A Conversation with IKITAN

It's time for another conversation to shine the spotlight on a new and up-and-coming band. Today we shoot the breeze with Italian post-rock/stoner/progressive trio, IKITAN, consisting of Luca “Nash” Nasciuti on guitars, Frik Et on bass, and Enrico Meloni on drums and cowbell.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. How are you guys doing? I’ve been curious about the name of the band: IKITAN. It’s a catchy, one-word name described on your Bandcamp page as the God of the sound of the stones (the angry figure seen on the Twenty-Twenty album’s artwork). Is it based on a mythological god or legend of some kind or is it something you invented? What’s the story behind it?

IKITAN: IKITAN was chosen by Luca, our guitarist, who was fascinated by its meaning, found on the Italian Wikipedia page of the “Aztec gods”. According to whoever wrote that page, IKITAN is the god of the sound of the stones. It fits perfectly the idea he and Frik Et had in mind for our music, and the moment we got together and started playing it made so much sense. There’s also a nice little pun there: stones and stoner, of course, as we love stoner rock. And also stoned, although we don’t smoke!

So we’ve been playing for months with this whole IKITAN concept in mind, we prepared the album cover (thanks Luca Marcenaro!) and everything… Some days before the actual release date, we found out this was not true! Or at least not verified. We even wrote to a university professor who is the go-to expert in pre-Colombian cultures, only to find out that IKITAN is nowhere to be found! The power of unverified Wikipedia sources… But who cares: we love the concept, it’s an inspiration for us, and we’ll stick to it!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: The band was formed in 2019. Did you guys know each other beforehand? How did you come together?

IKITAN: IKITAN was born in September 2019 when Luca replied to an adv Enrico posted on a local musicians’ Facebook group, and the band started jamming one week after.

It must be noted that Luca and Frik Et have been friends for ages and have played together for over 10 years years and so they were looking for a new drummer for their new adventure.

Fun fact: the three of us played at a local gig back in 2010: Luca and Fri Et were already in the same band then, and Enrico, playing in another band, bought a demo from them (which he still proudly owns).

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Twenty-Twenty, the studio album and its live counterpart, is an intense, epic instrumental which flows so naturally, as if it were improvised in one take, yet is well constructed and elaborate. Was it your intention to perform a twenty minute instrumental from the get-go or did it evolve from a shorter piece at first? What was the process that led to the end result?

IKITAN: Our debut EP is titled “Twenty-Twenty” and it was released on 20th November 2020. This album was conceived as a longer song which includes different parts, or “Chapters”, as we like to call them, that are somehow linked among them. We can’t call it a “suite” because some of the formal elements are probably missing, but the idea somehow comes from the post-rock and prog worlds, which are a great influence for us.

By the end of spring of 2020, we had enough material to put together three different songs and, considering the overall situation caused by COVID, we said: “It’s our chance to put the word ‘end’ to this first part of the story of the band, nobody knows what’s gonna happen next, so we want to set this moment in stone” or, well… on a CD.

These three songs were somehow linked among them and at one point we also started thinking about just releasing the album as one only song and debut with a one-track EP. It was all very random and things clicked one after the other quite surprisingly.

Even though the ideas and riffs were all born during jam sessions, the end result is very much planned, meaning that we spent a few weeks working on these three songs only, making sure they had meaningful connections, the whole thing was interesting to listen to (you know, not so many repetitions of the same thing and the likes) and we could add a few extra special sounds and effects here and there.

Recording everything that we play in our rehearsal room certainly helps: we go back to what we’ve jammed the previous times, refining and listening to stuff constantly, and once we’re happy with something, we develop it fully until it becomes a song… or parts of a song LOL.

Eventually, the song lasts 20 minutes and 20 seconds. The album is titled “Twenty-Twenty”. It was released on Friday 20th November 2020. A lot of 20s!

To make our project even more special and our efforts truly worthwhile, we released the CD as a limited-edition digipack with a free poster and a sticker. The artwork was curated by Luca Marcenaro who did an awesome job.

Also, we’re very happy about the final result sound-wise: our guitarist Luca Nash is also a sound engineer and a music producer in his “real” life, the whole album (except for the drums, recorded at Mattia Cominotto’s Greenfog Studio in Genoa, one of the most renowned in Italy when it comes to rock music) was recorded at his private studio so we could do things at our pace and in a stress-free environment.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You’re working on your first full-length album. Will it be an entirely instrumental album? What can we expect from you and when are you planning on unleashing it to the world?

IKITAN: Yes, the album will be instrumental but we don’t have a set date yet. It’s very likely that the new songs won’t be as gigantic as 20-minute “suites” anymore, we’re working towards something more direct and riffalicious but in pure IKITAN style. We still like not to stick to a particular genre and not setting any boundaries, so there will be some surprises.

