To know better Davide Rossi, the 'fifth Coldplay' (NEW INTERVIEW: 30.10.08!!!)

[coldpatrix]

From Coldplayzone.it

 

The interview released by Coldplay to Q Magazine some time ago mentioned the name of a great Italian musician, an excellent violinist who answered to the name of David Rossi.

Rossi is currently a member of Goldfrapp and has known the band Chris Martin just at the Twisted Logic Tour event in which the two groups have deepened their mutual knowledge.

What we do not know of David Rossi (its full name is David Francesco Rossi, will turn 38 years next August and was born in Turin) is that his work for Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends is much more than so far declared and distributed on the network. His collaborations are found in no less than 7 songs of the new disc.

We begin by Violet Hill: the song opens with un'intro particular, which was originally un'improvisation that Rossi and Jon Hopkins have put in place together during one of the first recording sessions with the band in their study of London.

The other songs to which David Rossi has collaborated are Life In Technicolor, Lovers In Japan, Cemeteries Of London, 42, Yes and Strawberry Swing (the part that comes just after the start of that song mentioned is the classic example of how David has a great talent in playing its Violectra, a particular instrument, which could define an electric violin). In Yes, as you could hear a few days ago by videos from Amazon.com, the instrument of Rossi plays a riff in full style John Cale and seems to be moved by a kind of monotype sound for all the verses, while Arab-style arches are fully and wisely arranged in the initial point and central piece, as well as in times of change of pace.

But the masterpiece that David Rossi has' gift 'to Coldplay is the song Viva La Vida, acclaimed worldwide. There the sound of 'our' violinist has demonstrated in its fullness, the sounds of strings he produced are the core that permeates throughout the song, which begins with the loop that has literally kidnapped the fans of the four British musicians since the first listen. The merger with the voice of Chris Martin and the power symphonic of the orchestra 'released' from the only instrument of David did the rest.

David Rossi, in his MySpace, said that 'the new Coldplay album will be huge', and always by his own personal page you can discover that he is the musician who has performed with Chris Martin to the Union Chapel in London, when the singer of Coldplay and the musician Turin have produced performance of I Shall Be Released (cover of The Band), When You Were Young (cover of the Killers), Buckets Of Rain (original song by Bob Dylan) and, above all, Bucket For A Crown.

 

Sorry for translation, Google Translator is a shit!

Anyway, i hope you can appreciate!

[RunForTheHills]

Ah, this is so interesting! Thanks for the article Patrizio! :D

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

oh, awesome! :D thanks for this!!

 

so i guess he's the "secret member" from the amazon video, not phil? :thinking:

[Saffire]

Sweet! It's great to have a name to put behind Viva la Vida's excellent violins.

 

I love the sound of Yes, as well. I can't wait to hear the full version.

[coldpatrix]

I think he's the fifth musician member...

[lostsides]

If you go on Davide Rossi's MySpace he talks about playing on Violet Hill with Jon Hopkins and Jonny.

Phil's still Coldplay's fifth member.

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

oh well yeah, i know phil always will be, but i meant musically :D

because that sounded like what chris was referring to in that vid, i thought.

[coldpatrix]

Violet Hill intro was made originally by Davide Rossi...

[Fixed]

Aw excellent thanks Pat :) The first thing that came to my head when I saw he was a violinist was "I wonder if he was the guy that did Bucket with Chris?..." and he is :D We should call him Bucket Man, a la Rocket Man.

[JPB]

Sweet. Thanks man. Very interesting.

 

P.S. Don't worry bout the translation dude, better English than a lot of people I know!:lol:

[yellowtalk]

where's yes?

[Denise]

I translated the interview we made to Davide (thanks Patrizio for contacting him and asking him these questions and to Davide for being so kind and answering them even though busy with Goldfrapp's tour)..hope you enjoy it, and sorry for any mistake :smiley:

 

We are really proud and honored to have known David Rossi, one of the greatest violinists in the world right now and 100% Italian. He's a special person who allowed us to know Coldplay and their world from a different perspective, and, at the same time, he turned out to be a humble man, with very refined manners but above all very helpful.

