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Considering my affection for Fuzz Club Records' offerings among the label's releases over the past year, I obviously didn't miss the second LP by the Italians The Gluts titled 'Estasi' (here is the album review: https://www.debaser.it/the-gluts/estasi/recensione) released last May 5th.
Aligned with the neo-psychedelic current featuring groups like Singapore Sling, The Underground Youth, and Sonic Jesus themselves, 'Estasi' is a tremendously convincing album that combines typical genre sounds with noise obsessions of the Telescopes brand and devotion to Joy Division.
To talk about their latest album and to know what the group has planned for the next year 2018, I asked them five questions which I publish below, thanking them again for having responded and for their availability shown towards the DeBaser community.
Happy reading.
1. As I often do during these interviews, I prefer to start from the beginning. Therefore, the first question is about what your cultural background (not just musical) is and consequently when and how the project The Gluts was born. Did it develop at least initially around a particular concept and with what references?
THE GLUTS. It would be nice to talk about concepts, ideas, cultural backgrounds just to give ourselves some style. Fundamentally, The Gluts were born out of urgency, a need more from the gut than the head.
2. Fundamentally, I don't think I'm wrong when I state that your original matrix was derivative of post-punk and certain experiences linked to the new wave world. This is certainly not something unprecedented in the neo-psychedelia world. I think, just to name one, of The Underground Youth or Sonic Jesus themselves, particularly their second album ('Grace'). When and why did you expand your horizons towards more psychedelic sounds? Did all this happen naturally, or was it a targeted and conscious choice?
THE GLUTS. We've been playing together for several years, coming from different experiences. We're fundamentally a punk group. Certainly, some psychedelic traits are present and coexist with the new wave world. It's no secret that Joy Division set the standard.
As previously mentioned, nothing is pre-planned. The only reason we don't have a writer's block during composition is probably that we don't need to reach any predetermined result. We play, sketch ideas, discard stuff, pick up old things to revolutionize them... maybe the new album will be totally garage, who can say.
3. You've shared the stage with the White Hills. In writing about 'Estasi', I've mentioned an affinity regarding a certain 'obsessiveness' with historic groups like Public Image Limited or contemporary ones (Singapore Sling). Do you believe there is indeed a component of this type in your sound? The question might seem like a kind of logic exercise, but does this kind of noisy, loud, obsessive sound come first, or is it the consequence of some overwhelming emotions that need to be expressed with these sounds?
THE GLUTS. With the White Hills, a good friendship and mutual respect have been established, Dave even mixed a track for us recently.
Regarding the obsessiveness, you've probably captured an important nuance. We're all a bit obsessive, some more than others, and probably transmit this tension that can be perceived in our sound. When we write, the emotional factor is determinant, so perhaps the noise simply accompanies our emotions.
4. Fuzz Club Records. How did you get in contact with the legendary and friendly London label? How important was their support in the making of 'Estasi'? Did the 'contact' happen before or after the album was in the works?
THE GLUTS. Fuzz Club is like a small dream come true. It might sound "lame" as a phrase, but it's the truth. It's a label we've always admired, and last year while we were recording the album, if someone had asked: who would you like to release it with? The answer would have been Fuzz Club.
The contacts were very natural. As stubborn as we are, we decided to record the new album without having a shred of a contract in hand. We then sent an almost final mix of the album to Casper, he liked it, and we immediately clicked.
5. With the fifth and final question, I expand our boundaries a bit and try to talk about something not strictly related to music. You are from Milan. How much and what of your city is there in the music of The Gluts? What does it mean to live in Milan today and in the aftermath of an event considered historic like EXPO? Finally, what can we expect from The Gluts in the near future?
THE GLUTS. We love Milan, it's a city that offers a lot. In Milan, if you're willing to hustle, you can achieve what you've always dreamed of. You don't always succeed, but at least it gives you the opportunity to try.
Without going into the merit of good expo / bad expo, we like how the city has improved. Surely, there's a lack of venues with the courage to offer a certain type of musical proposal. Apart from Cox and Ligera, the rest of the venues can't afford to host medium-small bands due to size and mentality/programming type. We were very sorry when Lo-Fi decided to close, for example.
In the immediate future, a European tour is scheduled, the vinyl release of the live studio recorded on a ship in London, and we're working on some new tracks. We don't know yet how and when these new tracks will be released. In the meantime, Reverb Conspiracy vol. 5 is being pressed, which will feature us alongside artists like 10'000 Russos, TRAAMS, Dead Vibrations, and many others. It will be an exciting 2018!
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