The album will include something like 8-10 songs and these are bits and pieces of all the rehearsals (even bits that were left out of Twenty-Twenty) we’ve been recording since day 1, when we met to jam for the first time together.

Right now we’re still jamming and also developing some parts of older jams into full songs. We’ve been recording every single note we’ve improvised and now we’re letting the songs and improvisations guide us towards the next IKITAN album. Stay tuned!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Your majestic session at Forte Geremia last June was your first live gig as IKITAN. Have you guys played live elsewhere in other bands before that or as IKITAN since then?

Luca: Forte Geremia was indeed the first time we played live together outside the rehearsal room! Since we met, we had no opportunities to play live due to the Covid pandemic. Before IKITAN, Frik Et and I had played together in other bands but we played a slightly different style of music. We have played together since 2007 I guess.

Frik: As already said, Geremia, was the first gig we did as IKITAN. A challenging experience for the weather conditions (mainly due to strong wind and low temperatures!), but a very exciting one as well. I’ve known Luca for ages and as he said we’ve played together in the last years before forming IKITAN too.

Enrico: My first gig was at the age of 12, when with my cousin (it’s always an elder cousin’s fault!) and two friends went on stage between other bands and played two songs by Elio e Le Storie Tese without having ever rehearsed them before! We just knew them, went on stage, and nailed (?) them. This attitude is still with me, as improvisation and spontaneity are one of IKITAN’s trademarks.

After that, I’ve played with other metal, rock and funk bands both in Sardinia and in Genoa, as well as a short adventure with London-based hard rock band Dirty Mary, when we played venues such as The Big Red and The Alley Cat (both RIP). I love being on stage and I can’t wait to perform with IKITAN!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you for answering my questions and I wish IKITAN a long life. I’m eagerly looking forward to hearing your upcoming album!

Photographs by Gezabel Perotti

IKITAN's Official Website

IKITAN on Bandcamp

IKITAN on Facebook

IKITAN on Twitter

IKITAN on Spotify

IKITAN on YouTube

IKITAN on Instagram

10,000 Years - II

Concept albums seem to be all the rage these days and I’m enjoying this trend quite a bit as I’m a big fan of them. Swedish sludge metal/doom/stoner rock band 10,000 Years has taken the concept album to the next level and are making a series of concept albums following a specific storyline. The trio unleashes their first full-length album, II, a continuation of their first self-titled EP which was released in July of 2020.

A little bit of a disclaimer to begin. Those familiar with this blog know that I don’t listen to, nor do I review anything with harsh/extreme vocals. Maybe it’s just because I’m growing into a softie in my old age (or just becoming a grumpy old fart) or that this sort of music just isn’t my cup of tea, but I was on the fence at first about reviewing this album. By no means does it go the route of extreme metal or non-stop growling/yelling, although the vocals do tend to be less traditional and there is a bit of screaming going on throughout, but not enough to make me pass up this album. And neither should you because 10,000 Years’ new record is a damn fine album that should be widely heard.

It’s the continuing story from the previous EP of an exploration vessel which goes by the name of “Albatross” and its mission to explore nearby galaxies. The musical journey tells of the ship’s first foray into space and what happens when the crew accidentally travels through a wormhole, ending up in a neighboring dimension populated by ancient gods and giant beings, ruled by the Green King. The new album picks up exactly where the EP ended. How cool is that? I won’t go into details about the storyline for II as I’ll let the listeners discover it for themselves as they sample the album. After a blistering 30-second opening instrumental, we are taken to the “Gargantuan Forest”, a slower track full of psychedelic atmosphere. Here you’ll get what I mean by the screaming aspect of the vocals. And you know what? I can’t imagine this song being sung any other way! It fits perfectly as it chugs along. “Spinosaurus” follows and picks up the pace, with strong thrash metal tendencies. “The Mooseriders” is one of my favorites, firing on all cylinders and displaying the band’s musical chops. “Angel Eyes” isn’t a ballad as one might wonder judging by its title; it’s another good cut, expanding on the band’s brand of sludge/doom/thrash metal. “March of the Ancient Queen” is a powerful song serving as a shift in the story. Track number 7, “Prehuman Walls”, is the sludgiest of the bunch and one I really dig. It leads us straight into the final song, the pièce de résistance and the strongest track of the album, in my humble opinion (definitely my favorite). “Dark Side of the Earth” starts off slow and climaxes into melodic fury, sounding epic at times, as it should, as the story comes to a close … for now. I’m sure we’ll get to hear more about the Albatross’ adventures on the next album (III perhaps?).

