Tender is the night, with the band made up of Dario Azzollini (guitar), Matteo Zappa (voice and lyrics), Nicolò Posenato (synth) and Simone Manzotti (synth and arrangements), with their debut album “Concrete”. It came out in January from Pitch the Noise Records and Wooden Håus Records, following their EP “Chances” in 2016. It seems that there is a frantic, late night, afterhours Milan that prefers the soft, comforting electronica of Aftersalsa.
The recordings were made with the production contribution of Marco Giudici, who is already a prominent figure in the Italian indie scene with the band Any Other, fronted by Adele Nigro and with his solo project Halfalib. And according to everyone directly involved, “a cement construction that wears away under the weight of time. A skyscraper, an unfinished work, and somesoul-searching to process” has come out of this collaboration.
Between changes and inevitably unanswered questions, the solution could be to “lock yourself away in a huge concrete skeleton and leave the world outside”. Or maybe, listen to these nine tracks on repeat, starting from the shady digital lines of the first track “Mubia” and then their first single “Oscar” with its exotic beats – accompanied by an analogue video shot in the Meneghin capital of Milan. Next comes the beautiful ballad “Elam”, finishing with the cinematic and yet danceable plots of the only instrumental piece in the lineup,”Colonna”.
The dreamy synthpop of this four-piece from Lombardy takes its inspiration from abroad: just think about The xx, Lust For Youth, Beach House, Haelos. The choice of the English language is a confirmation of internationality: going against the grain of what is ultimately easily achievable in our country. They’re in tune with another interesting group of this year: Cactus? from Vicenza, who, like Aftersalsa, have focused on a solitary nightlife indie dance in their "No People Party", under strictly neon lights.
Elena Raugei
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