This is my first dark ambient black metal project. It is since twenty years that I work in different music fields, from avanguarde jazz to rock, to musical improvisations and experimentation's, I have always loved dark, doom and black metal textures and I told myself that it would have been wonderful to realize this particular sound with my instrument, without the use of synthesizers but only trumpet and flugelhorn connected to my effects pedal board and my amplifiers. It was a wonderful and very exciting challenge.
2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
“Stone and Death” has a cavernous and deep sound, and it seems to me like living in an underwater and totally dark space. Then, occasionally, you bump into fantastic figures that impose themselves on the way and that way, is a musical writing that reminds the Richard Wagner or Shostakovich’s brass sections.
3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the concept that is presented on the album?
The concept of the album was born from a thought, the image of being submerged by an hallucinating catastrophe, a devastation by stones and then, being buried for a long time and after seventy years you wake up and find yourself alive with a new role, a new work, you embrace corpses keeping everything in order and clean.
4.All of the songs on the album have no vocals or traditional metal instruments, are you open to working with those features on albums?
I wanted the album to be an introspective work, a very long and suspended mood. I also wanted it to bring the listener to a subterranean dimension, almost to trance, this is why I haven’t included distracting elements. I actually wrote a text for each of the tracks that, throughout the live set, will be recorded by an actor and added to the music. The album will be published in a digital support on February 26th, 2017 and also in a numbered edition of a 66 copies media book, a kind of breviary with photographs and all texts translated in six languages including the cd, everything in a total black style. I would absolutely like to work and collaborate with black metal musicians adding other instruments to the compositions, I’m already thinking about such a collaboration.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'daRKRam'?
The ram has always been a black metal icon animal; moreover “ram” is the initial part of my name, Ramon. Dark + Ram, I think it’s a perfect pseudonym, isn’t it?
6.With this project you record everything by yourself, do you feel this adds to the creativity that is presented on the recording?
It’s since many years that I use a unique set for my instrument, meaning that I connect my trumpet to my pedal board with guitar effects and to my very powerful amplifiers. This approach brings my creativity to the maximum level and in this project I have brought it to the limit allowing myself the opportunity to explore extreme sounds and experimenting continuously. Without any brag or arrogance, I believe this is absolutely a unique project in this musical field, done from a classical instrument such as the trumpet.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of dark ambient and black metal?
Like in all musical genres I think that we must dare more and more, move on, open our mind and explore new ways, this is valid for everyone, both making or listening music.
8.What is going on with some of your other musical projects these days?
I’ve just published the original sound track from the film “I Cormorani” with my friend and colleague Paolo Spaccamonti, guitarist; I’m working to new material with the “3quietmen”, the trio I am playing with since twenty years and I am also playing in a duo of electronic music with an other trumpeter, Giorgio Li Calzi. Additionally I was thinking in these days, that I would like to use the same set of “Stone and Death” to arrange some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s scores, another interesting challenge!
9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
In the future I see myself as a musician beyond all categories, collaborating with uncommon and unique musicians, which are abstracts and afar from rules. I see myself placing my style and my music in unusual locations, interacting with other forms of art such as cinema, dance, contemporary art.
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?
The artist that I have always been influenced by - both in music and life - is Miles Davis. Jazz in my artistic career as a musician has always been important. I have listened and listen to different genres, from rock to metal to classical music. I do really think that everything comes from classical music and I keep listening to it. Then, I love obsessive moods and extreme sounds, I very much like Burzum, Wolves in The Throne Room, Mayhem, Nortt, Ulver, Leviathan.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love driving and high speed. I like traveling to wastelands, with few humans. I love animals, in particular dogs. I like ham and Philadelphia rolls and beer.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I’d like people to be more introspective and taciturn.
https://darkram.bandcamp.com/
