In the Oxford Dictionary:
Genuine: (adj.) Truly what something is said to be; authentic.
(origin): Late 16th century (in the sense ‘natural or proper’): from Latin “genuinus”, from “genu”, knee (with reference to the Roman custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn child by placing it on his knee).
In early 2019, with Ryan about to leave with his family for their year-round discovery travel around Australia and Orient, we decided to rush in at Niko’s Pughouse to grab a snapshot of the hard work of our latest years with Radiosuccessi. Our aim wasn’t that of recording a CD for public release. We only cherished the idea of a memento before our band’s lustrous was definitely gone!
With a list of our favourite songs scribbled down on the back of a shopping receipt during the early morning drive to the studio, and a bucket packed with loads of nice food and coffee, we ended up enjoying one of our best days of music, chats, and laughter.
A year has passed and we still wonder how and why that could have happened. Whether it was the relaxed atmosphere of the Christmas holidays we were still cradling in, or maybe the dreamy mood we all unexpectedly felt wrapped into while recording Chico Buarque's “Samba e Amore” as our very first song that morning… Who knows how? In any case, we got through our entire setlist with only one take of each song and ... it was done! To our own utmost surprise – as well as proudness, of course, and satisfaction! – with only a bunch of hours in the studio we found ourselves with something really special and precious! Something so authentic that we all felt it needed to be shared with all music-lovers. Untouched by “post-production magic”, sincere and real: with all its imperfections and inaccuracies too! Spontaneous for who we really are.
Genuinely, Radiosuccessi!
With this in mind take a look at the details of our CD cover!
This is an excerpt from the painting “Cosmic Man with Diagrams of Newar Yogic Six Chakra Transformation” (Anonymous, Central Tibet, ca. 19th century – property of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, www.lacma.org, https://collections.lacma.org/node/171830), detailing the fifth chakra, Vishudda: traditionally associated with creativity, communication, truth and self-expression.
And our portrait?
A selfie taken at the entrance of Pughouse Studio, at the end of our day of recording.
(We just put the camera on of our cars and commanded it via mobile phone!) ☺
If this sounds all too good to be true, the following is the email exchange between us in the days following our recording session. For a closer snippet on what truly happened during our recording session you can also watch our video La regina dello YeYe on YouTube.
From: Mirko / to: all - 06.01.2019, 12:32
Hi guys,
first of all let me thank all of you for your incredible musicianship and professionalism.
I wish I could have been millionaire to compensate you with what you really deserve. And also to call a proper pianist and saxophone player!!
Please find a link below where you can listen to a super super quick and rough mix of all the tracks. It sounds already very good to me (incredible work Niko..).
It was a wonderful experience and think this for a moment: we met in the studio, started playing at around 11.30 and at 6pm we had 10 tracks down, and the level of playing, intensity and deepness is blowing my mind. When you listen to Samba e Amor (the first track we recorded) there is something in the pace and the way we played that, as Niko commented, it is so unbelievably gorgeous. It is peaceful, intense and intimate. The song is all about being in the bedroom, after having made love the whole night, and while the world is awakening around you, all the workers are going to work and the trucks are passing by in the street, the protagonist feels safe and isolated in his personal (serene) mood. Isn't it exactly what we played there?
I have sent all the tracks to my man in Rio de Janeiro to see whether he wants to mix and master it.
I am caressing the idea of releasing an album.....recorded in one day! Like only the real ones are able to do.
Love to all of you.
Mirko
From: Niko / to: all – 06.01.2019, 18:59
Hi Tutti,
Mirko: such nice and warm words.
Thank you and Ilaria for creating such a wonderful atmosphere to work, play and luxuriate in.
Congratulations Tom, for so quickly and easily fitting into the Italian experience. Always a pleasure playing with you.
Hugs and Love
Niko
From: Ryan / to: all – 07.01.2019, 10:17
Brilliant work tutti! Lots of luscious moments in those tracks we recorded. I love the whistling and bv's and extra bits too. Keep caressing that idea Mirko - it's a good one.
Keep me in the loopy loop.
🙂
Ryan
From: Mirko / to: all – 18.03.2019, 17:24
Hi guys,
at this link … you find all the songs, mixed by Roberto in a possible order for the CD.
You guys played so beautifully that I still cannot believe it was all done in one day...
Cheers
Mirko
From: Ryan / to: all – 19.03.2019, 16:29
Hi there friends,
Thank you for sending the mixes through Mirko. It is so nice to hear this music now. What an amazing day of recording that was. So many incredible takes and sizzling vibe especially on the ballads. Tua is absolutely exquisite!!! I was dancing to Il Vino with a glass of rosso on the balcony of the hostel in Bellingen as the thunder rolled in. Perfetto!!!
I miss you all.
X
Ryan.
From: Niko / to: all – 19.03.2019, 23:17
Astounding session!
There are times when it all comes together.
Love youze all.
Niko
To help us in our attempt at reducing the impact of the music industry on the environment we hope you will decide to buy our CD via Bandcamp.
However should you decide to want a physical copy of our CD, a surprise is on its way for you!
As a tiny act of love for our planet, Radiosuccessi have chosen to self-produce and hand-make our CD and its Cover/Booklet, upcycling new but unused/discarded/scrap materials we directly recovered from other industries/factories in our neighbourhood.
ENJOY!
You won’t find us on Spotify or any other music streaming channels.
Here is why:
As you can read on The Guardian, 19.03.2020 (article by Laura Snapes) “Spotify does not disclose how much it pays artists per stream, but analysts have calculated it at about US$0.00318, meaning that a rights holder would receive $3.18 per 1,000 streams.”
See: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/19/musicians-ask-spotify-to-triple-payments-to-cover-lost-concert-revenue
Moreover and even more important it seems that “whatever the format, owning copies of our favourite and most treasured music, and playing them over and over again, might just be the best option for our environment”.
See: https://theconversation.com/the-environmental-impact-of-music-digital-records-cds-analysed-108942
Costs of our CD – self-production.
Recording, Mixing, Mastering plus other expenses: AUD 2812
Materials to produce a physical copy of a CD 440
Total production costs: $3252
Which means that if we sell CDs at 10 dollars each, we start profiting when we sell the 326th copy.
On Spotify, we would make it even after 677500 streams.
Credits:
Ilaria Crociani – Voice
Mirko Guerrini – Saxophones, piano, nose flute, backing vocals
Ryan Griffith – Guitars, Clarinet
Tom Lee – Double bass
Niko Schäuble – Drums, Backing vocals
Recorded by Niko Schäuble at Pughouse Studios on January 2, 2019, Melbourne, Australia.
Mixed by Roberto Lioli in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Mastered by Stefano Cappelli at Creative Mastering Studio in Forlì, Italy.
Radiosuccessi would like to thank Luna Pavone (our special Mary Poppins) and Leonardo for entertaining Greta, Ugo and Giorgio during the recording session.
Mirko Guerrini is playing D'Addario mouthpieces and reeds.
The entire work is dedicated to the fine memory of our dearest Carlo Alberto Canevali, the first one to imagine Radiosuccessi on a stage.
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