He thanked us for this interview. However we think each Coldplay fan should be grateful to him for what he shared with us and for the passion, the talent and the dedication that transpire from this short interview as well as from his works.

 

Hello Davide. It's a honor for Coldplayzone to be able to have this interview with you. First of all thanks for allowing us to have this little chat with you…

When were you proposed to work with Coldplay? And, above all, what does working with them mean?

During the European leg of the 'Twisted Logic Tour', I became good friend with the boys, but only after the end of their and our tour (I'm talking about Goldfrapp's), we started to meet in London, where I, Jonny and Guy often went to pubs to talk about music and drink some beer together. During summer 2006, Jonny began to mention they had this idea to try something with a violinist and they thought about me.

This idea turned into reality in November of the same year, when I met them in their studio in London. I still remember they were working on a song called 'LeftRightLeftRightLeft' and they asked me to try some violin lines over it.

As soon as I started playing my Violectra I noticed Chris jumping and from that moment I became part of the team.

Working with them is certainly not only a great pleasure but also a great responsibility, which requires a 150% commitment by all those involved in the project. No one is excluded. Working at these levels and with this intensity obviously leads to achieve those results that, I believe, will be appreciated in the next album due out in less than two weeks.

 

Coldplay fans loved 'Bucket For A Crown' right away, a song born almost from scratch but then able to carve out a place in the hearts of Coldplay's supporters. Why don't you tell us how this intimately involving song made really suggestive by your violin was born?

We were in the studio, like everyday, to work on the demos. Halfway throught the afternoon Chris asked me if I wanted to go with him to this charity concert at the Union Chapel, in North London. I obviously said yes and we rehearsed three improvised songs with guitar and acustic violin and 'Bucket for a crown' with the piano. I remember Chris mentioning he wrote that songs the previous evening. We tried them twice and then went straight to the church were we perfomed a little later. And that was the last time I listened to that song, I think they never considered it for a possibile album tracklist.

 

Then you moved to 'Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends'. How was the atmosphere at the Bakery? Did you feel free from any bond and also able to dare more?

Well...Well...let's say the album title only arrived later on...however...the best period to me was the beginning, the first three months, when we were still working on demos. Each day Chris would come with new songs to be opened and rehearsed. It's a thrill to work with such a great songwriter. Then with Jonny, Guy and Will we would try to recreate that sound that Chris had in his mind, even though he would come up with new ideas just listening to the rest of the band. I always played, as I wanted and what I wanted, the limits were imposed by myself, as any musician of a certain experience usually does. I noticed they were amazingly open towards me. Having already worked with many other bands in the past, I found Coldplay were very generous about the space granted to external elements.

 

In the studio Coldplay, but also Brian Eno, Markus Dravs, Rik Simpson and Michael H. Bauer. Did all these strong personalities allow you to further grow in terms of artistic maturity, or was it an experience like many others?

Any experience in the studio, if made with quality, is useful to help any musician or technician who is involved to grow. Obviously with a team like that possibilities are enormous. Brian is a person with an exquisiteness and experience I dare say legendary. His presence was enough to create in all of us the desire to fully exceed our limits. I had met Rick the first day I saw the Bakery still under construction with Guy. He was there to check that everything was set up as it should be. I am too happy for Rick because he started this work more as a sound engineer, as he did in the previous albums, but in the end he became a real producer. I think Rik is the one who worked more hours on this album...yes...even more than Chris...Markus arrived in February 2007 (if I remember correctly), after the boys had returned from the South American Tour. They took some time to work on some ideas with Markus who, as a late arrival, had to put all the pieces in the right place. I met him some weeks later and I must say that with a creative person such as Briand and a "worker" such as Markus the team seemed just perfect.

 

Will Champion defined you as a one-man-orchestra. Listening to the song 'Viva La Vida' we may even think his statement is somewhat reductive. How was this masterpiece-song born? And do you know that it's bound to be an incredible hit in Italy?

