Interview: Built-In Obsolescence
Tell us about your latest release: the main concept; what fans should expect; what were/are your goals with it:
Our latest work is “Instar”. It’s a full length concept album that revolves around humans and their fatidic destiny in an eternal cycle of hope and disillusion.
We narrate about Humanity in evolution, shown as an insect that sheds its exoskeleton, cyclically. Everytime a crysis that leaves beliefs behind and push its core forward, following an ancestral natural design.
“Instar” is our window on the world. We wanted to give the listener the chance to plunge deep in a music that express our feeling of the sounds, words, stories and ideas that make “Instar”.
We believe firmly in offering to others what move us and what we want to experience ourselves. We aimed to a solid work to represent ourselves and our growth, what we intend to be the beginning of a long journey in music.
We are grateful to who inspired and helped us in making “Instar”, especially Riccardo Pasini of “Studio 73” for his crucial and beautiful work in recording, mixing and mastering.
Did you have a specific sound in mind when you formed the band, or did that grow and evolve as you played together?
The sound of Built-In Obsolescence changed significatively since the band foundation. We had various musical experiences and diverse tastes.
We started with metal in mind, but without other boundaries, playing through our favourite influences: progressive rock, crossover, alternative metal, post rock etc.
To be on solid common ground took some time and a few false steps… and in thruth a enlightening concert too (The Ocean + Mono + Sólstafir in 2015), that brought us somewhere near post-rock, post-metal and progressive rock.
How does your writing process normally work out?
We start defining a subject for the album and then we derive various themes that will form a whole integrated body
Our instrumental inspiration comes often from our jam sessions or ideas proposed by single band members.
The jubject and themes help us in setting an atmosphere, making choices about composition and keeping everything as a whole.
Lyrics are written by Paolo, starting from his ideas or concepts, poetry, stories proposed by any other member.
What are your ambitions and how far do you want to push your band?
Our main goal is keeping composing music we like, spread it to an increasing number of listeners and make it found those who will enjoy it greatly.
Live music is crucial too: you can bond to people in a unique way and we inted to play ever more, reaching prominent national and international stages.
Our next middle term goal is to publish a new album in 2020. We are workin on new material and excited about how we are moving from our “Instar” to something new.
What are your influences/musical references and the impact those same influences had in your sound?
We have a very diverse and rich range of musical interests. Bruno prefers jazz and punk-hardcore. Paolo comes from Crossover Metal and Post-Hardcore. Gianmarco grew with Grunge and New Wave. Alex and Valerio began playing with progressive rock/metal and now have very very eclectic tastes.
In terms of genres, post-metal, post-rock and progressive rock are the main influences, but we like to take our single personal tastes to the mix.
Speaking of bands we like that inspired our way to compose and shaped our palette of sound we could mention Mono, The Ocean, Tool, Long Distance Calling, Isis as well as great italian bands as Postvorta and Sunpocrisy.
Lately we are partial to Neocrust (Archivist, Fall of Efrafa) and genre bending experimental bands. Moreover we found common musical ground with kindred italian bands like WOWS, Deadly Carnage and Noise Trail Immersion.
What’s next for you?
A new album in 2020 and many, many gigs