#INTERNETVIEW26 t0ni 'EXIT LIFE'
On the eve of the release, Italo-Australian electronic music producer, Soul Feeder and Electronic avantgardeposting™ founding member Thomas Borgogni, also known as t0ni shared his feelings and answered our questions about upcoming "EXIT LIFE" ten-track EP.
'reflecting on life'
#IG: It’s been almost two years since your last EP "Fake It or Make It" was released. How long did it take you to get back to writing music again? When did you start working on the new EP?
T: When “Fake It or Make It” came out I was still living in Shanghai and covid hadn’t started yet, it seems like ages ago. As soon as it was released my whole life changed and I was forced to go back to Europe and isolate in the Italian countryside. I’ve basically been working on this music since then, going back on tracks multiple times, and getting them ready to be officially released also thanks to the help of st.fkn.michael mastering skills.
#IG: What was your inspiration for making tracks and how did you come to the concept of "drumless emotional music”?
T: During that time I completely stopped listening to any kind of club music as I found it "useless" and didn’t help me during my day to day life, so I started moving to more ambient and emotional things. I really couldn’t stand the sound of drums anymore so it kind of felt natural to tune my own production towards this same direction. I was spending a lot of time on my own, reflecting on life, past experiences and I basically tried to put it into music.
'cute little creature flying in a dark sky'
#IG: The release received a stunning artwork by the London based artist Amal Guichard. Like her previous works, this one is filled with childhood nostalgia, where time has blurred the images, leaving only contours and emotional depth. Does the cover reflect your personal nostalgia? What does it depict?
T: Sure, Amal is an insane artist and I feel really blessed to have her artwork on this EP. I really wanted something nostalgic and emotional but also representing some kind of iconic creature the listener could empathize with. Her workflow is really collaborative and we went back and forth with ideas and changes until we came up with this cute little creature flying in a "dark sky?" together. There were several other versions of the cover that were made that unfortunately will never see the day of light but they were also really beautiful.
'I haven’t been so excited for something in a long time'
#IG: Which track is closer to you? Share the story of how this one was written?
T: This is a hard one. Each track has it’s own personal story but maybe the one I’m most connected at the moment is "2020". I used to ride to this sad, deserted and dark countryside supermarket to help my mum collect groceries during winter lockdown between music sessions and now it kind of feels like the soundtrack for its spooky basement carpark. Even though I moved to Berlin and I’m miles away from that place every time I play it it reminds me of that moment in time and space. I remember it being quite a shitty moment of my life but rethinking about it now being alone at night in the remote countryside and having time to think in peace feels kind of romantic actually.
#IG: There's not much time left until the EP is released. What are you feeling right now?
T: I’m super excited and really can’t wait to share it. I haven’t been so excited for something in a long time. I really hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. It’s definitely the deepest and most powerful music I’ve ever released. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be connected to this EP for the rest of my life.
#IG: Are there any new works to look forward to in the near future?
T: Right now since the EP is finished I’m really focusing on my own label Soul Feeder with a lot of really amazing artists that are going to release music for us real soon plus a series of shows around Europe we are working on. It’s an exciting time. I also hope I have time to go back on Ableton real soon, we’ll see!