SPINAS ANNOUNCES HIS FIRST EP. “TEMPO”
I had the pleasure of sitting with Spinas to discuss his new upcoming EP, “TEMPO,” a project that is nothing short of remarkable. Please find the full interview below.
Spinas’ upcoming EP, “TEMPO,” is a fascinating exploration of the concept of time and duality. As he takes us on a journey through the tracks, we gain insight into the inspiration behind this unique project. “TEMPO” represents a significant milestone in his musical career, encapsulating the past two years of his life. The sheer productivity that fueled this EP is astonishing – over 700 songs crafted during this period, a testament to Spinas’ relentless creative energy.
Interestingly, the title “TEMPO” was not a snap decision. It was discovered serendipitously within the pages of an art book in Barcelona. A drawing of a tree, split between day and night, accompanied by the definition of time struck a chord with Spinas. This duality resonated with the music he was creating – half dark and mellow, half energetic and light. The name “TEMPO” was chosen to bridge cultures, drawing from the universal language of music while honoring his Italian roots where “tempo” means both time and weather.
The EP cover art, inspired by Salvador DalÃ, adds another layer of depth to the project. It’s a visual representation of the duality found within “TEMPO.” In the day, we see Spinas; in the night, the same figure. A caged scorpion symbolizes his artistic side, struggling to connect these two halves. The art exudes a dreamy and peaceful aura that sets the stage for the music within.
“TEMPO” introduces a new genre fusion, TRAP&B, a sound characterized by blending the hardness of trap with the smoothness of R&B. Spinas and his team are pioneers of this genre, mixing different musical elements to create something fresh and exciting. Collaborations with talented artists like Octavian, VOGA, and others have further enriched the EP, adding depth and diversity to the sound.
One of the EP’s unique aspects is the secrecy surrounding its release. Spinas prefers to work quietly, only unveiling his creations when he’s confident they’re ready. This approach allows the music to speak for itself, a reflection of his dedication to the art form.
As we delve into each track of “TEMPO,” it’s evident that every song is a piece of Spinas’ soul. Each one carries a unique message, whether it’s a prayer for resilience (“BENEDIZIONE/NOIA”), a journey through highs and lows (“MOON”), or a celebration of individuality (“Outsiders FEAT.OCTAVIAN”). These tracks provide a glimpse into the complexity of Spinas’ experiences and emotions.
Through “TEMPO,” Spinas reminds us of the universal power of music, transcending language and cultural boundaries. It’s a language that connects people, as exemplified by a phone call between Spinas and producer Cryptic, where the music conveyed emotions even when the words were incomprehensible.
Spinas’ journey into music is a remarkable one, evolving from classical training and a successful modeling career to a deep-seated passion for music production. “TEMPO” is the culmination of these diverse experiences, bringing together different worlds into one cohesive project.
Lastly, the EP’s contrast between light and darkness carries a profound message. It reflects life’s inevitable ups and downs, which Spinas has learned to channel into his music. Whether he’s in high spirits or facing challenges, every moment is an opportunity for creativity. “TEMPO” invites listeners to embrace both the light and the darkness, acknowledging their role in shaping our journeys.
With “TEMPO,” Spinas is not just crafting music; he’s weaving a narrative of his life, inviting us to join him on this captivating musical odyssey. This EP represents not just a significant milestone but also the promise of a bright future for this emerging artist. So, let’s dive into “TEMPO” and experience the world of Spinas.
1 – “TEMPO” seems to revolve around the concept of time and duality. Could you elaborate on how you decided to explore this theme and how it influenced the composition of the EP’s tracks, especially the balance between dark mellow vibes and energetic, light ones?”
Tempo is my first Major project and it represents a journey into the last 2 years of my life…during this path I made over 700 songs, I’m super productive I usually make 2/3 songs a day, at first I didn’t had a name for the project, the last 3/4 months before releasing it I was in Barcelona in the house of a friend and I found an illustrated art book I opened a random page and I found a drawing of a tree splitted in half by the day and the night under it there was the definition of time “Day and night, beginning and end, life and death–creation is made of opposites. For human beings, life is measured in time.” From there I realised the duality in my songs and connected the concept with the music I was making, it just clicked, I decided to call it Tempo instead of Time to represent where I’m from even tho it’s still and international word. Light and darkness live together and trough music they create my signature sound.
2 – The EP cover art is said to be inspired by Salvador DalÃ’s paintings. Could you share more about how DalÃ’s work influenced your vision for the cover, and what specific elements from his art are incorporated into it?”
