Life Happened is the debut album by True Sleeper, the solo project of Marco Barzetti, former leader of Weird. – one of the most successful shoegaze bands in Italy – as well as lyricist/guitarist for Sonic Jesus, guru of the international psych scene.
The long journey done with the previous bands has been marked by an incessant musical exploration that brought him first on shoegaze/dream pop territories, then to slightly more psychedelic and noiser peaks – as well as playing live in events such as the Eindhoven Fuzz Club Fest and several European Psych Festivals (Rome, Barcelona, Bordeaux).
Now, Marco turns page once again with a record who witnesses his personal growth, the result of a fractious soul, indeed, but
also free from any restraint or label. Besides, who ever in Italy, in 2019, would have the guts to write, play and produce a whole circular, pauseless album? A rich work based on sound connections, leitmotivs and melodic resurgences, also full of reverberations and distortions, among
which every instrument – voice included – emerges distinctly like the tops of a choral cathedral of sound.
The opening ‘Blurred Hearts’ introduces an immediate sonic and majestic guitar-driven atmosphere, only softened by the dreamy singing: is this post-rock? Psych-pop? Or as if Mogwai joined the Flaming Lips? The leading single ‘Heavy Life’ concedes a subdued and distant sing-along voice, in assonance with the official video shot by Futura Tittaferrante, a writing whose path itself is uphill, cold and snowy. The music goes on towards more acid and distorted episodes, like the almost screamed ‘Lost In Time’ or the melancholic ‘Lunacy’, while alternating with delicate breaches and
dilatations such as ‘(Coda)’ and ‘Yourizon’, where the narration becomes more and more hypnotic and rarefied.
Life Happened is the founding stone of a new identity, a musical continuum that tells the story of an inner journey hinged upon an endless experimentation. But that’s just what happens when you stop a barely half existence, to start living.
TRACKLIST
1. Blurred Hearts
2. Heavy Life
3. Lost In Time
4. (Coda)
5. L Is On C
6. Naked Start
7. Feel
8. Yourizon
9. Lunacy
‘Life Happened’ is available on black/pink/teal vinyl, CD & MP3 via Bandcamp.
Free streaming on all the digital platforms.
C18 • Pure Italian Gems is the sophomore mix-tape realized by Lady Sometimes Records to promote the contemporary Italian indie scene. Clearly inspired by the NME C86 tape, it gathers different experiences yet showing a common attitude.
Where has our desire for freedom gone? Why do we constantly subdue our creative energy to market, trends and standardisation? Can we really act as independent minds today? Is it right or is it wrong to ask such questions within an underground music selection? The making of this tape has pushed me to raise several issues, a bit beyond the usual ‘Oh I really dig this bands’ thing.
Actually in the past two years I felt more than ever that a large part of our best local acts is still ignored by the press, the clubs and – last not least – the listeners! We trust more the Spotify algorhythm than a flesh and bone reviewer, a friend or a neighbor band. I see people getting more and more uninterested by other people, scared to discover new stuff and places, lazy and bothered when it comes to invest their time on a ‘yet not so hype’ cultural experience.
You can buy this playlist at the same price of a beer, but you’re more than welcome to download it for free, enjoy your time listening, spread YOUR OWN word, be ACTIVE and SUPPORT your local scene. Get in touch with us and tell us what you think about it, as you may know – coyness is nice, and coyness can stop you from saying all the things in life you’d like to.
C18 features a handmade fanzine focused on the 15 bands involved in the project, available only on paper along with the tape.
