Ones to Watch: Banjo Or Freakout
17/7/08
Banjo Or Freakout is one multi-instrumentalist Alessio Natalizia. His musical excursions under the brilliant moniker were born in moments of boredom, whilst waiting in his girlfriend's London flat for her return. Since that day he has become an ever-more prolific artist with one rule to his output: he records every track just once. It sets limitations but also encourages experimentalism, as he mutates and toys with the sound via his computer. The end result is some of the most eerily beautiful and transcendent music that at times calls to mind darker shades of Grizzly Bear's layered dream pop and the warped meanderings of Deerhunter.
His music is available for download via his blog. Along with his own material it also features a host of covers, from artists such as Bob Dylan, Why?, Velvet Underground and Kate Nash. With each artist he covers he never fails to display a masterful reinterpretation of other's work, articulating new emotions within well-loved songs. He manages to add a fragility and emotiveness to Foals' Hummer and new depths to Amy Winehouse's Back To Black– the later stripped almost beyond recognition, with just the whispered lyrics to signify it's starting point.
Banjo Or Freakout has already been tipped by Drowned In Sound as one to watch and has gigged with fellow stars in the ascendancy such as Telepathe and Afrikan Boy. He has also caught the attention of DFA Records, who praised Banjo Or Freakout in a recent feature in Plan B magazine.
A single is due out on the excellent No Pain In Pop in the autumn. Meanwhile keep your eyes peeled for live appearances in the near future.
'the most fragile, haunting but brilliantly busy music we've heard all year' - Drowned in Sound
www.myspace.com/banjoorfreakout
http://banjoorfreakout.blogspot.com
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