Using quotation marks because I always did it with an amateurness attitude without economic return, my past informative / divulgative / critic activity has been mostly connected to music and occasionally to cinema. If everything is in the second case confined to aperiodic circumstances (reviews or essays scattered among old fanzines, often DIY or introductions within initiatives promoted by film clubs), in the first case I can calmly say to have contributed for years – also through a little underground distribution I managed – in a more substantial way to the growth of small musical realities of which traces remain now only in yellowed paper, tapes damaged by time and the memory of those who at that time really were and today are really playing maybe something totally different, because they’ve embarked on a musical path more satisfying. I do not know even how many reviews I’ve written or groups interviewed and how many people have entertained a lethargic correspondence with, traditional paper-correspondence that would make smile supporters of instant messaging so – PLEASE NOTE – for obvious reasons of practicality, I could not store all that has been published and I only recall the contexts of spread, inviting those who’re interested in a deepening at least in case of printed stuff to locate the material in the publications in object, probably still available from some old underground distribution.
CREPUSCULUM CONSCIENTIAE
From 1996 to 2001 I self-produced 5 issues of a ‘zine that got excellent feedbacks from readers and even from some important mags…and from the bands I put in a good word for…
The moniker I chose for this ‘zine was “Crepusculum Conscientiae” (name / logo later on used also for a band of mine) and my intent had always been to promote the real underground music, from the experimental to the extreme one.
Unluckily at some point tons of garish magazines swarmed into the underground, pretending to be ‘zines but presenting on their pages only mainstream names, winking reviews / a lot of advertising pages, big events and often with one, up to three cd’s enclosed! Bands started to act as rockstar, requiring standard questions and snubbing the deepest one…and all my passion vanished away… The last zine issue remained at the pre-press phase.
“Numero Zero”* (Italian) [A5 format. B&W Xeroxed. 88 pages]
Interviews to: Hellrage, Lachryma Christi, Omicron, Morbus, Aydra, Emorrhage Corpse, Pilgrim, Undertakers, Funereum, Rapture, Everlasting Reign
+ exclusive interviews to Limbonic Art (Nor) and Necrophobic (Swe).
Reportage from Occult musical scene of Torino / Dossier “Atlantide” / Special section about Ulver / Live reportages / Reviews, etc.
* This issue came also out in a special edition containing a tape-compilation with songs from the best interviewed band.
“Numero Uno” (Italian) [A5 format. B&W Xeroxed + red cardboard cover. 92 pages].
Interviews to: Deeds of Flesh, Handful of Hate, Repudilation, As you in agony cry, Armagedon, Deprime, Soulgrind, Abstract,
Tronus Abyss, Entirety, G.F.93, Midgard, In low spirits, Full Effect, Quiet Flower, Lamma Sabactani,In Human Memories, Moonrise.
Reportage from Puglia old death-thrash metal scene / Dossier “Garden of Eden” / ”Fiori di tenebre“: a tale by A.de Villiers de l’Isle-Adain / Special section about Arcturus / Giant metal festival reportages section / Reviews, etc.
“Numero Due” (Italian) [A4 format. Glossy B&W Xeroxed. 60 pages]
Interviews to: Adenon Distribution-Frozen Hell Zine, Nightside, Thy Mortal Eyes, Maldoror, Black Sunrise, Nefas, Deviate Ladies, Lividity, Resurrecturis, Athena, Adnauseam, Mactatus, Infernal Poetry, Keep of Kalessin, Gory Blister, Scattered Remnants, Tenebrae Oboriuntur, Dominance, Bethel, VII Arcano, Mind Snare, Sorhin.
“La donna uccello”: a tale by H.Spicer / Dossier cemetery of Campo dei Miracoli (PI) / Reportage from Rome extreme metal scene / Dossier “Camelot” / Dossier “Cecco Angiolieri” / Special section about Dissection / Live reportages / Reviews, etc.
“The Fourth Chapter” (English) [A4 format. Glossy B&W Xeroxed. 48 pages]
Interviews to: Setherial, Serenades, Macbeth , Neophyte, Ataraxia, Ordeal, Visionoir, Lathebra, Inchiuvatu, Serpent, Cultus Sanguine, Otyg, Ophidian, Funereum, Blood Stained Host, Abhor, …and Oceans, Drastic, Catamenia, Insision, Dame en Noir, Atropos, Inhumate, Neglected Fields, Twin Obscenity, Thou Ask Divinity.
Live reportages / Reviews, etc.
“The Fifth Element” (English) [A4 format. Glossy B&W Xeroxed + printed color cover. 48 pages]
Interviews to: The Equinox ov the Gods, Satarial, Anubi, Soulgrind, Ensoph, Rapture, Throne of Chaos, Centinex, Ordo Equilibrio, In the Woods, The Second Moon, In Morte Ascendo, Death Dies, Guidance of Sin, Entirety, Nifelheim, Incantation, Flesh Feast, Undertakers, Necromortis, Awful, Chthonian Nemeton, Exhumed, Vomit Remnants, Defleshed, Glacial Fear, Horrid, Mesmerize.
Live reportages / Reviews, etc.
“VI Numero” (Italian) [A4 format]. Unpublished.
Interviews to: Notre Dame, Edge of Sanity, Necrodeath, Satyricon, Thyrfing, Danilo Capua, Kirlian Camera, Thy Primordial, Spiritual Front, Aeternus, Aborym, Blot Mine, Pilori, Rakoth, Agent Steel, Canaan, Cazzodio, Antropofagus, Bal Sagoth, Ephel Duath, Runes Order, Nightingale.
Reviews, etc.
LA NOTTE DI PAN
In 2001 takes form the idea of a portal dedicated to experimental music linked to esoteric themes / metaphysical, pagan, relying on the artwork linked to Genoese painter Danilo Capua (met a few years before, on the occasion of the purchase of some of his paintings).
After a long gestation, the website (minimal, realized with Flash) is published and remains on line less than one year. That was partly due to the low degree of cooperation on the part of the participants (paradoxically I had achieved better coordinative results at the time of the old paper-based fanzine and communication via letter!), partly due to a dramatic finding emerged during the interviews. I’m referring to a not so little part of those who speak of pagan ideologies or bragging deep knowledge of Esoterism were nothing more than profiteers of others ingenuity, who love to play with the symbols and terms on the basis of purely aesthetic motivation or level of political fashination.
Once again, my enthusiasm waned and I preferred this time to close “The Night of Pan” before I could even minimally be of help to promote a music scene saturated with wannabes…
SPLEEN.TV
For some time the ‘healthy’ part of me fed the need for something diametrically opposed to the ugly turn of psychological discomfort, narcissism and power trip ruined nowadays the social networks. It happened then that during an hot summer of 2010 I hug the idea of creating a Joomla-based antisocial network.
A place to be themselves without having to worry about forcibly appear as others expect you to be, where you can talk alone (let’s say “monologues”) or at most with a few ‘elected’ who share your introversion not looking for excuses to make sterile controversy.
A place where also to discuss about a past society and sense of communal living that is over and forgotten, where to address topics that many people do not even have ever heard of, and so on……and above all WITHOUT SELFIES! All in the aesthetics of a cultural conviviality which quips about terminology (“the Forum” has become “symposium” , “the news ” have become “olds “, etc.) and embraces a retrò aesthetics that finally makes us forget where unfortunately we live.
Guess what’s happened?
After this wonderful experiment of social behavior applied to modern telematics I have kept only the name and domain to be used for a different future and at this point self-referential (I’ve adjusted to the trend…).