Eh eh...I think 'Viva la Vida' is destined to become an incredible hit worldwide...I spoke with Phil just a few days ago on the phone about this...I remember the first time I heard 'Viva la Vida' was in June, in New York, when I went to work with Chris to put on the arrangement of another song called 'Rainy Day', which was then discarded from the album.

I still remember Chris sing in front of me with his usual passion and ardour. I remember discussions on the lyrics, immediately impressive. I had a feeling, as of a redemptive quality, even for who, having been a tyrant or a dictator, can see everything that he no longer owns in another way, more human. I remember that it was in New York where we put down the famous starting loop. I recorded the rest of the track in January 2008. During the day I rehearsed with Goldfrapp for the tour that we are doing now, and during the night I recorded the strings for'Viva la Vida' and then called Chris, who was in New York in that period. As regards the definition of 'one-man-orchestra'...let's say that I've been doing this type of work, as they say, for ages and every time I try to get something more in it, something special, something magical...and sometimes I am surprised that every so often I succeed..

 

We could hear some parts of 'Yes', the song in which you really seem to give the best of you and the one that most of all sublimates the attempt of Coldplay to explore new sounds and make theirs experiences and tastes never touched before. How much this aspect has paved the way for your job?

'Yes' has been a hard nut to crack, it has never been easy to be performed and I think it has always been on the verge of being or not being included in the album. In the first take that we did in early 2007, the string riff was simply a solo electric violin, as the rest of Cale-ian part...then in June, during the sessions at the Air Studios, I put down the riff orchestration, and when Chris, Jonny and the boys listened to it, that was when they decided they wanted more strings and more strings like those. I wrote the intro for 'Yes' in New York in July and and forgot it in my hard disk until February 2008 (Laughs), until when, finalising the string for 'Viva la Vida' in February, I mentioned to Chris that I had made an intro for 'Yes'. He wanted to hear it and said at the end: 'Yes!' (Laughs)

 

Tell us if you can, the most funny anecdote happened in the recording room…

At the beginning we used to record everything, every test, every track and also all the discussions. Then we entered the listening room and listen to everything. One day, listening again, I had the 'bad luck' to hear my English accent rather "italian" (to me it was obviosuly perfect, at least until then)...Chris immediately seized the opporunity and began to mimic it...from that moment on, the whole band, including Eno, began to speak an English a little less English and a little more ...Rossi's! (laughs, ndr)

 

Telegraphic: an adjective to describe Chris, Guy, John and Will…

Chris: enthusiastic! Guy: reflexive. Jon: with a heart big like this. Will: present.

 

When you make a mental retrospection of what is produced and performed, it his hard to determine which is the best work, since you are inextricably linked to everything you've created with your hands and your inventiveness. Do you have a preferred track or a link at a track that you have created and played for Coldplay, or any track has the same relevance and significance for you?

For me it's the whole that matters. I will remember this period as one of the most creative in my career, at least so far. I'm not attached to a track in particular and frankly I have not yet had time to digest a year and a half of work, since I immediately went in the rehearsal room with Goldfrapp and in the studio with the Verve...let's say that I tend to be positive about the work I've done, if the feeling is that I have given the best I could...and I think that's what happened!

 

Can you tell us whether, by any chance, will you be part of some gigs during the the 'Viva La Vida Tour' as a 'special guest'? Maybe even to return to Milan and Bologna as you did in 2005 when Goldfrapp were the opening act for Coldplay's concerts…

I exclude this possibility, although I'm not hiding the fact that I would obviously be honoured, but Coldplay are Coldplay and I think that an external element on the stage might even be 'disturbing'...The chance for a special event or something of that kind may happen in the future...time will tell...

 

Let's talk a bit about you. From the Milan Academy of music to stages and stadiums all around the world, a lot of time has passed, yet the feeling we have is that you almost wanted to stay aside, avoiding the spotlight, while instead focusing your attention on offering and making a type of music increasingly refined and gradually more structured. When you play nowadays, do you still enjoy it as the begininng? Are you feelings the same?

