Just as the narrative genre of the same name was born 70 years ago to tell the darkest corners of society in times of censorship, today La Fantascienza (science fiction) enlightens the life and death, dreams and nightmares of real human beings inserted in the typical “environments”.
Their first album is “È Pieno di Stelle” (It’s Full of Stars).
The idea of collaborating was brewing for a while and in the end Vicky came to Berlin
The sound of the album gave way to experiment by creating a mixture of traditional instruments and electronics. I know what Vicky likes and in almost every situation we could live together, we had the same taste in what we wanted to hear. So I felt comfortable and free to not limit myself. This is why synthesizers, strings, concrete materials, and sound effects play a big role in this production.
Since I am still a student of dBs Music Berlin, I took the chance to record all the voices at the Funkhaus-Studio using different rooms and outboards.
The ‘musts’ were just two: the fantastic tube mic Mojave MA-200 well warmed and Vicky’s voice at the top.
It has been such a marathon: two days, three hours a day. We recorded all the voices’ tracks during that time. It’s crazy, but we made it while continuing to produce and record the additional instruments for the rest of the time.
We recorded using my little friend Audient ASP8024, a full analog console directly linked to Pro Tools HD through an Antelope Orion 32. The warm sound of Mojave MA-200 is outstanding: it seems that the voice is already compressed and is always so clear and balanced. I definitely love it. All sounded amazing from the very first moment and I was completely satisfied with our work, listening to it by a couple of HEDD Audio Type 20 which leaves no room for doubt: if something is wrong with your sound, they will let you hear it. Speaking of the importance of your listening, I highly recommend this updated, comprehensive guide by Beginner Guitar HQ on how to choose the best budget-friendly studio monitors.
About the choirs, I have a special sensibility about them. Since I have been into a gospel chorus for some years, I developed a natural tendency to harmonize many different voices together. This doesn’t mean I put choirs everywhere: they have been used just in some key points subtlety or massively to emphasize the feelings already present in the song.
Vicky has always said from the beginning “It is an album made of voices”.
Today, I can say it loudly: yes, it is.
Edited, mixed, and mastered in about 2 months, this album is a little jewel that I am proud to present to the world and which is proof that if things come naturally, they are great.
Ah, one last thing: it is in Free Download.
The result can be streamed directly from here.
Quoting what is written on the back of the cover, “La Fantascienza thanks who are still here as well as who is no more. This album comes from the affectionate embrace of lifelong friends, fathers, mothers, brothers, and grandparents. Keep on teaching us, knowledge will save us.”
Rome/Berlin, A.D. 2018.
