* Italian Language Only * Stefano Gilardino is one of Italy's leading music journalists, rock writers, and longtime Soundohm collaborator. He has written among others, the books: La storia del punk (Hoepli, 2017), with Fabrizio Gilardino Il quaderno punk 1979-1981 (Goodfellas, 2018) and with Roberto Caselli La storia del rock in Italia (Hoepli, 2019).
There was a time, in the early eighties, when Italian music found itself magically in tune with what was happening in the rest of the world. On the one hand, the extremes of the original punk rock were producing the hardcore mutation, very fast, raw music with protest lyrics and a rebellious, uncompromising attitude, on the other there was a scene commonly defined as post-punk or new wave.
Almost generic definitions that indicated the evolution of the three basic chords towards new and experimental sounds: guitars were increasingly joined by keyboards, synthesizers, winds, strings, which proposed complex and original arrangements. The whole of Italy was affected by this wave, the particularity of which was precisely that it had no clearly defined boundaries, a trait that favoured the most courageous musicians and artists.
Inspired by the fresh and exciting sound of Joy Division, The Pop Group, PIL, Bauhaus and Human League, hundreds of bands proudly emerged from the rehearsal rooms, forming a national scene full of talent. It's too easy to just remember Diaframma, Litfiba, Denovo, Pankow, Jo Squillo Eletrix and Gaznevada, behind which there were lesser known names, but just as interesting and worthy of (re)discovery. Shock Antistatico tells the story of what happened in that five-year period - or a little more - that bequeathed unforgettable bands and records, punctually collected (and reissued) even today. Many different stories that make up an overall picture, including unpublished interviews with many of the protagonists of the era, dozens of images and a selected discography.
The book's graphics and layout by Matteo Torcinovich.
Forewords by Ulderico "Wilko" Zanni (Rats) and Fabio De Luca.
