Catarina Barbieri's Retro-Futurism: The Echoes Interview
VEiiLA are Russian emigres who fled their country after the invasion of Ukraine, seeking some kind of solace in North America, where they have been somewhat nomadic. Before they left, they had already released their debut album and now have the beautifully and darkly rendered follow-up, Sentimental Craving for Beauty. The music is centered on the introspective and often forlorn lyrics of singer and guitarist Vif Nüte and the synthesizers of Bes Eirid. The band has called their sound “music for introverts” but it could as well be music for the depressed, the forlorn and the love-lost. But it is beautiful, which is why it’s the Echoes CD of the Month for September.
Hear it September 5th on the air or at Right Now at Echoes Online!
Electronic music Italian style when we talk to Caterina Barbieri. She’s a solo artist who works in modular synthesis, creating a sound of slowly-evolving patterns that weave through EDM, Minimalism and sequencer drive. She harkens back to pioneers like Morton Subotnick and shares his psychedelic underpinnings. At Big Ears Festival 2023, we caught up with Caterina Barbieri after her stellar live performance.
Read John Diliberto’s review of Big Ears Festival 2023 and Caterina Barbieri’s performance.
Caterina Barbieri Feature Playlist
Caterina Barbieri – Canticle of Cryo – Spirit Exit
Caterina Barbieri – Sufyowowirl – Myuthafoo
Caterina Barbieri – Knot of Spirit (Synth Version) – Spirit Exit
Bass Nectar – Ephemeral – Noise vs Beauty
Deadmau5 – Phantoms Can’t Hang – While (1<2)
Caterina Barbieri – Vibrational Prison – Noctuary: Early Synthesis Works
Morton Subotnick – Silver Apples of the Moon – Silver Apples of the Moon
Caterina Barbieri – Noctuary – Noctuary
Caterina Barbieri – Pneuma – Vertical
Terry Riley – A Rainbow in Curved Air – A Rainbow in Curved Air
Caterina Barbieri – Fantas – Ecstatic Computation
Caterina Barbieri – Closest Approach to Your Orbit – Ecstatic Computation
Caterina Barbieri – Math of You – Myuthafoo
Caterina Barbieri – Myuthafoo – Myuthafoo
Caterina Barbieri – Terminal Clock – Spirit Exit