Lato brings together different influences blending them into an original form of rock. Vocals, guitars and rhythm section carefully entwine with a touch of 'electronica', and ethnic vibes go hand in hand with a natural propensity for psychedelia. Lato is the result of a long underground experience that has allowed the band to reach a mature, extremely expressive and sophisticated sound. The bass line that molded its way into our souls on a sunny May afternoon carries "Karisma Ape" all the way through. The half-spoken vocals reverberate upfront narrating the story of a charismatic figure obsessed with power. But dominance only plays a role in the material world, eventually dissolving as the spirit takes over. So, the guitars gradually come in, building up a layer of echoes that continue well beyond the lyrics, these are coupled by the organ and synth that guide the tune into an ethereal aura.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Lato. What made you want to become a musician?
Tom: Since when I was a child I was fascinated by the rhythm and the bass sounds. I started off with some percussions until I finally picked up my first bass when I was 15 and that instrument become an extension of my body from that moment onwards.
Fil: I have always been fascinated by anything that makes a sound since when I was old enough to remember. I clearly remember the astonishment at listening to the different sounds you can make by touching a glass with a spoon. As soon as I put my hands on a piano I knew that those vibrations would be an essential part of my life.
Who helped you most in your musical journey?
First of all, we had the opportunity to listen to different genres growing up in a city like Milano, where you easily get to know different musicians and discover music from around the world. This environement surely gave us a boost. We then toured a lot playing in all kinds of different venues. Being on the road made us go through exhilarating but also tough situations. For example, the US east coast tour led us to play in NY, Philadelphia and Buffalo, and other smaller towns, an incredible and unique experience. This whole process of taking our music around prepared us for new challenges and made us figure out exactly what we wanted our music to sound like.
Your latest release is “Karisma Ape”. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
“Karisma Ape” sprouted from a bassline that stuck to us so much that we had to turn it into a song. What’s unusual is that we had no idea where that baseline would take us, but we just followed it as it mesmerized our souls. Kind of like on the whole album, we let the groove guide us and gradually the song took shape. We just let the music grow without feeling forced to get the song wrapped up. It took a while for this whole process to take form but once completed the songs are really deeply rooted in us. That makes every track feel fresh and alive every time we play it, and each live version is different from the other. The new songs reflect the sonic richness we wanted to express. We didn’t just want to write good songs but also caress the depth of the soul of those that listen to our music through our sound, vibes, and images.
What social issues are you most passionate about?
Misinformation, social justice, the environment, eduction, and any form of discrimination
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
To keep updated with the new musical trends wordì-of-mouth continues to be very important for us. The spread of news and information between different people that make music and gravitate around the music scene in one way or another is an essential source of new music. Now a good share of this also takes place through blogs, social media, and interactions with other artists on the web, but the concept is always the same.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
The first thing we want is for people to instinctively be attracted and moved by our sound and the images we associate with it. Whenever this happens this is extremely gratifying. On another level, once you dig deeper, the lyrics are an integral part of our music. As a matter of fact, our upcoming album “Karisma” is a concept album, and each song represents a different facet of charisma which we believe is a vital component of human interaction. Charisma can sometimes drive people to make better collective decisions, but it can also lead to disastrous atrocities.
What’s an average day like for you?
Since music is still not our only source of income, we also have other jobs, and we can’t wait to break away to play and listen to music. Other than that we like to spend time in the open air, go hiking and generally letting our minds drift.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
Our interaction with fans frequently occurs through social network channels like FB and IG, but the most intense moments are always when we play live and have a chance to meet, interact and get to know each other better.
By the way: feel free to get in touch because we believe interacting with those that listen is an essential part of the artistic experience.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
If you have inspiration and feel the urge to express it don’t let anyone or anything stop you, just keep going. Wherever that inspiration takes you it’s worth following it.
What are your plans for the future?
Our plans for the future are that after having dropped three singles we will release our upcoming album “Karisma” in 2023. To accompany the release we look forward to touring so that we can finally let our new music be heard live and get to physically interact with the audience. Looking beyond, we are already working on new material which hopefully will turn into a new album within a couple of years. Also, we are constantly looking for new stimuli and expanding our frontiers. At the moment, we are looking into a collaboration with the world of motion pictures, but for now this is top secret!