Welcome welcome one and all. I hope you are having a wonderful week. Gosh, do we have an absolute TREAT for you today. In this Beneath the Surface session we go to the utmost depths with Italian electronic alt pop dup Trust the Mask. Off the back of their recent single ‘Will you come?’, the pair bare all, from their writing process, inspirations and how connection is a driving force int he music they make. Wishing to let their listeners know “the importance of diversity of identities. To be more precise, we would like our fans to be able to appreciate themselves beyond the masks that society forces us to wear.”
Really excited for this one and the level of detail and authenticity both Vittoria and Elisa share with you all below. So grab a seat, a nice warming hot drink and let’s get stuck in.
What would you say first sparked your interest in music/who inspired you to make music?
I (Vittoria) come from a family that has always listened to little music. My great luck has been friends. I have always had a passion for art, and as a result I have often tried to get interfaced with people who had the same interest as me. It took me a short time to realize that art has a thousand faces: visual, performance, sound. Of my personality in fact I can say that I am very curious, and my curiosity was hungry. So I started seeking, and the step from being a listener to a singer was only a matter of time.
Elisa: My interest in music has no start date. Both of my parents are working musicians. I grew up with the refined sound of ECM’s discography, with the pipe organ my mother plays, which is my absolute favorite instrument, and the ethnic sounds of the wind instruments my father collects and plays. When they gave me an electric violin, with loop and other effects pedals, I experienced the satisfaction of creating my own melodies. From there my electronic sound research began.
How would you describe the music you are currently creating?
The music we currently make is a mixture of what we like, what we would like to hear live, and a great desire to experiment.
A mix of electronic music, ethnic sounds, pop and noise.
A proposal that will entertain both us and our listeners too and at the same time a suggestion that will make people think about some specific issues.
What does your creative process look like?
It all starts with rhythm and a specific theme or emotion that we focus on for each track.
To respect these two factors, it is essential to work in synergy.
Elisa writes the rhythmic and instrumental part, then Vittoria looks for the vocal line, which can sometimes change the work done up to that point. In short, we work together step by step, advising each other and trying to stay true to what we wanted to communicate from the beginning.
Who would you most like to collaborate with? (let’s send it out to the universe and make it happen!)
ATNA is one of the groups that inspire us because of the power of their sound and rhythm. We also dream of collaborating with Boy Harsher because of the sensuality of their songs and synths.
Young Father is also a group that inspires us a lot, both for their syncopated rhythms and for their use of such unconventional vocals. As for our pop vein, the first name to mention is definitely AURORA. Her crystal-clear voice is always perfectly balanced by pressing rhythms and the masterful depth of the productions.
What is the one message you would like to send out to your fans?
What we would like to communicate to our listeners, both as a group in general and with the songs on the new album, is the importance of diversity of identities.
To be more precise, we would like our fans to be able to appreciate themselves beyond the masks that society forces us to wear.
The ability that each of us has to express ourselves and deal with different situations is a unique characteristic that gives us value.
We believe that every person, but also every culture, has its own way of communicating, of showing itself to others, yet at the basis of everything there are feelings and emotions that unite all human beings.
Trying to interpret the other person’s point of view, without stopping at the social mask they wear, looking for a key not centered only on their own culture is what we aspire to.
We believe that art is the only activity that is free from social dogma. We like to think that our music can be a good way to channel this message.
What’s your top tip to rejuvenate your creativity/get over a writer’s block?
We listen to many genres of music that we don’t usually listen to, to find inspiration. After that, to avoid writer’s block, we try playing some unusual instruments, or we experiment with the noises and sounds that some everyday objects make. In short, to unlock the process we try to change our usual way of starting to compose a song.
What’s next for you, what do we have to look forward to/ what are you currently working on?
We are working a lot on the structure of our live show, to make it as much of a performance as possible but at the same time also giving space for songs that make listeners have fun and dance. We put a lot of emphasis on the crescendo of emotions, sometimes completely remaking some studio-recorded songs into an ad hoc live version. We feel that we are able to fully express our concept during concerts, which is why, what we hope to be our next step, is a tour outside Italy also to create connections with artists from countries where the focus on experimental electronic music is different.