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
1. Sweat • Feel It Coming
2. The Chilly Willies • My Last Chance
3. Naughty Betsy • Gerald Spencer
4. La Naissance • Knee High Socks
5. Frown • Morrissey
6. Quaint Ash • For You
7. Urali • Dwellers
8. The Whip Hand • Your Thoughts
9. MasciaTi • Come Il Vento
SIDE B
1. True Sleeper • Blurred Hearts
2. Halfalib • Liebe Fénix, II Instant
3. Ma Femme Est Morte • With You I Experienced The Incapability of Not Being Able to Talk at All
4. Sonic Jesus • Cartaxo
5. Ramplingg • The Mist Is on The Marshes
6. Stille Dämmerung • World in Pieces
Thanks to Gusville Dischi, MiaCameretta Records, VDSS Recording Studio, WWNBB Records, Tiny Speaker, To Lose La Track, General Soreness, Fatty Liver Records, Malestro and all the bands featured who agreed to be part of C18.
This tape is dedicated to you, with love ♥
Hello December!
We have a bunch of new albums & pre-orders coming out this month.
Also catch us in Rome, as we’ll be joining many Xmas markets where you can discover our music & merch.
Gift yourself or your significant one!
All handmade, local & eco-inspired.
Tons of ♥
proudly present
An event you won’t miss if you’re in love with fuzz melodies, huge guitar riffs & reverb, of course!
Whether you grew up eating bread & Creation or you have no idea what ‘gazing at your shoes’ does it mean, come up and discover us
All the Crystal Ball products will be available during the night
to shape up a colorful balloon night!
INFO & ❤ → https://www.facebook.com/
EVENT & ✔→ https://www.facebook.com/events/1237190526369591/
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A 100% Italian pilot edition featuring:
► Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! [special guest • Foligno]
Power-trio formed in 2006, renowned for its charged-up shows throughout Italy & USA.
The very best 90s American indie-rock meets post-punk and shoegaze softly pushing
swift dreampop melodies to emerge from dissonant bare sounds.
→ New album ‘Corners’ out on 16th January 2017 via To Lose La Track & MiaCameretta Records proudly hosted in March at SXSW Festival [Austin, Texas]
INFO & ♥ : https://www.facebook.com/
►Human Colonies [release party • Dosso del Liro]
Dosso Del Liri based alt-gazers formed in 2013.
Their sound languishes around the fuzzier end of the shoegaze spectrum with driving 90’s alt-rock tendencies deftly underscored by melodious swathes of layered reverberation and punchy vocalisations.
→ Their forthcoming 7-tracks EP, ‘Big Domino Vortex’ will be out on 23rd January via Lady Sometimes Records e Mia Cameretta Records.
INFO & ♥ : https://www.facebook.com/
► Weird. [warming act • Roma]
Weird. is the dream/gaze solo project by Marco Barzetti.
Noisy distorsions and gloomy rhythms play around with swooning pop melodies filled with shimmering reverb.
→ After ‘A Long Period of Blindness’ out on Lady Sometimes Records and a 70-gigs long tour in Italia and Europe, Weird. finally comes back on stage with a a fresh line-up and a bunch of new songs due to be released within the forthcoming album in late 2017.
INFO & ♥ : https://www.facebook.com/
★ From midnight and on LET’S FIRE UP THE DANCEFLOOR with Luzy L & Corry X ★
[80s/90s shoegaze/dream/twee/
Ingresso con tessera ARCI 2017 + contributo di €5,00
MONK – Circolo Arci
Via Giuseppe Mirri, 35 ROMA
http://www.monkroma.club
http://www.facebook.com/monkclubroma
#staymonk
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Check the new cover song by Weird.
featured in TBTCI compilation
‘Desert Kisses – A tribute to Siouxsie and the Banshees’
→ https://goo.gl/PPHLUv
The video is an excerpt from the movie ‘Dreams‘ by Akira Kurosawa
and it’s meant to be a tribute to the Eastern traditions, arts and histories.
As Weird. stated: ‘It’s the most charming and hypnotic song written by S&TB.
The catchy refrain and the vocals remind me of childish lullabies, yet showing
a much obscure side. I proposed a slower version, filled with reverb, drum machine and echoed voices.’
Follow him live at Bloodbeats #6 • AU [Wien] on 5th November