Biography


1967. I was born in a small town between Rimini and Cesena, Italy.
1981. Pink Floyd's Ummagumma was a cognitive revolution, besides an intro to a bunch of rock stuff.
1983. Early sound experiments with absolutely no knowledge of music theory, using the PC Commodore 64. Wrote several programs for sound / noise improvisation and random music generation. This was the beginning of my new obsession.
1985. Stole my sister's acoustic guitar. Started to study music, mostly self-taught.
1986. Played drums in a short-term blues band with no name, based in Gambettola.
1987. Classic and Contemporary music was the second revolution: Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Bartok, and so on.
1988. Bought my first electric guitar, a Fender Telecaster.
1988. Played guitar in a rock-blues cover band called Outsiders, based in Cesena. It was a short-term project.
1989. Played in another cover-band called Capo Nero Blues Band, based in Cesenatico. The repertory included long psychedelic jams, west coast style (Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, etc.). It was another short-term project.
1990. Formed, together with my friend guitarist Paolo Bondi, a rock band called Andalusian Dog, based in Cesena. The band's repertory included mostly his own music, a crossover of hard, punk and psychedelia.
1992. Joined the art association Sinapsi, based in Cesena. Composed the soundtrack and played on the live act Assedio alla Rocca, the show took place at the Forlimpopoli's Castle. With Sinapsi I also did an exposition of pictures about the making of the short movie Scatole Cinesi.
1993. After several changes in the line up, Andalusian Dog project was disbanded.
1993. Started a new project with drummer Marco Zoffoli, the band's name was Nirvana For Mice, based in Cesenatico. This band moved in the direction of an experimental prog-rock repertory. They released several self produced tapes, including: O.S., I, Arabian Sabian, Megapprani e Canterulli.
1995. After various line up changes, Nirvana For Mice project was disbanded.
1996. Started the band Pipco, another project with drummer Marco Zoffoli, based in Cesenatico. This was a Frank Zappa cover band, even if the band largely adapted his music. The band played in the most important Zappa Festivals all around Italy, including the first two editions of the Sarteano Zappa Day (near Siena), and two editions of the Cesenatico Zappa Day. They released several self-produced tapes and one CD: In Cerca Di Mr. Zappa.
1998. After various line up changes, Pipco project became Pipco PowerTrio, an instrumental trio (bass, guitar and drums). This band released one self-produced double live CD: Pipco PowerTrio.
1998. Short collaborations with various musicians: Eugenio "Piccione" Balzani (Italian songwriter), Vesna (rock band) and Gag Me With The Spoon (hard-surf band).
1999. Pipco PowerTrio project was disbanded.
2000. I moved to the USA, Berkeley, California. This move coincided with the starting of a new life, which had a significant impact in my music sensibility as well. Started a deep immersion into ambient / atmospheric / minimalist / experimental music.
2000. Got married at San Francisco City Hall.
2001. My first son was born.
2001. Wrote Le Scale e Gli Accordi - Fondamenti di Armonia - Diteggiature per Chitarra, a book about music harmony, scales, chords, guitar fingerings, and relationship between harmony and acoustics in western music.
2004. My second son was born.
2005. After several years of experimenting in soundscapes, my first self-produced solo album was released: Soundscape Metamorphosis.
2005. Started the parallel project ustr?ga, with Ettore Pasquini (turntable, effects). The duo started working on an album of noise / experimental music.
2006. ustr?ga released the first album: rubbil.
2006. ustr?ga started the rcordings of the new project pralnov.