The Obelisk Questionnaire: Lorenzo Stecconi of Lento

Posted in Questionnaire on July 14th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Lorenzo Stecconi

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Lorenzo Stecconi of Lento, Zu, Producer for Ufomammut, Tons, The Wisdoom and more

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

In a very simple way to explain, it is to transcribe intuitions and thoughts into music. That meticulous process to distill the core of the spark and to throw away the bad parts. I like to define what I do as a soundtrack for taking a walk inside your inner self, and to think that I’m accompanying someone across that path with my music.

Describe your first musical memory.

My grandfather with a violin in the old family house after some holiday lunch when I was a little kid. I still remember that diffused light coming through the window in the room while he was playing.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Seeing Current 93 live for my first time around 15 years ago. During the set I was slowly transported in a sort of ecstatic trance, it was some kind of epiphany for me, opening hundreds of musical possibilities in my mind.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I guess it happens very often if not every day to everyone searching for any kind of answers, in a way or another. You can move really close to the truth, but not that much to touch it. Is it enough to do your best and only navigate close to it?

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Personally, to a higher state of self consciousness. Idealistically, to transcend matter and to embrace the spiritual world. In a more earthly way, to lead the end-user of art in a land where he dares to enter.

How do you define success?

During this era of narcissism, success is probably one of the most powerful enemies you can encounter, be prepared to be surrounded by the demons of fame and lust. It is scary how mankind have been completely subjugated by the idea of it. I believe the only success one must be proud of is when he’s capable of helping someone, in any best way you can imagine.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

List is long, unfortunately. But each one little test, as we talked before, is a reminder from the universe to tell you something you should work on: as Jung said, you must embrace your shadow in order to understand your demons. So when I’ll stop wishing to not see something, I’ll probably be a better man.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I dream of a very big ensemble of musicians playing together on a highland, at dawn.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I believe that the most important factor in art is a strong message. When there’s a lack of it, it’s just basic entertainment.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Connection with people, nature and to be surprised from what my unconscious wants to tell me.

https://www.facebook.com/lorenzerworks/
https://www.instagram.com/lorenzer/
https://lorenzostecconi.bandcamp.com/
https://lorenzostecconi.com/

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http://subsoundrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.subsoundrecords.it/

Lorenzo Stecconi, Ambula ab Intra (2023)

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Roadburn 2017: Magma, Chelsea Wolfe, SubRosa, Slomatics, Wretch, Ahab, Mysticum, Crippled Black Phoenix, Deafheaven and More Added to Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 18th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

Roadburn 2017 banner

Great googly-moogly, Roadburn. If Roadburn 2017 didn’t already have your attention when it announced Coven as part of its first revelations for next year’s lineup — and it should have, make no mistake — then this should do the trick. The list is, frankly, overwhelming, and it speaks both to how immense the scale of Roadburn has become and how much the event continues to strive to push the boundaries of what it does. The first acts for the day curated by BaronessJohn Dyer Baizley? Magma and Chelsea Wolfe. SubRosa playing two sets, one of which is comprised of this year’s magnificent For this We Fought the Battle of Ages (review here) in full, the other a stripped-down, at least semi-acoustic version of the band. Leif Edling of Candlemass debuting his new project The Doomsday Kingdom. Slomatics, Dylan Carlson of Earth, Wretch, Inter Arma, Crippled Black Phoenix (hope they’re on the Main Stage; fingers crossed), Woe, Ahab, so many more it’s astounding.

If Roadburn 2017 was like, “Okay, that’s it. We’re done.,” could you really argue with what’s been put together already? The terrifying thing is they’re still just getting started.

Fresh off the PR wire:

roadburn-new-adds-poster

New names added to Roadburn Festival 2017 ahead of ticket onsale

• MYSTICUM to bring their incredible stage show to Roadburn 2017
• CHELSEA WOLFE and MAGMA are the first names confirmed for John Dyer Baizley’s curation
• THE BUG VS DYLAN CARLSON OF EARTH confirmed for a special Roadburn show
• DEAFHEAVEN finally make their Roadburn debut at the 2017 edition
• SUBROSA to play two exclusive sets
• …and more.

ROADBURN FESTIVAL is pleased to add new names to the bill for Roadburn 2017. The 22nd edition of Roadburn Festival will take place April 20-23, 2017 at the 013 Venue, Tilburg, The Netherlands.

MYSTICUM have been confirmed to play the main stage at Roadburn 2017, bringing their distinctive brand of black metal to Tilburg. Back in 1996, MYSTICUM wrote the rulebook, for what industrial black metal should be with their debut album, In The Streams of Inferno – and then swiftly torched it. Renowned for their incredible stage show, MYSTICUM have some clear intentions for Roadburn 2017: “We shall invade your minds and tear your souls apart.”