10,000 Years have crafted a massive, crushing album with II. The music is powerful and nothing short of remarkable. The best way I can describe this album in a nutshell is that it’s a cross between stoner icons Sleep and thrash metal legends Slayer. If you don’t mind less traditional vocals every now and then or if thrash metal/harsher sounding metal is your thing, then you’re bound to have a hell of a good time with this record.

10,000 Years’s Bandcamp page: https://10000years.bandcamp.com/

Bandcamp Friday

Bandcamp Friday is back! The beloved day where Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists/labels is upon us again! No doubt you’ve got a few albums/songs on your list to pick up, but if you’re looking for some inexpensive suggestions to support as many artists as possible, here are five quick ones for you from your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M.

First off, VAZUM, a deathgaze/alternative duo who released a stellar album a few weeks ago have a brand new “name your price” single out titled “Votive” off of their upcoming October remix album. You can pick it up here. I had a lengthy conversation with them which you can read here. Seriously, this band isn’t getting the attention it deserves; they are amazing and you should definitely lend them your ears!

Second, I’ve been in the mood for instrumentals lately and a band I just found out about this morning, IKITAN, released a stunning 20-minute live instrumental simply titled Twenty Twenty Live at Forte Geremia back in June. You can grab it as a “name your price” EP on Bandcamp and if you want to witness how the magic was done, head over to YouTube for a front row seat of the performance.

Third, while we’re on the theme of instrumentals, a one-man band who’s been garnering a lot of attention in the past couple of months, Mothman and the Thunderbirds, released an EP with instrumental versions of his debut full length, Into the Hollow, which I reviewed on the blog a while back. These tracks breathe new life into those songs and are a great addition to your music library for just a buck on Bandcamp!

Fourth, another instrumental album that must be mentioned is the mighty Ripple Music’s re-release of pioneering stoner rock band Yawning Man’s classic debut album, Rock Formations. If you’re into desert rock, space rock, and surf music, then this is a match made in heaven! If you haven’t heard this 16-year old album yet, then now is as good a time as any to discover it. It sounds as fresh as the day it was first released. You can grab a copy of it on Bandcamp, hot off the presses.

And fifth, if you’d like something more along the lines of prog rock with actual lyrics, what is in my humble opinion an album-of-the-year contender, you can get Sleep Moscow’s sophomore album, Of the Sun, that was released last week and which I reviewed a couple of days ago here. You can also pick up that gem over at Bandcamp.

I hope you enjoy this #BandcampFriday and that your loot will satisfy your music cravings. I know the bands and artists will be grateful for your support on this fun and special day. Till next time, happy listening!

Sleep Moscow - Of the Sun

Sleep Moscow, unlike what the band name suggests, do not hail from Russia; they are a Swedish alternative/prog rock band. Their sophomore album, Of the Sun, has just been released on Majestic Mountain Records and it’s a thing of beauty. It is at once spellbinding and serene, a concept album about a cosmonaut leaving a dying earth and everything behind for something bigger.

Retro is quite the ideal word to describe this mood-driven, 39-minute, 9-song musical journey into outer space. From the opening instrumental track, “Home”, segueing into the instantly memorable “Light Will Meet Us”, the music here dazzles. Echoes of Pink Floyd, ghosts of late ‘70s/early ‘80s modular synthesizers are in full display and bring a magical genuineness to the proceedings. The third track, “Gift of Life”, gives the impression that we are immersed in a comfortable bubble without a care in the world. The piano-centric title track follows with delicate splendor. Singer Arvid Hällagård’s ethereal vocals effortlessly take us far away from this plane of existence throughout the album. He’s accompanied by a plethora of dreamy strings, soothing piano, and gentle electronic noises. The above-mentioned strings are at the forefront in the superbly heartbreaking instrumental “Memories“. Next up, “Far Beyond Gone”, is quite possibly my favorite song in an album of favorites. It is ageless and feels like you’ve always known this song, like an old childhood friend. “Alone” is a gorgeous, restrained song with a guest female vocalist for the second half of the song. The last two songs, “Facing the Clouds” and “You Are Over”, constitute a perfect one-two punch to end this remarkable expedition; multi-layered and hypnotic, lingering in your head long after the music stops.

This is another must-have album, folks. With more than half of the year behind us, 2021 has to be one of the strongest years in recent memory for indie doom/stoner/metal/psych/prog music. The Sleep Moscow trio is a force to be reckoned with and have crafted an absolute masterpiece with Of the Sun. This record has immense replay value and I think it’s safe to assume that it will only get better on subsequent spins and is likely to age like the finest of wines.

Sleep Moscow’s Bandcamp page: https://sleepmoscow.bandcamp.com/releases