They bring together different influences blending them into an original for of rock. Vocals, guitar and rhythm section carefully entwine with a touch of ,,electronica,, , and ethnic vibes go hand in hand with a natural propensity for psychedelia.  We are happy to introduce you to the talented music band  – LATO!


[Blaster] Thank you for your time guys! How did the band come together?

LATO: Thank you for having us! We formed around 2005. We come from different bands from the Milan underground scene like Scanferlato and La Camera dell’Amore Sonico. Several musicians have collaborated with the band through the years bringing with them diverse backgrounds, sounds and souls. This has made LATO’s influences go beyond labels and possibly beyond space and time. We released our first album “Out of the Dark” in 2008 and toured throughout Europe and the US in the following years. We started writing songs for our forthcoming album “Karisma” shortly after that, with the goal of transferring the live atmosphere of our music into an album. We didn’t want it to sound like a studio album, so we spent a lot of time playing the songs live and jamming in our practice room. It took a while for the music to come together but the songs gradually came to life, and we’re really satisfied about the whole songwriting process we went through. We are Filippo Pavesi (guitar & vocals), Tommaso Tofanetti (bass guitar), Alessandro Pastorelli (drums), Stefano Pavesi (lead guitar) and Roberto Bobby Fappani (Keyboards & synth). Other musicians that played on our upcoming album “Karisma” are Michele Obizzi (@micheleobizzi) on sax, Antonio Cupertino (@toni_qper) on synth, and the string session by Francesco Saverio Gliozzi from Sursumcorda Corda (@sursumcordamusica).

 

[Blaster] Describe the band or the band’s music in one sentence?

LATO: Our music is inspired by psychedelia and deeply rooted in the groove and rhythm which we feel strongly about, but its’ also got vocal harmony, rocking guitars, and original keys, synths, strings and saxophones which complete the LATO sound. Our upcoming album sounds “live” and should get you dancing or at least shaking. Also, the images, videos and lyrics go hand in hand with the music.

 

[Blaster] As a band, is there one person who is the leader (so to speak) or do you work and write together tossing ideas around? How do you stay focused as a band and to avoid common band disagreements in all facets, including writing, recording and making the decisions?

LATO: When we write songs someone comes in with an idea (it’s usually Filippo) that can be either more or less defined and then we play around with it until it finally becomes a song. For our upcoming album “Karisma” we wanted the songs to naturally come together starting from a rhythm or a riff. For the first single “Machine Head Warning” the song sprung out from jamming on an organ riff, while the second single “Camouflage” originated from a guitar riff. On the whole album we let the groove guide us and gradually the songs took shape. We just let the music grow without feeling forced to pin down the songs to wrap them up. It took a while for this whole process to make its way, but once completed the songs are really deeply rooted in us. This makes every track feel fresh and alive every time we play it, and each live version is different from the other.

[Blaster] Do you collectively have a favorite album?

LATO: That’s a huge question! It’s probably more like we have several and diverse influences, but there are surely some that we converge on. I guess we could start from the blues legends like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, moving to the RNB classics like Otis Redding and Marvin Gay and the Motown sound, but not leaving aside Dr. Feelgood. Then we have the psychedelic influences that include Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane and Captain Beefheart. Finally, the 90s sounds of Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Beck and DEUS and all the shoegaze influences like Spiritualized, Primal Scream and Jesus and Mary Chain. Probably better to stop here because we could go on forever!

 

[Blaster] Is there an hidden meaning in your music?

LATO: I wouldn’t say there is a hidden meaning. There are probably two layers to our music, actually, maybe three. The first is the instinctual part that comes from the atmosphere and vibes conveyed by the songs, and the second comes from putting together the music with the lyrics. Since “Karisma” is effectively a concept album, this second step should give the listener a deeper perception of our sound and vision. The third however is more imaginative and allows the listener the space to create his/her own idea of the meaning of the songs by putting together the pieces in a personal way. This is the beauty of music: it has infinite meanings and interpretations.

 

[Blaster] For upcoming bands, can you tell us what the secret is of keeping a band together for so long?

LATO: I think the only way to keep a band together is by nurturing the inspiration. As long as artists have a strong feeling, emotion or vision that they feel the urge to transfer into music, this naturally creates motivation that drives the band to turn inspiration into music. Sometimes inspiration comes in waves, and the driving force behind songs can alternately come from different components of the band, and this is what makes the artistic flame keep burning! The important thing is that at least one component keeps the fire alive.

[Blaster] Where do you find your artistic inspiration?

LATO: Most of our physical day is dedicated to living life which always involves playing and composing music, but while we’re doing that, our minds and spirits are constantly developing and elaborating our worldly experiences and transforming them into images and music. As a matter of fact, inspiration for songs often comes from quick flashes that stick with us and then gradually turn into songs. That’s why we always should be alert and ready to capture these moments.

 

[Blaster] Any plans on new music? When can we expect a new album or EP?

