Dear readers, in this article we have the pleasure of offering you an interview with an Italian band that
combines a passion for cinema with Prog, Doom and other music. We welcome Kotiomkin.
Hello, how are you?
“When we release a brand new album we always feel great and if it creates interest in zines like yours we are even more satisfied.“
Your name Kotiomkin I guess comes from the Fantozzi movie right?
“Yes, it is taken from “Il Secondo Tragico Fantozzi”. Not everyone knows that the film production didn’t have the copyright to use the famous scene from “The Battleship Potemkin”. So Luciano Salce decided to remake and reshoot the whole scene as a parody, passing it off as the original. It is a name that therefore best represents our intentions.“
Your music incorporates elements of Prog, Doom, Stoner and Soundtrack. Where does your passion for these genres and Cinema come from?
“From the beginning the project had the objective of creating soundtracks for fictitious movies written by me (Enzo P. Zeder), that I am a profound viewer of Italian genre cinema. I tried to have a very realistic approach to the subject, obviously my musical influences also came outside (as I imagine happened to the composers of the time).“
Your new album “Le Casalingue – The Satanic Rites of Cobram” was released on September 29, 2023, how would you describe this work?
“Our fourth album closes what we call the “Villagio Trilogy”, i.e. albums for which we have found fictitious titles scattered throughout the Paolo Villaggio filmography, which began with “Squartami Tutta” and then continued with “Lo Albicocco Al Curaro”. This album is characterized by a wall of distortions and eclecticism seasoned with a massive use of analog synthesizers. Since it is a plot with a strong erotic and esoteric content, the result is a work that is as sensual as it is dark.“
Long tracks in which you experiment with instruments, how does the creative process of your music take place?
“The composition goes hand in hand with the writing of the movie’s subject: depending on what the script needs, my mind develops the atmosphere of the tracks. Very often I compose while watching a movie similar to the one I’m creating. Over the years we have learned not to be scared by tracks that are too long!“
The sound is very intense and sophisticated, will there be a chance to hear you live in the near future?
“We have never avoided live situations and have also played on unforgettable occasions, such at the “Cinevento Francesco De Masi”, and we are always available to perform on worthy occasions. However, we are aware that we are not easy to listen to. We wait confidently.“
Music is constantly evolving, how do you see today’s scene in your genre?
“We do not believe we belong to a specific music genre other than that of Avant-Garde which, being by its nature free of commercial pretensions, is constantly evolving and will never die.“
You have released several albums, how has your sound evolved over time?
“We have a particular history: in the first two albums we were a trio (bass, guitar and drums). At the time our sound was a much more standard sound at the service of already quite unusual compositions. Then we have become a duo and I took the opportunity to transform the band into what I had in mind from the beginning which, perhaps due to a lack of equipment and courage, I had not been able to implement. At the first times I had not procured enough synthesizers and I wasn’t yet technically ready to carry all the today’s
sound on my shoulders.“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music in a more sophisticated genre such as yours?
“The advice we would like to give is to listen to as much music as possible and always be curious to discover new sounds and hidden masterpieces from the past.“
Do you have any other passions or artistic activities outside music?
“As is easy to imagine, we have a deep passion for the cult cinema of the 60s/70s/80s which, if taken as seriously as that for music, occupies much of our free time.“
I thank Kotiomkin for the interview and wish them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
Read our Review of their new album here: [Review] Kotiomkin – Le Casalingue – The Satanic Rites of Cobram
Follow and support the artist, purchase and stream their music at the following links:
