Derma interview: ‘We could never create music just to sell it’
Derma
Listening to Derma‘s new album “Gran Monoplano”-released on Ant-Zen-, I suddenly felt 30 years younger. It was as if I had woken up in the mid-80s, a time when Electronic music still felt new and completely alternative. This release, created by the Italian duo Riccardo Bianchi and Massimo Magrini (the latter best known for his Dark-Ambient project Bad Sector), blends Electro-Wave with good old EBM. While it doesn’t break new ground, it feels refreshingly vibrant—thanks largely to its overall sound production and clever use of vintage sampling. The album has a magical, infectious quality. It’s the kind of music that makes me instantly happy because it captures the essence of Electro: original sounds, uncomplicated structures, and meticulous attention to detail. It was an honor to speak with the legendary Massimo Magrini about this album—and so much more. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: What is the chemistry between you two, and how does it translate into the Derma project and your latest album, “Gran Monoplano”?
Massimo: We’ve been friends for a long time and have collaborated on many projects, both musical and more broadly artistic. Riccardo has a great talent for working with lyrics—something I personally lack—so our skills really complement each other.
Q: How did “Gran Monoplano” come about, and what were the different stages you went through during its creation? What were the biggest difficulties and challenges you faced?
Massimo: We wanted to further explore the direction we began with “Signore E Signori, Buonanotte”. We focused more on the vocals, making them more prominent and, in a sense, more intelligible. We also wanted to push further into fully analog sound textures, while still maintaining a contemporary production.
The main challenge was balancing a ‘Pop’ sensibility with a strong artistic research intent. It’s not easy to be accessible and sophisticated at the same time. This is a challenge I’ve always found compelling, and one I’ve explored in different ways through my other projects, including BAD SECTOR.
Q: I find “Gran Monoplano” to be less Experimental than your previous works, leaning more towards a kind of ‘retro-futuristic’ EBM and Electro-Wave style. How do you perceive that evolution from release to release? And what were you trying to express with this album—sonically, lyrically and the album title?
Massimo: Our first release, “1995”, was definitely more Experimental—raw, harsh material, definitely not Pop. It was more of an initial experiment, one we didn’t really develop further in the following years. “Signore E Signori, Buonanotte”, on the other hand, is very close in spirit to “Gran Monoplano”—the stylistic differences mostly lie in some of the sound choices.
Our aim has always been to recover certain suggestions from the collective memory of Italy (and beyond), transform them, and place them in a contemporary context. To do this, we often include very specific sonic references. The most recognizable elements, especially for Italian listeners, are the audio samples: old TV shows, jingles, vintage radio broadcasts, etc. But there are also many sonic details that reference iconic tracks from the Post-Punk, Synth-Pop/Synth-Wave scenes of the ’70s and ’80s, which listeners might enjoy identifying.
For me personally, working on this project is very rewarding because it allows me to reach a wider audience, including people who might not usually listen to my other projects (like Bad Sector, Olhon, etc.).
Q: You both have a rich artistic background. How did your experience shape the composition of “Gran Monoplano”, and what does Derma mean to you within the broader scope of your artistic journey?
Massimo: Riccardo has already worked as a singer and lyricist in several bands. As I mentioned, he has a real gift for writing lyrics. We both share a passion for a certain kind of retro-futuristic imagery. We’re also deeply interested in specific cultural memories from our country—like certain technological icons from the past (e.g., the Vespa, Brionvega radios). All of this blends together in Derma.
We’d also love to go beyond just the musical product and create an exhibition—something we already experimented with on a smaller scale for the release of the previous LP—combining music, visuals, and various artworks, all under Derma’s aesthetic umbrella.
Q: Personally, I often find a lack of innovation and creativity in today’s Electro/Industrial scene—many productions tend to sound alike. However, “Gran Monoplano” stands out with its sense of magic, originality, and authenticity in sound design. How important is that uniqueness to you, and what is your perspective on the current state of the Electro/Industrial scene?
Massimo: We’re definitely attached to the Electro-Industrial scene of the past. But to be honest, we don’t really follow current developments all that much—maybe we’re getting old! It’s true that many current projects tend to sound very similar. I understand that having a recognizable style can help with getting booked at specialized festivals.
What we’re doing is something quite different, and it’s hard to categorize. We’re aware that this might be counterproductive when it comes to finding live opportunities. Still, given our personalities, we could never create music just to sell it—even within a niche like the Electro-Industrial scene.
Q: What are you currently working on artistically, and what’s in the pipeline for the coming months? How do you envision the future evolution of Derma?
Massimo: Right now, I’m finishing the new Olhon album, which should be out in a few months. As usual, it’s based on very specific field recordings. In this case, Zairo went to a very peculiar location in Central Europe with our usual equipment—though I can’t reveal more at the moment! 🙂
As for Bad Sector, I’m starting to plan, together with writer Tommaso Lisa, the second chapter of “Reset/Rebis”, 20 years after the original release.
With Derma, we’ll start playing some live shows this fall—we’re hoping for a good response!
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