Yes, it's true...I never searched for the spotlight so far, even tough I never even tried to refuse it, to tell the truth. The main thing for me, however, is to work on quality. This is perhaps the inheritance I got from one of my Masters, Robert Fripp (great friend and collaborator of Eno for a long time). Thanks to this attitude I always try to start as if each day is the first day! And I think this attitude is almost necessary if you want to really enjoy what you're doing. Am I enjoying myself? The answer is yes!

 

Although you now live in Copenhagen with your family, we are sure that Italy still owns a place in your heart and soul. Would you like to say something to all Italians, fans of the band, who are impatiently waiting for June 13 to hear this new effort by Coldplay (and your great contribution at the same time)?

Impatience and and waiting will be rewarded with a super beautiful album.

 

If you hear Chris or the others, can you tell us that we love them and we look forward to seeing them here in Italy again? Hoping, of course, to meet you too on the same occasion…

3, 2, 1...Done! (Laughs)

[coldpatrix]

Ian please, the promise! :)

[Li_cold]

WOW!!!

How cool is that?Thank you very much, iriden and Patrizio, for the great work! :)

How did you guys manage to get in touch with Davide?

[RunForTheHills]

I love how this review mentions them working "Rainy Day" and "Leftrightleftrightleft", it gives me hope that their good enough to be released on LP4.5, when ever that is. And its a really interesting read, thanks! :nice:

[JPB]

I love how this review mentions them working "Rainy Day" and "Leftrightleftrightleft", it gives me hope that their good enough to be released on LP4.5, when ever that is. And its a really interesting read, thanks! :nice:

 

DUDE! *Ahem* - I believe I was the first to coin that term.

 

I expect FULL compensation:P

 

(And even if I wasn't the first I call dibbs;))

[the_escapist]

simply amazing!!!

 

just read this!!!

 

a good question would have been:

 

"how is going to Coldplay play the songs you're in on the Tour?"

[JPB]

simply amazing!!!

 

just read this!!!

 

a good question would have been:

 

"how is going to Coldplay play the songs you're in on the Tour?"

 

"Well, for the tour Chris has decided to replace me with a capuchin monkey who will sit on his lap and play the banjo at key points during the concerts. Its all part of wanting to have a different sound in the studio and on stage. I think it could really work, as long as those animal rights assholes don't find out - or discover we slaughtered several to the Lord Xeno in the studio...for good luck, you see."

 

*Carabineri arrived at his house moments later*

[JPB]

Oooops, I forgot, *blushes*:embarassed:, thanks for all your work translating the interview. Much appreciated!:D

[Tonsu]

Incredible interview, thanks so much guys :)

[EnglishSilk]

yeah/ ditto what he said^^^(tooo tired to have an original thought) hehe

[Tonsu]

yeah/ ditto what he said^^^(tooo tired to have an original thought) hehe

 

So glad you enjoyed that dear friend :)

[coldpatrix]

The top violinist Davide Rossi was exclusively interviewed by Coldplayzone.it. After working with Coldplay on their last album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, the musician came back to the studio, to record the forthcoming Prospekt's March EP.

 

He revealed that in the EP there would be three songs featuring the sound of his Violectra and that we are about to listen to 'a top quality EP' made of fresh and powerful songs. In my opinion... these EP is actually levelled with ‘Viva La Vida’. Fans are not to be expecting a 'b-sides' album but a unique work, equally impressive... As a matter of fact, I prefer the EP!'

 

We would really like to thank again Davide Rossi for his immense kindness.

 

Here the interview (the new one):

 

 

Hello Davide. Thanks for giving us a bit of your time once more and for your availability.

 

 

“Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends”, album to which you took part in an excellent manner with your “Violectra”, is the top-selling album of 2008 thanks to its 6 millions copies sold all over the world so far, and most of all thanks to the hit “Viva la Vida”, which once and for all consecrated you as violinist of a great talent. Now we’re reaching another debut made in Coldplay, in which we’ll taste your “artistic touch” once more. Do you believe that the album positive halo we’ll open the way to a new successful release, for example this EP?

