Drummer Virgil Donati on Icefish and the new album,  Human Hardware

The mucisian tells us his favourite tracks from the album
Icefish
Icefish

Australian Prog Rock and Metal drummer Virgil Donati is a legend when it comes to percussion. The musician got his first drum kit at the age of two and a record label at the age of 15. We catch up with the drummer as he comes to Bengaluru with his new band, Icefish. Icefish has Andrea Casali on bass and vocals, producer Alex Argento on keyboard and Marco Sfogli on guitars. They released their latest album Human Hardware in late 2017.

What is the sound of Icefish? 
In my opinion, we have strong Progressive leanings, with very little Djent contamination typical of so much of today’s Progressive scene. It seems that from most of the early reviews and fan commentary, it’s a fresh sound and approach. It’s always nice to hear that people perceive your work with those feelings.

What genres are you influenced by? 
When I sit down and compose music, it comes from within. It is expressed in a very improvised manner. I suppose the origin of those expressions are derived from a lifetime of study and practice to understand how to better express those feelings, and those origins do include many influences, however now it simply flows through my playing. My music hopefully has taken on a life of its own. And I think the same can be said for the other main songwriters in the band Alex and Marco. How else can you create truly original music?

Tell us a little bit about the songs in Human Hardware. 
Solitude is a song about being comfortable with yourself, having a feeling of complete independence, without being needy and attached. It’s about the feelings of an artist (in any field), finding his inner peace and his artistic potential when he is focused and alone. Another favourite is 5 Years. At the time the song was written, the people of Syria had endured five years of extreme difficulties. This is about the youth who were forced to flee their homeland, and the hardships they face daily. Revolution is inspired by the various movements around the world in recent years, which signal growing unrest towards corrupt governments and civil servants. These are my favourites because I also wrote many of the lyrics, and I feel that the music is linked to the lyrics.

What are your plans for 2018? 
My main focus in and around all the touring will be to write and produce a new solo record, and also to begin work on the second IceFish record.

Rs. 500 upwards. Feb 23, 8 pm. At Opus, Harlur Road

anagha@newindianexpress.com  @anaghzzz

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