisma Ape” sprouted from bassline that molded itself into our souls. On the whole album, we let the groove guide us and gradually the song took shape. We just let the music grow without feeling forced to pin down the songs to wrap them up. It took a while for this whole process to take form but once completed the songs are really deeply rooted in us. That makes every track feel fresh and alive every time we play it, and each live version is different from the other.
The new songs reflect the sonic richness we wanted to express. We didn’t just want to write good songs but also caress the depth of the soul of those that listen to our music through our sound, vibes, and images.
We also worked with a great sound engineer that co-produced the album with us (Antonio Cupertino – @toni_qper)) in an incredible studio (Officine Meccaniche #officinemeccanichestudio) coupled by top notch mastering (Giovanni Versari – @gioversari).
Would you change anything now that it’s finished?
Probably being 100% satisfied is impossible. We are always trying to stretch beyond our comfort zone, but altogether now that we’ve got past them, when we listen to the songs we released we all say, “Wow it sounds awesome!” And that feels really good because it doesn’t always happen. So, we feel blessed.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
First of all, thanks for listening to our music and we hope you appreciate it. Get ready because the album will be out in 2023! Feel free to get in touch because we believe interacting with those that listen is an essential part of the artistic experience.
Then, let yourself be inspired by art, listen to good music and be “Karismatic” with whoever you meet.