First of all thank you for the compliment… Even if honestly I try not to think about it, it’s obvious that, every time someone reminds me of the great success of this album and of “Viva la Vida” in particular, I feel very satisfy for taking part to a such big project and in such determinant way. After that, my philosophy takes to consider even such huge satisfactions as facts which belong to the past. So now I’m excited for this EP, which will be out in a few days…Or at least, I think (I hardly ever remember realising dates!).

Even if this EP belongs to the most recent past, to me and to the guys it has a meaning of fulfilment of a very creative period. Inasmuch as I understood from the guys, the songs of this EP were never secondary to those of the “main” album, but simply not suitable for “Viva la Vida”, because of artistic matters, record outline and even because they didn’t want the main album to be too long.

Almost three weeks ago, before the guys left for United States, I was listening to it in the studio with Chris, Jon (Hopkins) and Rick (Simpson), and I was almost shocked because the songs were so fresh, full of energy and because the quality of this EP was really high. To me (and I don’t say that good-naturedly) this EP doesn’t look out of place with “Viva la Vida”. The fans must not expect a “b-sides” album, but a work with his identity and as much strong…Actually, I prefer this EP to “Viva la Vida”!

 

We know that every adventure as a world-wide tour, changes in part or deeply the artists’ life. How was finding the guys after this period and after a mountain of anecdotes and episodes, seeing that you were around the world too, with Goldfrapp?

Every time we meet it seems that it hasn’t been such a long time. But it’s true: everyone has made different experiences, the guys with their tour, and me with Goldfrapp’s tour and with the record and some festivals with Verve. So we have many gossips to tell each other! (he laughs).

 

Tell us about recording sessions of this new EP. Intensity, emotions and even some curiosities (if you can tell us)…

Ehm…I’d say that all these things were part of that year and a half already said, in which we recorded…

 

“Rainy Day” and “Prospekt’s March” are two songs to which, as you said, you took part. We already talked about the first one during the first interview. What can you say about the title track of this EP?

Oh yeah…”Rainy Day”, for a certain period, was made as a song just for strings and voice, a bit like “Eleanor Rigby”, but then it became a more complete song and it’s a “collage” of different sessions. ‘Prospekt's March’ is a song simply amazing, with a lovely melody sung by Chris in his style, which I define “weepy” and it was co-produced by Jon Hopkins, who even arranged the strings that I restrict myself to play, with some little suggestions, of course…

 

 

Will we be able to hear you Violectra even in other songs of the EP?

There’s a new version of “Life in Technicolor” that becomes more complete in this EP.

 

With the passing of the time, and with the progress of the career, Coldplay became much more exigent both with themselves and with their entourage. About that, can we ask you if the band demanded some particular musical abilities this time, or did they leave you freedom in decisions, fantasy and improvisation, like they did for “Viva la Vida or death and all his friends”?

As I said before, as this session belongs to the one for the album, the dynamics were the same as one year and a half ago. To sum, at the beginning there was an obvious period of “musical acknowledgment” and with the passing of the time the guys gave me and Jon Hopkins (both of us were “external” collaborator to the project) more freedom and responsibility to the creative and expressive level.

 

What do they expect from this EP? But most of all, what do you expect? You came back to the top with Coldplay just when nobody was expecting that, it was so soon…

To me (and I speak just for me because I didn’t talk about it with the guys), I don’t expect nothing special…meaning that I’m very happy because I know that we make a work with some quality. So I trust in a great success for the fans…

 

Did you talk – by chance – with the guys about the concerts they had here in Italy? Did they tell you something about their feelings?

No, I’m sorry, I’ve only seen Chris and talk a bit with Guy at the phone sometimes. We mentioned the respective tours in a general way, but without talking about details. When you’re always “on the road” you try to avoid the argument, because you’re always very tired…But I remember that I tell the guys in an e-mail that they should expect surprises from the Italian concerts (he’s talking about the balloons choreography made for the lives by Coldplayzone) and I think they took note of that, because they mentioned it in their official website.

 

Many fans ask themselves where is “Famous Old Painters”, a track announced as an important song of the album, and later of the EP, but that last was discarded by both. Do you know something about that? Did you take part to the sessions for that song or you don’t know anything, like us?

