28. January 2014
Faz Waltz Curators Of Rock
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| BACK ON MONDO (Out Now) |
By Walter Price
For whatever reasons not many names come to mind when you think of Italian rock n’ roll. That could all change with a band I recently stumbled across going by the moniker Faz Waltz. A band re-tooling many aspects of rock genres of that past into a perfectly timely and timeless fresh collection of sounds that makes me wonder why people waste their time on the current corporate pop music scene at all.
The clearest influences on this band of three accomplished Italian musicians are the great bands that brought us the 1970s Glam scenes in the UK and USA. Names you know and love Bowie, Sweet, Bolan, Slade and so on. But Faz Waltz isn’t necessarily a straight forward nostalgia band simply re-working bygone sounds in an effort to emulate their sonic heroes. More of a band who understands the importance of an era in music that most have decided to leave to history. Elements of sound that still resonate with this writer.
Faz Waltz is helmed by the charismatic Faz La Rocca and backed by Marco Galimberti (drums) and Diego Angelini (bass) and they released their third full effort ‘Back On Mondo’ back in June of last year.
What is particularly interesting is how effective and tight the compositions are on this album. Completely evident is Faz La Rocca’s vision and control over the project, a man who is clearly a perfectionist (knowingly or not). But it pretty much all works here.
Faz Waltz likes to use the phrase “Glam Rock Since 2007” and that is all fine and good but it will sort of mislead you on ‘Back On Mondo’. There are plenty of other dignified influences working their way into the grooves of the album’s 13 tracks. I find it interesting that my two favorite tracks are the pedal to the metal opener “I Wanna Find My Place” and the beautiful raw whisper of a closer “King Of Nowhere”. The two seemingly holding a particularly good and wide ranging album together.
I suggest you get your hand clapping skills in order and give Faz Waltz a go.
I caught up with frontman Faz La Rocca for a one on one and here is our conversation.
Faz Waltz has been out slaying the clubs around Europe for some years now. Take us to the beginning, how did this glamtastic rock band start?
Everything started in 2007 , I had a bunch of new songs and I was looking for some friends to play with. After some research the band was ready to start rehearsing.
I wanted the band to sound very different from most of the punk bands around, and first I just wanted to have fun with my favourite kind of music since I was a child – Glam Rock, the one from the seventies.
From what I remember there wasn’t any kind of band like us at that time, and it was very difficult to find gigs and someone to play with … the punk rock scene in Italy wasn’t very comfortable with that sound.
Congratulations on ‘Back On Mondo’, very impressive album. Was there an objective to make it sound so timeless?
Well, our sound is based on vintage amps and analogic recordings, exactly like they used to do in the past. I think that a cold digital recording wouldn’t fit very well to our kind of music… and first , it wouldn’t sound as we like .
How much democracy is in the band when it comes to writing and recording?
I’ve written all the lyrics and music since the beginning, but during the rehearsals everyone can have any say in the matter as long as it works – the same goes for in the studio .
There is just enough influence and sounds on this album to keep you from being boxed into just one genre, was this the ultimate goal?
When I write songs I don’t really force myself in a specific direction or genre , it comes naturally and when it’s time to put an album together I just choose the tunes for their quality, so I’m able to write a rocker or a ballad…just as the Beatles, T.Rex, Slade, and Bowie used to do in the same album .
It is also clear that you know how to use studio time to its fullest, how you compare studio work to road working your music?
We really love all the period during which the new songs come to light. It’s fun to meet in the evening after our day jobs and work hard to do something together. It’s amazing to see a new album coming out from the darkness.
Then it comes to the studio and that’s when I can finally see the songs taking shape as I have them in my mind, and it’s great.
“Touring is never boring”, like someone said before … we just have a lot of fun together – it’s fantastic to meet new people and bring our music to new audiences and countries.
When people think of mind blowing rock n’ roll Italy usually doesn’t come to mind at first. What are people missing out on in the Italian rock scene?
I know what you mean, and I agree, but even though the Rock ’N’ Roll culture in Italy was really never taken seriously, lately some bands from our country can be as good as American or English bands.
For example, our close friends Giuda from Rome in the last two years has had the chance to play a lot in Europe and America and they’re getting popular there too. We often share the stage with them here in Italy, and once also in London.
How important would it be to break out in a place like America?
It would be important for many reasons. We started playing Rock’N’Roll thanks to bands from America and the U.K., where all it began, so it would be amazing to break out right there.
Then if a band from Italy starts to get positive feedback in the U.S.A. you have the chance to be taken seriously in many other countries.
What should the world know about Faz Waltz?
Faz Waltz has been proudly playing Glam Rock since 2007…not for fashion or money, but because we care.
What’s next for Faz Waltz?
We’re working on the new album, and we will be in the studio this spring.