MYSTICUM will play the 013 venue on Saturday, April 22.

John Dyer Baizley has confirmed the first two names for his curated event: CHELSEA WOLFE and MAGMA.

Describing himself as “a loyal devotee of her songwriting, performance and recorded output”, John echoed many Roadburn attendees in calling for the return of CHELSEA WOLFE to the Roadburn stage. Having performed at the festival in 2012, and again this year as part of Converge’s Blood Moon Set, we’re thrilled to have CHELSEA WOLFE back in Tilburg.

Unequivocally one of the most talked about moments in the history of Roadburn was MAGMA’s overwhelming performance at the 2014 festival. These seminal progressive rock pioneers went down a storm, and to this day, we still hear so many attendees talking about MAGMA’s set, and craving their return for Roadburn.

Both acts will perform on Friday, April 21 at the 013 venue, as part of John Dyer Baizley’s curation.

Although they come from disparate sonic universes, THE BUG (electronic music wizard Kevin Martin) and DYLAN CARLSON (mastermind of the massively influential EARTH, who have graced Roadburn with their presence in 2009 and 2011) are nevertheless two of the more revered names in experimental music as a whole. Their paths crossed in 2014, when they surprisingly teamed up on a Record Store Day exclusive release. Americana meets industrial, minimalism meets pulsating dance beats, metal meets electronics… who knows what can happen when THE BUG meets DYLAN CARLSON OF EARTH? One thing is for sure, the walls will shake.

THE BUG VS DYLAN CARLSON OF EARTH will perform at the 013 venue on Saturday, April 22.

DEAFHEAVEN’s appearance at Roadburn has been a long time coming. As divisive as they are inclusive, DEAFHEAVEN have thrown the field wide open with regards to what it means to be a metal band. They have managed to bring extreme metal fans to the same room as shoegaze and post-rock/metal fans; their music doesn’t simply tick all those genre boxes, it plays join the dots with them – just as we like to do at Roadburn Festival.

DEAFHEAVEN will play at the 013 venue on Thursday, April 20.

SUBROSA’s For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages has been out less than two months, but at Roadburn HQ it not only hovers near the top of our album of the year lists, it is marked as a future classic. We are delighted to have the Salt Lake City five-piece perform the album in full at Roadburn 2017. Not only that, they will perform SubRosa – Subdued; a not-quite-acoustic set with all the passion at a fraction of the volume of a regular SUBROSA set.

SUBROSA will perform For This We Fought The Battle of Ages at the 013 venue on Thursday, April 20, and Subrosa – Subdued on Friday, April 21.

• CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX will fuse progressive rock, post-rock and righteous, guitar-driven heaviness. Prior to their Roadburn appearance, Crippled Black Phoenix will play Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL) on December 10.
• DÄLEK will bring a different kind of heaviness to the Roadburn stage, and comment “Some people might wonder why a hip-hop act was added to the bill… we intend to show them why.”
• AHAB will play The Call of the Wretched Sea in full
• ZHRINE bring a slice of Icelandic darkness to Roadburn
• AUÐN join their Icelandic brothers, delivering windswept, atmospheric black metal
• ALUK TODOLO will perform latest album Voix in full
• ZU bring their frenzied experimentation to Roadburn 2017 again
• INTER ARMA will make a triumphant return to Roadburn, and no doubt deliver yet another stunning performance
• Leif Edling’s THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM will make their live debut at Roadburn 2017
• Karl Simon brings his post-Gates of Slumber band WRETCH to Roadburn for their European debut
• Thick tones, soaring melodies, and bone-crunching rhythms will be the order of the day for SLOMATICS
• WOE bring their passionate and potent American black metal to Tilburg
• ULTHA will be making a bid for the heaviest set of the day when they perform
• EMPTINESS will blend black metal and power electronics

Tickets for Roadburn 2017 will go on sale from Thursday, 20 October 2016. They will be available to purchase in person from the 013 venue, Tilburg, The Netherlands from 6.30pm local time – and ticket buyers are invited to the pre-sale party at the venue featuring Ortega and Gomer Pyle. Tickets will go on general sale at 9pm (NL and mainland Europe)/ 8pm (UK)/ 3pm (East Coast USA)/ 12 noon (West Coast USA). Tickets can be purchased from this link.

For more information on the pre-sale party, click HERE.

http://www.roadburn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/roadburnfestival
https://twitter.com/roadburnfest

SubRosa, For this We Fought the Battle of Ages (2016)

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