I think it’ in the EP, if I’m not wrong (unfortunately he’s wrong). I’ve seen the titles in the studio just in passing. Anyway, I didn’t take part to the sessions for that song.

 

There are hundreds of Italian and world-wide supporters that would pay to see you on stage with Coldplay. Tell us, what do we have to do to make this happen? Could petitions or public campaigns be useful, or will we have to go imploring the band at the Bakery in London? Have you ever talked about this eventuality, or is it a too far hypothesis to become true?

Eheh! Till now we haven’t talked about that with the guys and when we did it, we couldn’t do anything because we were in different countries…But, who knows! One nice thing will take place in London: for the concerts at “O2 Arena” I’ll play with Jon Hopkins as main supporter for Coldplay and it’ll great to play with Jon! I’m looking forward for it! And of course I’ve told Chris that it’ll be very “difficult” for them to play after us! (he laughs)

 

You curriculum got very longer this year: “Biblen” with Blæs Bukki, “Io non credevo che questa sera” with La Crus, “Echoes” with California Guitar Trio, but most of all “Caravan Girl” with you Goldfrapp, the already quoted “Viva la Vida Or death and all his friends” and the album the marked the return of a band like Verve, “Forth”. You’re living the top of your career. Are you happy and proud of yourself? We are, sincerely…

I’m happy and grateful for what’s happening, but I feel like I’ve just started…I like working with different artists and with different style and importance. The important thing is to deal with good music and a project that I like. Sometimes I work even with friends, to help them in their little projects. We must always remember where we come from.

 

Your future projects?

Well…to make it short, I can say that the collaborations with Coldplay and Chris are just at the beginning! In December I’ll be in studio with Nick and Simon from Verve, simply to try something completely new and maybe to record an album in a few weeks. Then there’ll be other collaborations, but it’s too soon to quote them.

 

How often do you see your family? We know that to be far from sons and daughters can be stimulating in your work, but it mustn’t be easy. Will you take a holiday for Christmas after the huge mountain of music produced this whole year?

It’s hard to stay so long without my beloved, but it’s the price to pay for this work, and I knew it since the beginning. Fortunately my wife is an amazing woman, she always gets behind me. But for November (and finally, I’d say!) we’ll have a little holiday all together. And we’ll go to Italy, of course!

 

“Music is in touch with my inner world, I could say with God, even if I don’t belong to no religion. It’s like a house to which I have to come back, in which I feel fine with myself: it’s my mantle, my life. There was a period, when I moved in England, when I couldn’t play for practical difficulties: that was a moment in which I felt so ill at ease that I felt bad physically". These are your words. Someone in our forum made them his mantra, believed in them and created a web site. Because at the core, there’s passion. So far, are these words your life’s karma? The same karma that allows you to live in peace with yourself, with other people, to produce great music and most of all to give a sense to your existence? Are they deeply?

Well, they’re my words and so I feel them very strong. But we must try to keep in practice what we say, constantly. And often, that’s not easy, at all.

 

Thanks again, Davide. Our users and visitors are waiting, as already happened, a greet from you…

Thank you and thanks your “passion” which is really praiseworthy; thanks for the enthusiasm and the support and attention that you give to me! And a hearty greet, obviously, to all the readers of your site.

 

Source: http://www.coldplayzone.it

 

 

P.S. Sorry for the bad english! :)

[iPsy]

The top violinist Davide Rossi was exclusively interviewed by Coldplayzone.it. After working with Coldplay on their last album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, the musician came back to the studio, to record the forthcoming Prospekt's March EP.

 

He revealed that in the EP there would be three songs featuring the sound of his Violectra and that we are about to listen to 'a top quality EP' made of fresh and powerful songs. In my opinion... these EP is actually levelled with ‘Viva La Vida’. Fans are not to be expecting a 'b-sides' album but a unique work, equally impressive... As a matter of fact, I prefer the EP!'

 

We would really like to thank again Davide Rossi for his immense kindness.

 

Here the interview (the new one):

 

 

Hello Davide. Thanks for giving us a bit of your time once more and for your availability.

