As always, let me needlessly explain...Two Sundays ago I woke up with a sore throat, sinuses, and an horrible demeanor (no I mean, really, more so). This quickly devolved into what I've already mentioned was not unlike the plague. All I could do was work and sleep, which is good news since I still walk dogs. Nothing soothes a body like pouring rain in a 25 degree atmosphere.
So here we are, almost two weeks later, with my good friend illness at least having the decency to move from a horrible flu into a mucal lung infection. Fantastic.
I should also note that at the very least, for logistical reasons, I will be posting minterviews by-weekly, and at the most I will post them when I have time. I have alot going on, but I'd like to hammer out a few more of these before I go to Mexico on March 29th (can it frikkin come fast enough!?)
None the less, this minterview should be well worth the wait. OvO is an amazing band that I was randomly able to catch at a noise show at the Warehouse Next Door, where I used to book shows. Here were these two crazy Italians, in full on costumes, with props, and very experimental ideas, interacting with the audience, playing a crazy crust/noise combination, and it was just awesome. At one point the drummer threw cymbals out into the crowd, stepped on them, and started to use them like shoes to dance through the crowd. It was really refreshing. I talked at length to the other member of the two piece, and bought a few records. A year of so later, I caught them again at a noise fest at the Warehouse, and was again blown away, I spoke more with them, and bought more records. OvO records are always good, but nothing compares with their live shows. I was lucky enough to discover this band, and it is a shame that they are not more well know. They should be, and with their output, I'm sure they will.
I was lucky enough to get some very nice responses to a hand full of questions I tossed out to Bruno, one of the notable gruesome twosome. Here is what he had to say:
(normal font=me, italics=Bruno)
Bruno/OvO:
Hi, we do remember you, you were there everytime we played in DC... yes, we're underated, but don't forget we're italians... do you know any overated italian noise band?
Ok, I go with the questions:
1.I’ll just start with the tried and true. So, how did OvO begin?
We began at the end of 2000. Me and Stefania are together in life since 11 years. It was natural to start a band together. Cock ESP were touring Europe, so the organizer asked us to drive them for some shows, and we made a band in order to do it with more fun. That's how we started.
2.While I love and own many of your records, you are an amazingly creative, interactive, and theatrical live band first and foremost. With that in mind, what is process for creating your music and live shows like?
Our music developes on stage. We started as an improv band, open to friends and collaborations. Then we became a duo, and the improvisations started to become songs with a structure. A quite easy structure, I'd say, even if it sounds like nonsense the first time you hear it. So we kept this composition process. The next album is gonna be almost completely composed in studio, it'll be the first time. We'll see...
3.You are a band that, in my opinion, crosses genres (without always mixing them). In America at least, that type of complexity is often met by a puzzled crowd. How have you come this mostly crust and noise concept, and how is it generally received?
It's generally well received in the US. I have the feeling the US crowd is more open to challenge. Some european crowds don't like to be challenged, don't like me to touch them and play music among the audience. I had to fight some alley cats a couple times during the show. This never happened to us in the US, even if we played hundreds of shows in the country. Things are slowly changing in Europe anyway. Labels like Load or Southern Lord and bands like Wolf Eyes or Black Dice getting famous there allow us to play in front of much more prepared audiences.
4. On a greedy personal note, though I own several of your records, my favorite has to be your split 7” with Cock E.S.P. Both sides are really killer. How did you hook up with Cock E.S.P. to put out a split, and what was that process like?
As I said, OvO started just to tour with Cock ESP. In some weird way, we got along. I love Hagstrom and Bacon. And I adore Paige and Elyse. We're so different but we take care of each other when we're on tour. We toured the US with them too. A split had to be done...
5. Finally, again with tradition, what have you been up to lately, and what are future plans for recording, touring, etc?
We're coming to NYC to record our new album .. in a couple days. A black metal remix album is gonna be out soon on Blossoming Noise. After the recording we'll play a few shows on the West Coast, then a little euro tour in march. Then we'll stop until the new album will be out, then we'll do a massive world tour...
In the meantime I'll tour with my other bands Ronin and Bachi Da Pietra, and Stefania will tour solo as ?Alos or with her female band Allun. Check www.barlamuerte.com to know where in the world we are today...
And there you have it. Great stuff in my opinion.
For more information about OvO, you can check out their myspace profile here.
Okay, I have to hop off to work, but I'll have more up soon I'm sure. Two things, my friend John and I will probably move our musical writings over to a co-blog as soon as we have time to hammer out all the details. When that happens, the new blog will be the home of the previous minterviews, and any other and future rantings about music. This lame duck will then be the home of pointless rantings about my life........I'll keep everyone updated, and let you know when you should jump ship.
In the meantime, keep your ear to the underground.....
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