Interview: Hidden Place
'Hidden Place is an Alternative Electro Wave band from Italy'. They were born in 2004, from the ashes of a previous project, Lupis Gladius, in the search for a more electrical sound - cold, minimalist and melancholic.
More recently I've talked with Fabio Vitelli, one of the main founders, about the band, Italy and, of course, New Wave.
Ruído Sonoro: Tell us a bit about Hidden Place. When was it formed?
Hidden Place: Hidden Place was born in the summer of 2004 when, after a brief affair with the Neofolk band Lupi Gladius, we wanted to move towards a more electronic sound, adding SaraLux's voice to the formation. All of this was born with a certain spontaneity, and because of a certain interest in the sounds that have always characterized our musical background. The initial idea was to create something combining the electronic, cold and minimalist sound, with simple and melancholic melodies. The band is formed by SaraLux,Fabio, Giampiero and Antonio.
RS: Why did you choose the name 'Hidden Place', and in what way does it reflect tthe concept behind the band?
HP: We have always understood this 'Hidden Place' as an area of meditation and reflection, a sort of microcosm where we try to 'act' in a way highly intimate and pure and naïve, where the end of our action is the 'creation of our art', considering it a sort of cure for the soul.
RS: As you have said, before Hidden Place you had a different music project called Lupi Gladius, which was a Neofolk one. Why did it end so quickly and why did you move away from Nefolk to New Wave?
HP: Lupi Gladius is still alive. After 10 years we have decided to make new songs, and we have just finished recordings. We are really satisfied with our new work, and it has been so emotional to make Lupis Gladius songs after so many years. Then, we moved to a New Wave sound because, at end, being all of us New Wave records collectors, it has always been our kind of music.
RS: Although you are Italian, you have chosen to sing most of your songs in English. Why?
HP: Yes, most of our songs are in English. This choice was made because the English Language fits well with our sonorities but, if you see all our albums, you can find songs in Italian. Our mother language is so beautiful... You can notice it also from the titles of our albums.
RS: You have stated in a previous interview that playing live is not one of your priorities, and that the most important thing for you is the recording of the music itself. Do you think that live performances are less relevant than the recording process? Why is that?
HP: The main priority is to make songs and albums. We did it, and now our priority is to play gigs. We want to express ourselves and play our songs. It's something that we and our fans deserve. By the way, it would be awesome if we could play in Portugal!
RS: I know that the band Frozen Autumn is a big inspiration for you, and although Diego Merletto has participated in your first album [Fantasia Meccanica, 2007], last year, with Novecento, you had the honor to have Froxeanne participating in it. How was that experience for you? Was it an old dream of yours?
HP: Frozen Autumn has always been a big inspiration for us. Besides the artistic side, there has always been a deep friendship beetween us and them. We have also signed with Calembour Records (Froxeanne's label) for our last album Novecento. Having Diego and Froxeanne as guests in our albums has been a big satisfaction for us.
RS: Also in Novecento, you had the participation of Jean-Pierre Mercier, from the band A Handful of Snowdrops, who also produced one of the songs. How did it come about?
HP: We are Handful of Snowdrops fans, and out of nowhere we thought, 'Why don't we ask Jean Pierre if he wants to collaborate with us?'. When he said 'yes', it was really nice for us, and the song 'Between the Devil and the Blue Sea' was a wonderful result!
RS: Besides Frozen Autumn, which are your other big influences?
HP: Many bands influence our music, such as Kirlian Camera, Ultravox, early Clan of Xymox, Kraftwerk, Handful of Snowdrops, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, the 80's Italian New Wave, etc.
RS: When we think about the Italian New Wave scene, most of the bands that come to our mind are from the 80s/90s, like Kirilian Camera, or even Frozen Autumn. How is it for you to be an Italian New Wave band today? Do you feel a bit alone in the scene?
HP: What matters for us is to create our music and always follow our ideas. We can say we belong to a scene but, at same time, we are fighting in isolation, and for us it is ok.
RS: Next year you will be celebrating your 10th anniversary. How do you look back at these 10 years of work, and how do you see yourselves in the future?
HP: During those years, we have always experimented, especially because we don’t like monotony. Because of that, we have become, for sure, more mature, and we will continue to make some experiences in the future. Many things have happened during these years, and for our 10th anniversary there will be nice surprises!
RS: Do you have plans for the future? Are you planning to release a new album soon?
HP: Our plans are to give concerts. We have fixed our live performance with video and many other surprises. As we have said before, we wish to play our music live everywhere, and we also hope to do that one day in Portugal!
Interview originally published in Ruído Sonoro webzine.