 

 

“Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends”, album to which you took part in an excellent manner with your “Violectra”, is the top-selling album of 2008 thanks to its 6 millions copies sold all over the world so far, and most of all thanks to the hit “Viva la Vida”, which once and for all consecrated you as violinist of a great talent. Now we’re reaching another debut made in Coldplay, in which we’ll taste your “artistic touch” once more. Do you believe that the album positive halo we’ll open the way to a new successful release, for example this EP?

First of all thank you for the compliment… Even if honestly I try not to think about it, it’s obvious that, every time someone reminds me of the great success of this album and of “Viva la Vida” in particular, I feel very satisfy for taking part to a such big project and in such determinant way. After that, my philosophy takes to consider even such huge satisfactions as facts which belong to the past. So now I’m excited for this EP, which will be out in a few days…Or at least, I think (I hardly ever remember realising dates!).

Even if this EP belongs to the most recent past, to me and to the guys it has a meaning of fulfilment of a very creative period. Inasmuch as I understood from the guys, the songs of this EP were never secondary to those of the “main” album, but simply not suitable for “Viva la Vida”, because of artistic matters, record outline and even because they didn’t want the main album to be too long.

Almost three weeks ago, before the guys left for United States, I was listening to it in the studio with Chris, Jon (Hopkins) and Rick (Simpson), and I was almost shocked because the songs were so fresh, full of energy and because the quality of this EP was really high. To me (and I don’t say that good-naturedly) this EP doesn’t look out of place with “Viva la Vida”. The fans must not expect a “b-sides” album, but a work with his identity and as much strong…Actually, I prefer this EP to “Viva la Vida”!

 

We know that every adventure as a world-wide tour, changes in part or deeply the artists’ life. How was finding the guys after this period and after a mountain of anecdotes and episodes, seeing that you were around the world too, with Goldfrapp?

Every time we meet it seems that it hasn’t been such a long time. But it’s true: everyone has made different experiences, the guys with their tour, and me with Goldfrapp’s tour and with the record and some festivals with Verve. So we have many gossips to tell each other! (he laughs).

 

Tell us about recording sessions of this new EP. Intensity, emotions and even some curiosities (if you can tell us)…

Ehm…I’d say that all these things were part of that year and a half already said, in which we recorded…

 

“Rainy Day” and “Prospekt’s March” are two songs to which, as you said, you took part. We already talked about the first one during the first interview. What can you say about the title track of this EP?

Oh yeah…”Rainy Day”, for a certain period, was made as a song just for strings and voice, a bit like “Eleanor Rigby”, but then it became a more complete song and it’s a “collage” of different sessions. ‘Prospekt's March’ is a song simply amazing, with a lovely melody sung by Chris in his style, which I define “weepy” and it was co-produced by Jon Hopkins, who even arranged the strings that I restrict myself to play, with some little suggestions, of course…

 

 

Will we be able to hear you Violectra even in other songs of the EP?

There’s a new version of “Life in Technicolor” that becomes more complete in this EP.

 

With the passing of the time, and with the progress of the career, Coldplay became much more exigent both with themselves and with their entourage. About that, can we ask you if the band demanded some particular musical abilities this time, or did they leave you freedom in decisions, fantasy and improvisation, like they did for “Viva la Vida or death and all his friends”?

As I said before, as this session belongs to the one for the album, the dynamics were the same as one year and a half ago. To sum, at the beginning there was an obvious period of “musical acknowledgment” and with the passing of the time the guys gave me and Jon Hopkins (both of us were “external” collaborator to the project) more freedom and responsibility to the creative and expressive level.

 

What do they expect from this EP? But most of all, what do you expect? You came back to the top with Coldplay just when nobody was expecting that, it was so soon…

To me (and I speak just for me because I didn’t talk about it with the guys), I don’t expect nothing special…meaning that I’m very happy because I know that we make a work with some quality. So I trust in a great success for the fans…

 

Did you talk – by chance – with the guys about the concerts they had here in Italy? Did they tell you something about their feelings?