LATO: Yes! As me mentioned before our upcoming album which we’re really excited about is called “Karisma” and will be released in the first semester of 2023.  So far we’ve released two singles from “Karisma” besides “Camouflage” we also released “Machine Head Warning” in May 2022. So, if you haven’t heard it you can find it on all the digital streaming platforms and the video is available on our Youtube channel or on our website. It’s more funky and portrays another facet of our sound. We plan to release a third single, which is very different from the first two, in the first quarter of 2023 before we drop the album. So, stay tuned! We are particularly happy about the sonic impact we created and the live atmosphere we did our best to convey in “Karisma”. Beyond having co-produced it with the excellent Antonio Cupertino (@toni_qper)) in an incredible studio Officine Meccaniche (#officinemeccanichestudio) coupled by a top notch mastering Giovanni Versari (@gioversari), the new songs reflect the sonic richness we wanted to express. We didn’t just want to write good songs but also caress the depth of the soul of those that listen to our music through our sound, vibes, and images

[Blaster] Where can people see you perform next? Do you have a 2023 tour scheduled yet?

LATO: Good question! We don’t have a tour scheduled yet, but our booking agency is working on this for the album release. At the moment, all we can say is that we should be playing some shows in Italy at the beginning of 2023.

 

[Blaster] Tell us about your latest song. Was it specifically inspired by anything or anyone? Where was it recorded??

LATO: The second single from our upcoming album is called “Camouflage”, and it is based on a guitar riff that lands on a rhythm section with a funky vibe. We wanted the organ to give it a 60s beat feel that mixes with the bluesy melodic vocals. Our intention for this song was to create an atmosphere in which 60s sounds continuously melt and hide behind rock and roll and psychedelia, reemerging now and then to create a sonic camouflage. The lyrics echo the music: the idea is that some people build their reputation and charisma disguised behind ambiguous words, and constantly change their point of view in pursuit of popular consent. Watch out though! If you’re always hiding behind a mask, you may forget your true nature and lose yourself! Like the rest of the album it was recorded in Milan at Officine Meccaniche Studio (#officinemeccanichestudio), co-produced by Antonio Cupertino (@toni_qper)) and mastered by Giovanni Versari at La Maestà (@gioversari).

[Blaster] What is one musical goal that you have had for this year?

LATO: Our goal for 2022 was to start releasing the first singles from our upcoming album, and so far, we succeeded in putting out two. In 2023 we are looking forward to dropping at least one more single before releasing the album. We also started going back to the practice room to refresh our live sound and that feels great! It’s giving us a lot of energy and we can’t wait to transfer this vibe to our fans and all those that come out to see us.

 

[Blaster] Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group?

LATO: The band went through a series of changes and evolutions in the early days, and at a certain point, it as if the musicians that had a similar vision and feel about music naturally selected each other to become members of the current version of LATO. The name LATO popped out spontaneously, even if there are different reasons for choosing it. We’ll give you just one to keep it simple. It means “side” in Italian. Side can be the side of a triangle, a square or any other geometrical figure meaning that we are always open to expand our musical horizons and evolve into different shapes.

 

[Blaster] Do you all hang out socially apart from the music?

LATO: There’s a genuinely strong bond between us. We’ve selected each other over the years. The emotional intensity that flows among the band when we play and make music is probably the origin of this strong tie. I think it couldn’t be otherwise. How can you not be connected to someone with which you make music? But maybe this is just our way of seeing things and it doesn’t apply to all bands. In any case, we love the music we’re making as well as those with whom we’re making it!

[Blaster] Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

LATO: I guess we love the creative part of making music (and probably appreciate the technical parts a bit less), which involves having the idea for the songs, putting them down and then arranging them. We also love the live part which involves recreating the atmosphere we put down on record in a more raw and instinctive way and engaging passionately with the audience. Needless to say the production phase also has it creative moments, like finding the way to get a voice, a guitar or a drum to sound exactly like we imagined it, which is not always so obvious.

 

[Blaster] Are there any funny stories that happened to you while traveling together, that you want to share with our readers?

LATO: There’s lots! Difficult to pick just one. The first that comes to mind is when we were on tour in the US. We were in New Jersey and after a great show with a wonderful crowd, a group of Italian Americans warmly greeted us offering to buy drinks. They started talking to us in an incomprehensible language that they thought was Italian but was very likely a dialect from their region, which we had never heard before. Italy is a land of dialects, and we had no idea what they were saying but they were so friendly that we didn’t want to let them down. So, we kept nodding pretending to understand them. The problem is the conversation went on for about an hour..and we just kept drinking.

 

[Blaster] What do you hope is the message of your music?

LATO: The first thing we want is for people to instinctively be attracted and moved by our sound and the images we associate with it. Whenever this happens this is extremely gratifying. On another level, once you dig deeper, the lyrics are an integral part of our music. As a matter of fact, our upcoming album “Karisma” is a concept album, and each song represents a different facet of charisma which we believe is a vital component of human interaction. Charisma can sometimes drive people to make better collective decisions, but it can also lead to disastrous atrocities.

 

[Blaster] Would you like to give any message to your fans?

LATO: First of all, thanks for appreciating our music and keep following us as we release more material from our forthcoming album. Feel free to get in touch because we believe interacting with those that listen is an essential part of the artistic experience. Then, let yourself be inspired by art, listen to good music and be “Karismatic” with whoever you meet!

[Blaster] Tell us where fans can follow your work and access your music?

LATO: They can follow us on:
Website: https://www.latosounds.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latosounds/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Latosounds
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/latosounds
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkijSBMwxZtuyyWnhh2wt?si=A4FanUxsQvS7H_CIU8Cbxw

 

 

 

 

 

 

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