Introduction: Due to time constraints as regular individuals running Witching Buzz and focusing primarily on writing reviews, we are limited to publishing only one (occasionally two) review(s) per day. However, we strongly believe in providing greater exposure to deserving bands and musicians who have put in immense effort. As a result, we have launched a new section called “Witching Riffs: Behind the Sound.” In this section, we have crafted a series of intriguing questions that we pose to every band or musician who wishes to share more about their unique projects. While the questions remain the same for each participant, the diversity among bands ensures that the answers will be fascinating and diverse. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this captivating journey as we delve into the minds and stories of these talented artists.
Brain Pain / Italy
What drew you to the immersive and hypnotic sounds? How do you aim to captivate your listeners with this genre?
Musically we strive to create blends we never listened to before, or to reinterpret concepts with our own funny swing. Lyrically we use a multileveled style of writing, in the sense that every song has multiple meanings, it can be contextualised or decontextualized while still being meaningful. Lastly there’s the singer’s egg hunt, in every song he hides the words or the title of a song he loves, but we’ll leave it to you to discover them.
Can you share the story behind your band name? How does it reflect the essence of your music?
It came from a real headache moment; we were brainstorming ideas like crazy and as soon as we landed on the name it felt right. It incorporates the way we feel, our problems and illnesses that find an output through our music. It’s also part of the way we write music, as we mash different ideas, personalities and genres into what finally becomes a Brain Pain song. It’s a big puzzle we try to unravel every day.
What are some unconventional or unexpected influences that have shaped your unique blend?
Most of us surely didn’t expect, when starting out, to incorporate reggae in a fundamentally rock ensemble, and yet it came out naturally. We liked it so much that we’re striving to bend genres to achieve the holy grail: Greggae, a mix of grunge and reggae. TOOL is also a big influence and even if it can be scary to look at those guys and say “Yeah, we’re going to try and write a song like that”, it surely is very stimulating. We even managed to teach our singer odd time signatures, and That’s something!
How do you approach creating expansive and atmospheric soundscapes? What techniques or methods do you employ to achieve that signature vibe?
It’s more of a feeling than a proven strategy. We start to write a song and then, when it nears its completion, we ask ourselves “does it sound like us?”. Every song is different, from who writes it to what direction it needs to take so our approach varies drastically. We had songs that came up in 1h and songs that took 6 months, and that’s part of our Pain in the Brain.
Are there specific themes or emotions you seek to convey through your music? How does alternative music help you express those concepts effectively?
We don’t write happy songs very often (at least lyrically), and that’s a reflection of how we see reality nowadays. Wars, hunger, tensions, it’s a shitty mess, however we Always try to find the positive way to surf the brown wave. Our baseline message is basically “Hey, we know it sucks out there, but fuck ‘em, at least we’re gonna have fun!”. We’re also very serious in our messages, when we write about mental health, family struggles, painful losses, we may sound like we’re joking but we believe in what we say, and if our music can help someone in need then we’ve accomplished our goal.
Share a remarkable moment or incident from your journey as a band that exemplifies the spirit of your music.
It would be a scuffle we had with some pretty intolerant people, when we played a small acoustic unamplified set in a remote mountain location. It tells two stories, firstly that we leave no space for intolerance, our music is for Everybody, from every colour, faith and country. Secondly that music doesn’t need a big audience or a 3-gigawatt rig. It’s the soul of what you do that matters, even if raw. A guitar, a percussion and a voice on the shore of a lake. (the bassist wasn’t there that time)
In what ways do you envision your music progressing or evolving in the future? Are there any new elements or experimental approaches you’d like to incorporate?
We have a well-set plan going forward, encasing 3 cycles of 3 albums each, all connected by a story that runs through all 3 albums of that cycle. We’re currently releasing the first album of the first cycle, we call it the Liminal Trilogy, because the songs will touch strangely familiar and unsettling subjects. The unofficial title of The Magazine is Liminal Thoughts, because it’s the most intimate album, it touches our own thoughts, stories and problems. It will then expand in The Family (unofficially Liminal Faces), and The Room (Liminal Places), and as the subject of the title expands, so will the album cover, the song list and the matters discussed inside the album. It’s a growing perspective. We won’t spoil too much yet; however, we promise it will be a fun ride.
Is there a particular song in your discography that perfectly encapsulates the essence of your music? Please elaborate on its creation and significance.
Probably it would be Apricot Sorrow. It’s the first song, and it came up so naturally… It started the way we write music and the way we write lyrics, and shaped all this first album really, theme-wise and style-wise. It talks about how we deal with the memories of a past that will never come back, nostalgia, homesickness, melancholia. It’s also important because by being the first song it’s the one that lived longer, so it really gives you perspective on how they grow and transform over time. It’s a very fascinating process.
Are there any emerging or lesser-known artists within your music genre realm that you find inspiring or deserving of more recognition? Feel free to share their names and what you appreciate about their work.
Certainly, from our surroundings, we cannot leave out A Forest Mighty Black, a heavy stoner quintet from Vicenza. Go give them a listen, and more than anything please see them live, the sound will melt you alive. Then we have our great friends from FSM Bad RockNRoll, they’re heavy, angry, and hella funny. They hail from the tip of the Garda Lake, and they too are to be seen live, the energy is unmatched.
What do you hope listeners experience or feel when they immerse themselves in your compositions? Is there a specific mood or sensation you aim to evoke?
More than anything we hope that by talking about our struggles and sorrows, they can see their own and start to heal. It’s a way to try to help someone in need, and in this path becoming the better version of ourselves. It’s also a way to travel, to experience different stories, kind of like watching a sitcom. For us this project is much more than just the music or the lyrics so we hope that the world we’re slowly building will serve as refuge for those in need, just sit, relax and enjoy the trip. And if in the meantime you wanna start a mosh pit it’s always ENORMOUSLY appreciated.
Turbo Regime:
– Fuzz or distortion? Our singer is literally made of Fuzz, the other ones will go for Distortion.
– Analog or digital effects? In this day and age digital effects can almost exactly replicate analog ones… Almost. Analog all the way of course!
– Sabbath or Zeppelin? It’s split 50-50, 2 for the Zeppelin and 2 for the Sabbath
– Heavy riff or mind-bending solo? Heavy riff, it’s where the solo lays his precious eggs and without the riff-nest he wouldn’t have a place to live
– Vintage gear or modern equipment? Vintage but not too much, only time can mature your gear to the perfect ripeness, not too new, not too old, like an apricot, otherwise it’ll go bad.
https://www.facebook.com/brainpainofficial
Label: Argonauta Records
PR: Grand Sounds Promotion
