Piove the metaversal soul the enigmatic fusion of man and digital in music

"NON SONO COME TE" is described as an emotional track with a hardcore spirit, born from allergic reactions and violent outbursts like explosions. Can you share a personal moment or experience that inspired this intense mix of emotions in your single?

There is not a single story to tell, but in a recent moment of my life a series of wrong encounters have led me to experience toxic dynamics. I tried to capture and describe the anger that explodes when you realize you are in troubled waters. From the sensation I had on me, a saturated, dirty, galvanizing texture came out, with some magical creature inside, it was very, very liberating.

"NON SONO COME TE" marks a significant change in your musical style compared to your previous album "MIRACOLO." What drove you to explore a new artistic direction?

I don't think there is a stylistic change between this song and the previous ones. The mood changes. Inspiration has simply changed, for the first time I found myself writing about a violent reaction, while in the past there were more moments of melancholy. Then it must be said that in recent months I have been close to a certain number of new artists, with whom I compare and exchange inputs, and perhaps these interactions have also contributed to what you see as a change.

Your identity as an artist seems shrouded in mystery, known only as PIOVE. How does anonymity contribute to your creativity and artistic expression? How does it allow you to explore the relationship between humans and the digital world, as suggested in the core concept of your works?

Obviously anonymity makes me freer to write, it relieves me of the pressure of my own opinions. In front of the others I place a mask which is the symbolic object of a thousand narrative levels. I used it on the album to represent non-identity, playing with the assumption that human identity is expanding into a liquid globality, much more extensive than physical boundaries. We are in the digital age, without limits, there is only a before and after the internet. I am embodying this concept (transhuman). Anonymity serves to be something other than the confines of the body. If you can be nothing, you can be anyone.

The cover of your new single was designed by Angelo Guttadauro, who also handles the visual aspect of the project with you. How did you tackle the challenge of creating a unique and recognizable visual identity for PIOVE.? Is there a deeper meaning behind the 3D avatar that appears in all your visuals?

It all starts from my passion for artists like Giusy Amoroso, Vakho Jappari, Datura Hex. I wanted that kind of aesthetic. The 3D avatar, my digital alter ego, is a plastic mannequin that moves within these impersonal, empty, cold, cliché worlds of post-industrial scenarios, with a dystopian, horror and fantasy character and has the same meaning as the mask, it represents the absence of identity in the corresponding dimension, the digital one. The 3D and AI video clips composed by Guttadauro are projected in sync with the live music. The album has, now I use a big word, a sort of "dramaturgy" and consequently the videos also follow the narrative. To create all this production it took months of calls, messages, sessions, we work as if we were a lab. The relationship with Angelo Guttadauro began with a photo shooting. He works mostly in fashion photography but he's a 360° creative and listens to cool music. He started playing with my Blender projects until he made them his own, now he does almost everything. Today we found a common understanding, a 50-minute live of uninterrupted music and animation. We went on stage at Videocittà, Festival in Rome, projecting on 12 meters of led wall. It was a very nice experience to be there, I hope to have more occasions like this in the future.

Your music and performances are a mix of genres and influences. How would you describe your approach in integrating elements of futurism, anime, industrial electronics, and hip hop to create a cohesive audiovisual universe? What is the main goal you wish to achieve with this blend of styles?

This music can be played also without video. I go on tour also without video and it works great as well, but having an a/v show it’s more interesting, like having an extra experience, enjoying a bigger part of the same world. My approach is experimental pop, or Italian avant pop. I would like to create a transversal line between digital culture and the Italian mainstream. I believe that beyond me there is a very large audience who would like to listen to "different" music that is not necessarily difficult, my first goal is to connect to them, the second to create a breach, and understand if music like this can exist and have a relevant role in this place.

Interview by Eleonora Pirisi

Image courtesy Piove

RED•EYE WORLD