Davide Verticelli und Laura Sinigaglia verstärkten sich schon bald um Drummer Federico Adriani und Bassist Federico Fazia. Gemeinsamt verstehen sich die Mitglieder auf fantasievolle, poetische Songs, die ein Hauch von Cabaret umweht und von Laura Sinigaglias dunklem Sopran zusammengehalten werden. Schnell spielten sie auf internationalem Parkett, eröffneten Konzerte für die Kaiser Chiefs oder Paolo Nutini. Mit „Odd Times“ (Davide Verticelli) ist ihr drittes Album erschienen. Es ist noch einen Hauch experimenteller geraten als die Vorgänger, ein stilsicheres Hybrid, höchst originell. Die im Albumtitel erwähnten „schrecklichen Zeiten“ fängt das Quartett mit ultrakurzen Songtiteln ein, ob „Spiral“, „Origami“ oder „Parallax“. Ein atemberaubend unkonventionelles Projekt, das auch live die Grenzen des Konventionellen sprengen dürfte.
ENG
The SHIJO X started in Bologna (Italy) in 2009 as a duo formed by Davide Verticelli and Laura Sinigaglia. On the same year their first album, “One minute before”, was released by Ideasuoni. In 2011 two new members joined the band: Federico Adriani on drums and Federico Fazia on bass guitar. In 2012 Bombanella dischi released the second album of the band, “…if a night”, with a more trip-pop sound. In 2015 Andrea Crescenzi replaced Federico Fazia as bass player. SHIJO X performed numerous live concerts in Italy and Europe, among others, they were chosen to play at Open Air Berg in 2014, Liverpool Sound City festival in 2015 and traveled to Sao Paolo, Brazil, for the Comites international party live show. They also played as opening band for Kaiser Chiefs and Paolo Nutini during the Italia Wave Festival 11 (they won for best band from Abruzzo).
Their third album “Odd times” was released on the 5th of May 2017, it was recorded in Bombanella studio during 2016 and mastered by Jim Blackwood in the U.S.A. The sound, always experimental and very personal, drifts away from the trip-pop atmosphere of the second album to define a much stronger signature style. Because of “Odd times”, SHIJO X had the opportunity to start a few lucky cooperations with Simone Brillarelli and Jonathan Calugi that designed and directed the videoclip for the first single, “Spiral”; Beatrice Antolini that remixed it, and Angelo di Nicola that directed the videoclip for the second single, “Fireflies”. After many gigs and positive reviews, in 2017 SHIJO X performed at some of the most important European festivals like Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Liverpool Sound City and Reeperbahn festival in Hamburg, as well as important Italian festivals like A night like this, Rock Your Head and Viteculture Festival w/ Primal Scream.
Thanks to the good feedback, SHIJO X and A Buzz Supreme, the Italian press office of the band, established a close cooperation with Planetary Agency (Los Angeles) and Inker Agencia (Sao Paolo), and “Odd Times” was promoted also in U.S.A. and Brazil, obtaining a lot of airplays like, for example on the KCRW.
With A Buzz Supreme, in April 2017, SHIJO X won a public call: “Sillumina – copia privata per i giovani, per la cultura” issued by SIAE and MIBACT (Ministero dei beni culturali e del turismo) aimed at the international promotion of Italian live music. Thanks to this initiative they travelled to play “Odd Times” in Europe and South America, in particular in Argentine and Brazil, where they had been selected to play at SIM FESTIVAL in Sao Paolo.
On January the videoclip of “Eleven” (third single of “Odd times”), directed by Angelo Di Nicola, was released in Italy and Brazil at the same time and then two acoustic versions of “Eleven” were recorded and released for two Brazilian youtube channels, Azoofa and Elefante Session.
After Andrea Crescenzi got out of the band, from January 2018 SHIJO X found their balance as trio and now they’re working on new set up for the live show.
The SHIJO X live show is an interesting trip between odd times and trip hop melodies.
The show goes from delicate and sensitive songs to energetic and physical tracks where the rhythm is prevalent. One of the most interesting aspects of their live is the magistral fusion of electronic sounds and acoustic ones. Synths play a foundamental role. Carefully balanced, they give depth and help build a richer and more colorful performance.
Everything is characterized by the voice of Laura Sinigaglia, with its wide range and warm tones. Capable of extreme softness and powerful heights the vocals guide the audience through the band's imaginative world.
The tasteful choises of their last album, “Odd times”, are translated in a fascinating and engaging live show.
The listener has to lose himself in different atmospheres without knowing what will happen at the beginning of any song.
