1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
meanwhile.in.texas solo project started about two years ago with the intention to combine elements of ambient, noise, drone and field recordings. Influenced by ambient, post-rock and drone music, usually I use electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, analogue synthesizers, computer-soundsources, mixers and drum machines to build a kind of multi-layered, instrumental soundscapes. before making the first two records, I worked with some art galleries and visual artists and I released a long track on the amazing manyfeetunder/homemadelabel.
2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Dark and atmospheric ambient sounds are mixed with noise elements, isolationist drones and obscure guitar movements. The soundscapes, created with keyboards and drone machines built by myself, really stand out. Ultimately, it is an electronic/ambient music album.
3.What are some of the concepts and images you bring out with your musical sound?
Sadness, melancholy, uncertainties, lost loves and the fear of a world that no longer belongs to us.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'meanwhile.in.texas'?
It does not have a special meaning. Quite simply, I always liked the word “meanwhile”. The dots and “Texas” are a tribute to the post-hardcore band at.the.drive.in, one of my favorite bands and a great source of inspiration for my personal guitar style.
5.You record most of your stuff solo, do you feel this gives you more freedom to be creative with your musical style?
Recording music by myself is an important part of the creative process. I feel that it is almost impossible, at least for the time being, interacting with other people at this stage because I believe that recording electronic music is as essential a phase as writing the songs, and something I prefer doing by myself.
6.Recently you have also done a collaboration with 'Skag Arcade', can you tell us a little bit more about it?
“Fernweh” is the first collaboration between meanwhile.in.texas and Skag Arcade (a.k.a. Paolo Colavita), born out of the common will to freely experiment with the widest range of sounds & frequencies possible (using & drawing from drones, samples & found sounds of every kind), in order to explore new sonic possibilities & to build up hauntingly evocative and unsettling soundscapes, regardless of binding & restraining boundaries.
The inspiration for the concept at the root of the two-tracks album comes out of the abiding astonishment consequent to the reading of Roberto Bolano’s final masterpieces, “2666”, with its elegiac yet vicious & desperate portrait of the human abyss, against the backdrop of a crazed Mexican metropolis (an imaginary, transfigured Ciudad Juarez afflicted by senseless brutality).
The album consists of two extended, hypnotic load-bearing drones, which in turn are composed of different micro-sequences & several layers of acidly manipulated synths & buzzing guitar feedbacks merging into each other, with an eerie, lysergic vibe of hopelessness on the background. It was released by the Swiss label LUCE SIA, in a catalog that includes historical names of underground music as The Tapes, Lunus, Gerstein, ODRZ, Sshe Retina Stimulants, Laxative Souls and many others.
7.The new album was released on 'Triple Moon Records', are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
I'm really happy that the album was released on Triple Moon. Philippe is a great guy and his support is constant and of great help for the promotion of my music. I really could not ask for more.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of experimental and ambient?
So far, I have gathered a lot of positive responses. Me and Paolo got wonderful reviews of our album, in Italy and abroad, and I hope that it will be the same for “Take Black Pills” and for future releases.
9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I'm currently working across multiple projects. Ambient/drone music remains my reference point but I'm attracted to the idea of exploring new sonic territories, from noise to industrial music, even introducing voices and drums. I do not exclude work on a synth pop project.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I really love psychedelic music (especially Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd) and experimental/electronic music projects as Labradford, Pan American, Loscil, Gavin Bryars, Brian Eno, Éliane Radigue, Pauline Oliveros, Machinefabriek, Aidan Baker, Phill Niblock and Tim Hecker. Other great sources of inspiration, even though it may seem surprising considering my musical sound, are Sonic Youth, at.the.drive.in, Fugazi, The Mars Volta, Animal Collective, Slowdive, Low, Codeine, Einstürzende Neubauten, Faust, Dinosaur Jr, Panda Bear, Ramleh, Sigillum S, Zoviet France, Maurizio Bianchi, Can, Jackie O'Motherfucker and many others. Currently I spend a lot of time listening to Big City Orchestra, Zona Industriale, Tasaday, Dean Blunt, Disasterpiece, Roly Porter and Bowery Electric.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Electronic circuits, cinema, books (right now I'm reading “Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past” by Simon Reynolds) and playing soccer.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I would like to thank you for this interview and express my gratitude to Triple Moon Records and for all those who have allowed me to spread my music.
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