Sending her synthesized textures, and dark moods across the seven seas, Italian songstress Tying Tiffany sent us a first listen to her electro world-turning track, “Spin Around”. Known Stateside to the legions of dark eyeliner and cloak clad sets, the singer, soundtrack artist and former model is preparing to break out from the EU with her upcoming album Drop for ZerOKilled Music. Having won over the godfathers of punk from Iggy Pop to the Buzzcocks and more from past European tours, Tying Tiffany presents her visions of life and nature's cycles through a centrifugal sequence of gravity both personal and universal.
The keyboards softly crest like oceanic patterns on the verses, lapping at the landforms of the chorus's sediment of synth composition. Like the evocative textures she has created with Lorenzo Montanà for the cinematic instrumental project Through the Lens, every note of programmed production hits an evocative chord. The reaction and response elicited from the axis turning wonder and circular familiarity found on “Spin Around” edges on the pensive observation of collected memories and thoughts contained and moving about in a glowing orb. The arrangement and emotive expressions ebb from the internal reckoning, toward the global, and suggest a congruent integration of both the interplanetary and interpersonal connected relations.
Over long distance cables, we had the chance to talk to Italy's siren of the synth about the differences between US and EU DIY scenes, her new album Drop, touring with Iggy Pop,
What draws you toward the darker and synth-ier tones of sound in your music?
For me music represents a state of mind and every shades of dark are part of my inner self. I always liked the deepest nighttime tunes and I’ve always enjoyed music that sounds good while driving a car at night.
For my new album my intention at the beginning was to create positive and melodic songs. But then, during the composition process, I found myself writing also darker tunes…'cause at then end life is not all about upbeat vibes and happiness.
“Spin Around” spins off a kind entropy that feels like an allegory for life, brings to mind spinning globes, circles, spheres, tops, etc. What inspired the song's statement of whirlwind euphoria?
Ohh I like your vision! I wanted to tell about the constant cycle of certain events…like a wheel that keeps spinning or like a sphere floating in our memories.
Often I feel as all the events in my life repeatedly happen in the same way all the time, like a hourglass that starts its cycle, again and again. This is also the natural motion of the earth. One of my source of inspiration are in fact the universe and the planets.
Tell us about recording your upcoming album Drop. Should we expect to be dropped into a kind audio abyss?
The record is inspired by the 90s electronica, influenced by several music scenes going on at the time such as the Artificial Intelligence series on Warp, R&S and Rising High Records, acid house and chill-wave.
While working on the album, I spent many days walking by the sea. At the moment I feel very connected to nature and this connection helped me a lot setting the mood for the new album. I was mainly inspired by the depth and the power of the sea, like a mirror that reflects my deepest thoughts. A drop may be a small part of an immense ocean, and the sound of whales sound like an infinite loop.
From your soundtracking work with Lorenzo Montanà, how has that experience of scoring trailers and visuals lent further influence to your own creative musical palette?
T.T.L (Through The Lens) is a project with producer Lorenzo Montanà on the sync/label ZerOKilled Music. With T.T.L. we write music for film and movie trailers, and our compositions are mainly instrumental. The sound of T.T.L. is a blend of avant-classical and industrial, so very different from the Tying Tiffany productions.
I guess the experience of writing for the visual media with T.T.L. influences me a lot on my new album: I found my sound to be more dynamic, cinematic, and I've learned to associate every song that I write to an imagery. And I feel that this visual connection allows the songs to become even more emotional.
Having toured with the likes of Iggy Pop, Stereo Total, Buzzcocks, etc, what wisdom have you been able to gain from your formal ties that you can impart?
Performing live has always been a very important part of my career and philosophy. Since 2005 I’m having a gypsy life touring around world! I had the opportunity to share the stage with many amazing artists and opening for Iggy Pop is been an incredible experience! He lived his music career in a real and honest way, creating a unique style that I respect a lot. His powerful energy on stage is being big source of inspiration for my performances. It’s crazy to realize how humble, open and helpful such famous artists could be, compared to a more uptight attitude of unknown and hyped acts. I’ve learned a lot from that!
What are your observations on the differences between EU DIY versus US DIY aesthetics, mentalities, etc?
I guess the main difference is that an indie US label has the potential to access a huge market all over the States, Canada, UK, creating a buzz that spread even more amplified when it hits Europe.
A European DIY label can only access the tiny market of his own country. For example, even if you're well reviewed and distributed in Italy, maybe you're totally unknown in Germany or France.
Basically in every European country you have to start from scratch every time, with different structures for distribution, promotion, booking, and, most of all, a different language!
This is one of the main reasons why the European DIY scene is less immediate and less attractive. I feel that in Europe there is more competition between musicians and less aggregation, as in the US DIY artists live the music scenes in a less intricate and more natural way.
As a former Suicide Girl, what are the similarities and differences between being a model and being a musician, and where do you find they intersect and overlap?
Making music has always been my top priority, I'm not a model and I have never felt as such. The SG experience happened many years ago. It was a fun period, but that belongs to my past.
Tying Tiffany's album Drop will be available in March from ZerOKilled Music.
