Eimog and Discopolis come from different sides of the musical spectrum but they share some common points.

The music of both bands is equally mesmerising

One is that their music is equally mesmerising – swirling, ethereal and quasi-spiritual introspection in Eimog’s case; hypnotic, synth-driven rhythms and layered guitar on Discopolis’ part.

Another thing they share is that they’re both looking forward to coming to Malta.

Discopolis, who describe their music as “raunchy”, are looking forward to a break from Scotland’s cold weather.

“This is a nice time of year for us, as we’re slowing everything down, collecting nuts and curling up into a warm ball over winter. December in Scotland is sure to be a cold one, so we’re all giddy over the idea of a long weekend in Malta.”

Eimog can’t wait to get here:

“We’re very happy to be coming to Malta. We’re especially looking forward to meeting the other bands playing at the festival and hopefully find time to stroll around and get to know a bit of the island.”

Interview with Davide Lo Iacono (Eimog)

What is the biggest inspiration behind Eimog and the band’s musical vision?

I believe inspiration is part of a mystical game linked to one’s own experience of life. There are no boundaries or perceivable horizons in the absence of experience.

Every element on the planet connects what we hear, see and touch. We relate a lot to the world of sensations and emotions and it is this that ultimately guides us when expressing ourselves through music.

As for our musical vision, it is rooted in the sounds we create and has more to do with a human insight than some melancholic aesthetic form. I think that the musical idiom goes beyond life itself; a universe without sounds is something that is not worth living in.

Does being tagged as a post-rock band put you under any pressure when writing new music?

Not really. I’ve always believed tags are only there to distinguish one thing from another. If people feel they should tag us as post-rock then we have no problem with that.

When we write new music we don’t have any tags in mind; it’s the mood we’re in at the time that determines what influences the music. We’ve never felt the need to stick to any particular musical style just because we’re tagged as apost-rock band.

How difficult was it for Eimog to break into the Italian music and beyond, and what were your biggest obstacles?

It is very difficult. These days, life is so fast-paced that no-one has time to even listen to a vinyl record, let alone give a new band a chance. Fortunately, the scene in Sicily is quite big and all the bands work together and support each other.

The rest of Italy is a harder market to break into. New bands face the same problem, namely that venues make you feel like they’re doing you a favour in giving youa gig.

There are too many stereotypical mentalities that need changing. Whoever creates art puts in a lot of time and money and should always be treated with the utmost respect.

In Europe for example, we felt we were treated very well; perhaps other countries are more appreciative of the hard work and sacrifices that artists make in order to share with the world an intimate part of themselves, however small.

Your music is essentially instrumental… Is there any particular reason why you avoid vocals or is it something you haven’t considered just yet?

We’ve always considered including vocal extracts in our music. Who knows, perhaps in the future we may actually do it, but only if we are fully convinced. To us, the instrumental dimension instils a magical feeling in the music. We feel sheltered in the way that all the instruments blend in without dominating each other, thereby creating a sonic equilibrium that comes close to evoking a quasi-religious sacredness.

We’re very attached to instrumental orchestration and the need for vocals within a song still seems a bit alien to us right now.

What’s next for Eimog?

The band is currently in the studio working on the second album. We have no idea as to what it will eventually sound like or what novel elements will find their way into our music.

At this stage we’re simply writing music in a free-spirited kind ofway. It feels like we’ve gone back to being teenagers again and it’s a good feeling.

www.myspace.com/eimogmusic

Interview with Discopolis

You went from virtual unknowns to revelations in a relatively short time. Did you have any inkling that Discopolis would take off the way it has, and what were your initial reactions to the success?

We had no idea things were going to move the way they have, T in the Park itself came as a huge, very welcome surprise. From there’s it’s been getting used to the fact that although it already feels hectic, it’s about to get a lot busier!

You’ve had some great opportunities, playing some key gigs and festivals this past year. What has been your favourite moment so far?

Seeing the turnout at Reading was incredible, they made it really easy for us to get into the gig, which isn’t always so easy! However, playing in Romania might just have topped that; it was our first time in Europe and the people were just swell!

Was the mesh of beats, synths and guitar sounds at the core of your signature sound always on the cards from the band’s formation, or did you toy with other genres/styles in getting to where you are now?

We started as two separate projects; Fergus and Laurie were part of a guitar band named Ryan’s Mothership, and Dave was a producer (One Dollar Dave) in his own right, creating house/electro music. As both projects had their fall-downs and successes, a natural fusion formed. Dave had obviously been used to creating music without a drummer so we thought we’d give it a go. We can imagine one day having a drummer again, but right now it’s working pretty well.

What’s the plan from here on?

Next year’s set to be busy as we’re releasing a couple more singles and hoping to do many more gigs around Europe!

www.facebook.com/discopolismusic