Fur And Gold discovered Bronx-born Italian-American indie electronic artist Fiorious through his colorful, kaleidoscope video for “7 Steps” and were excited to get to know him a little better. DJ Brent Covington asked him about his new album, his pink suit and his hairy chest and learned about the music scene in Italy in the process. We will be celebrating the release of the debut Fiorious album at the next Fur & Gold party, so come see what all the hype is about!
Fur And Gold: Fiorious, your new eponymously titled album has just been released. As a full-time independent (indie) musician, what has been the process of writing and releasing your music?
Fiorious: Well, being indie isn’t for everyone. Some days it’s very hard to balance everything, but I’ve come to see more advantages than disadvantages. I’m not waiting for anyone to give me a creative direction, for video concepts, etc. I answer to myself. It’s really freeing but at the same time you can’t point any fingers when things don’t work out either. I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some great people, Marco Tozzi, my co-producer on the album, tons of great DJs and producers have reached out to do remixes, super-talented video directors. And then I also have a constant dialogue with fans via Facebook and Twitter, so feedback and exchange is immediate and neither of us holds back much so it’s very cool the way this project has grown and connected with people organically.
F&G: I would describe your music as Sexy! How would you describe your sound, and what genres or musicians inspire you?
Fiorious: Good! I definitely set out to make really physical, sweaty, sexy music. A lot of these tracks were born from beats and baselines I came up with and I really wanted the groove as the foundation, but then also real songs on top of them. I wanted to make dance music that combined house and disco-funk with soul and new wave and pop. My playlist while making the album ranged from LCD Soundsystem and Sylvester and Deee-Lite to David Bowie and OutKast and Robyn. Right now I’m preparing the next album so I’m in a very heavy dance place: Inner City, Disclosure, Storm Queen, and lots of 80s freestyle.
F&G: What is the music scene in Italy like, and is there a thriving indie music scene?
Fiorious: Absolutely. Being from NYC, you tend to think you’re exposed to everything, which you kind of are. But there are so many pockets of thriving electronic music scenes around the world, and being in Italy gave me a fresh perspective on things. Sometimes in NYC, it’s overstimulation to the point of numbness and white noise, so stepping away actually allowed my creative juices to flow in a new way. And they love their house music, let me tell you. My next album is mostly being produced by an amazing Italian house DJ called Scuola Furano, and we come from totally different places. He literally lives on the border of Italy and Slovenia, but his passion for and knowledge of New York, Chicago, and Detroit disco and house is astonishing, so we’re really having a lot of fun combining our worlds.
F&G: I love your single, “So Pretty,” and the video is gorgeous. How involved are you with your visuals – videos and cover art?
Fiorious: I’m super involved in every detail of everything as anyone I’ve worked with will tell you, from video treatments and editing to styling and remixes. But I’m not a dick about it, or at least I try really hard not to be. I really love collaboration with talented, strong-minded people with their own visions, and choosing the right people and trusting your instincts are both equally important. I just love the process, the battle of fighting for your ideas until the end result is better than the original seed of a concept. I don’t have any ego issues like that; I’ll always choose the best idea and always push everyone, especially myself, to do better. For example, one week before we recorded “So Pretty,” I completely rewrote the chorus after a passing comment my co-producer Marco had made weeks before about the melody and it stuck with me. He later said the original chorus was fine the way it was, but I knew it could be better and I’m glad he pushed me to get there. And sometimes it’s just good to be a crazy Virgo perfectionist.
F&G: I’ve seen photos of you looking smashing in your pink suit and would love to know if there is any fur or gold underneath it?
Fiorious: Are you kidding? There’s a tropical rainforest under there. I’ve got fur for days. As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing some shows in the pink suit this summer and sweating my ass off as a result. I might have to retire it soon and switch to tank tops so the fur can breathe. No gold, however, I gotta work on that.
F&G: What can one expect from your live performances, and will you be touring in the US for the new album?
Fiorious: Lots of sweat and booty-shaking! I’ve got a show in NYC on Sept. 5 and then back to Europe for shows and to finish recording and mixing the next album. But I’ll be back. Can’t wait to perform these songs everywhere. That means you too, Boston.
For more information about Fiorious, please visit his website, http://www.fiorious.com/