No, I’m sorry, I’ve only seen Chris and talk a bit with Guy at the phone sometimes. We mentioned the respective tours in a general way, but without talking about details. When you’re always “on the road” you try to avoid the argument, because you’re always very tired…But I remember that I tell the guys in an e-mail that they should expect surprises from the Italian concerts (he’s talking about the balloons choreography made for the lives by Coldplayzone) and I think they took note of that, because they mentioned it in their official website.

 

Many fans ask themselves where is “Famous Old Painters”, a track announced as an important song of the album, and later of the EP, but that last was discarded by both. Do you know something about that? Did you take part to the sessions for that song or you don’t know anything, like us?

I think it’ in the EP, if I’m not wrong (unfortunately he’s wrong). I’ve seen the titles in the studio just in passing. Anyway, I didn’t take part to the sessions for that song.

 

There are hundreds of Italian and world-wide supporters that would pay to see you on stage with Coldplay. Tell us, what do we have to do to make this happen? Could petitions or public campaigns be useful, or will we have to go imploring the band at the Bakery in London? Have you ever talked about this eventuality, or is it a too far hypothesis to become true?

Eheh! Till now we haven’t talked about that with the guys and when we did it, we couldn’t do anything because we were in different countries…But, who knows! One nice thing will take place in London: for the concerts at “O2 Arena” I’ll play with Jon Hopkins as main supporter for Coldplay and it’ll great to play with Jon! I’m looking forward for it! And of course I’ve told Chris that it’ll be very “difficult” for them to play after us! (he laughs)

 

You curriculum got very longer this year: “Biblen” with Blæs Bukki, “Io non credevo che questa sera” with La Crus, “Echoes” with California Guitar Trio, but most of all “Caravan Girl” with you Goldfrapp, the already quoted “Viva la Vida Or death and all his friends” and the album the marked the return of a band like Verve, “Forth”. You’re living the top of your career. Are you happy and proud of yourself? We are, sincerely…

I’m happy and grateful for what’s happening, but I feel like I’ve just started…I like working with different artists and with different style and importance. The important thing is to deal with good music and a project that I like. Sometimes I work even with friends, to help them in their little projects. We must always remember where we come from.

 

Your future projects?

Well…to make it short, I can say that the collaborations with Coldplay and Chris are just at the beginning! In December I’ll be in studio with Nick and Simon from Verve, simply to try something completely new and maybe to record an album in a few weeks. Then there’ll be other collaborations, but it’s too soon to quote them.

 

How often do you see your family? We know that to be far from sons and daughters can be stimulating in your work, but it mustn’t be easy. Will you take a holiday for Christmas after the huge mountain of music produced this whole year?

It’s hard to stay so long without my beloved, but it’s the price to pay for this work, and I knew it since the beginning. Fortunately my wife is an amazing woman, she always gets behind me. But for November (and finally, I’d say!) we’ll have a little holiday all together. And we’ll go to Italy, of course!

 

“Music is in touch with my inner world, I could say with God, even if I don’t belong to no religion. It’s like a house to which I have to come back, in which I feel fine with myself: it’s my mantle, my life. There was a period, when I moved in England, when I couldn’t play for practical difficulties: that was a moment in which I felt so ill at ease that I felt bad physically". These are your words. Someone in our forum made them his mantra, believed in them and created a web site. Because at the core, there’s passion. So far, are these words your life’s karma? The same karma that allows you to live in peace with yourself, with other people, to produce great music and most of all to give a sense to your existence? Are they deeply?

Well, they’re my words and so I feel them very strong. But we must try to keep in practice what we say, constantly. And often, that’s not easy, at all.

 

Thanks again, Davide. Our users and visitors are waiting, as already happened, a greet from you…

Thank you and thanks your “passion” which is really praiseworthy; thanks for the enthusiasm and the support and attention that you give to me! And a hearty greet, obviously, to all the readers of your site.

 

Source: http://www.coldplayzone.it

 

 

P.S. Sorry for the bad english! :)

 

 

OOh intesting! :D Thanks!

[Tonsu]

Awesome once again, thanks so much :)