SHARPLINES
5 questions to get to know….
Unmasked opens its 2020 season with a much awaited party on the 8th February, inviting Mannequin Records boss Alessandro Adriani alongside a great roster of residents. One of them is Sharplines, whom we had the pleasure of hosting in our first interview of the year.
Co-founder of Delaitpath, the artist has released music on labels such as RND. Records, Raven Sigh and Ancient Methods’ Persephonic Sirens. More recently he has founded his own label called Dead by Overdose, releasing an EP as NATHANIEL.
Enjoy the interview and the mix uploaded to our Soundcloud, recorded during his performance at Electrowerkz last November.
Q: Hello Nicola, we are excited to open our 2020 season with your interview – we hope you are too!
You are one of Unmasked new residents, how do you feel about it and what made you want to join the crew?
A: Hi guys, I am always up for a good chat and I am very glad to be part of this project. It was definitely a surprise when I was asked to join the party as a resident. Since we’ve been talking about the project months ago, I liked the idea and the direction where the party is heading. On top of that, it’s very good for me at the moment to have a space to play with more continuity and to be sharing the stage with great artists and people. I am learning the importance of social exposure in the nightlife. It’s a tricky business!
Q: Tell us about your music education - what type of sound has influenced your aesthetics, productions and sets?
A: My productions are mostly influenced by the identity and homogeneity that I want to give to my works. I like to think of my sound as very recognizable: it was my very first achievement.
I’m a child of the Nineties so my influences also come from there. My first strong influences in life are Sonic Youth, and other iconic characters like Trent Reznor, David Bowie, The Stooges, Suicide… there are a lot of names to mention! I have always been looking at the many expressions of alternative rock and its sub-genres.
I also have to mention Crystal Castles, and Boards Of Canada’s debut album ‘’Music has the right to children’’, which is one of my first vinyls. Together with artists like Regis, Ancient Methods and Luke Slater, these have been my door to electronic music and techno.
Today my biggest influence is cinema: I would like to make music for films in the future.
Q: You’re Italian-born and have been living in Berlin for a few years, to then decide to return back to Italy in more recent times. Do you think that the places where you have lived have influenced your sound? If so, what has been the role of Berlin in this? And what about Italy?
A: Berlin is awesome, the city is an open-air museum and I had a great time there. Berlin influenced me more on the social level.
Italy is a country with evident problems, cultural and not, but I must say that it influenced me very much during the early years of my clubbing experience and music production. Unfortunately, now it is a wasteland for emerging artists. Neither Italy nor Berlin as places affected my music production.
Q: Your latest release was “Heading for Hell” out in May 2019, on Ancient Methods’ label Persephonic Sirens. Can you walk us through this project and collaboration?
A: I know you have enjoyed ‘’Heading For Hell” very much, but my latest release is actually “Born Of God And Void”, a short-run of cassette tapes I have self-released more recently.
However, my collaboration with Ancient Methods on his label Persephonic Sirens started back in 2017, when he asked me to make a vinyl version of some tracks I had released at the time. Ancient Methods has been clearly a strong influence and inspiration for me. It’s great to collaborate with like-minded people like him. I think the work he’s doing on the label is genuinely positive and spontaneous.
Q: Is there anything production-wise planned for 2020 that you want to share with us?
A: I’m very focused on a live set that I am preparing as Sharplines, and a new EP should be out before 2020 ends. I am working on a lot of tracks. Look forward to showing you all this stuff!
Interview By / Stefania Trinchero.
Published / 24.01.2020