When I got together with the team and I explained the concept of the project the first question that the guys made me was about what I liked visually and artistically, I thought about Dalà cause I’ve always been fascinated by the concept and visual aspect of his art, so we decided to elaborate that and use it to create a visual dimension for tempo, the front cover is splitted in half there is me standing in the day light and in the night, in the centre there is a scorpion (which is also part of my logo) in a cage that represents my artistic side trying to get out and connect the two other parts of me, the image is very dreamy and peaceful.On the back artwork there is the track list in this lost land full of clocks hanging over trees is way darker than the first.
3 – You mentioned that “TEMPO” introduces a new sound people are calling TRAP&B. Can you describe this genre fusion in more detail and explain how it enhances the storytelling aspect of your music?”
TRAP&B is a new wave of sound that together with the team in Germany we are working on, Cryptic one of my main producers is a perfect representation of it he mixes sounds that are harder and more Trap with vibes and sounds from R&B from that the name TRAP&B, also CENZO a German artist that I’m very close with and that works with Cryptic aswell was one of the first to introduce me to the name, cause we used to make music without knowing what genre it was…we like to mix different stuff into one track and most of us comes from different music backgrounds, experimenting is the key.
4- Collaboration often plays a significant role in an artist’s work. Can you tell us about any collaborations on this EP and how working with other artists contributed to the overall sound and message of “TEMPO”?
I would like to name CRYPTIC, JONNYWOOD, WIZZLE, CANOSH and DAADY, they are all from Germany and in my opinion they gonna take over the music industry soon…to me personally they are my friends we did an amazing camp in Berlin organised by us, we shared the love we have for music and got very close with each other, I think friendship really makes the art go to the next level! Charlie (Cryptic) was the first producer to ever send me beats is crazy to be here now doing what we doing!
Also collaborating with LEAVE THE CLUB aka. Vincenzo and Giovanni, great friends of mine but especially two super talented Italian producers, made me grow a lot, Vincenzino has been the first person to really push me to go to the studio, cause I was used to record always by my self alone…him and Federico from 2NDROOF they really took me into the first studio sessions.
2NDROOF they have been the first big Italian producers to really work with me and are in the ep with 2 tracks.
Also we have PARYO from Internet Money super happy to have him producing a track for me.
And last but not least we have the featurings, VOGA they are a duo from Naples i loved their music and when vincenzino introduced me to them we instantly clicked we made the song in 15 minutes and months later we decifro reopen it and publish it! With them is always a great vibe in the studio, And than we have OCTAVIAN on the single track of the ep, I’ve always been a fan of his music I used to listen to his first albums on repeat and was crazy when I sent him a DM with the track to see him sending me back a verse couple of days later!
So yes I would say that collaboration is Key and i Definetly plan on collaborating with more artists in the future.
5 – Keeping the release details under wraps until the official announcement is a unique approach. How did you manage to keep everything so tightly controlled, and what do you hope this strategy adds to the EP’s launch and reception?”
I like to work in silence and put out something only when is ready and I’m 100% confident on that, is just the way I’m, I like to let the music talk for me, is not a strategy is just the way we do things, it’s super interesting for me to see how people is going to react to my art, I’m still an upcoming artist so is going take time and work to break trough, but I’m super confident in what I’m doing and I know that soon all the work is going to pay off, I’m not too influenced by the opinions good or negative that they can be, but for sure critique push me to do better and go bigger.
6 – Many artists have a favorite or particularly meaningful track on their albums. Is there a track on “TEMPO” that holds special significance to you, and if so, what is it and why?”
Would be so cliche to say that I love each single track in the project and I already spent 100s of hours listening to them, I can’t really pick one I think that TEMPO is an ep that to be really appreciated needs to be listened from track 1 to track 7 in one go…
Every song is a little part of me.
I’m curious to know what song you gonna like the most when it comes out Definetly dm me the title on ig ahaha
7 – The EP crosses language barriers through music, specifically the concept of “tempo.” Could you share any personal anecdotes or experiences that highlight the universal power of music, regardless of language or cultural differences, in your creative process for this EP?”
One of the craziest for sure was a one or two years ago when everything was still in the making and I was not signed yet I remember that Cryptic sent me a pack of beats to make new songs, and I wrote a song called LA NOTTE that I don’t know if it will ever come out, but I remember Charlie calling me on the phone after I made the song and knowing exactly what I talked about in the lyrics, without even understanding the words since he doesn’t speak Italian…I think that’s really when I understood that Music is an international language and that if you put your heart into it people is going to understand you.
That’s my main goal in music taking my art outside and proving that we can be big one day internationally trough the sound connecting to people, Italy needs that, europe needs that we need that.
8 – Could you take us on a track-by-track journey through ‘TEMPO’? How would you describe each track, and can you share more about the inspiration behind it and what each song means to you personally?
in a few words:
BENEDIZIONE/NOIAÂ
Is a prayer to my self to stay the same and don’t let negativity affect me, is a prayer to keep reaching for my dreams and never let go, is the intro of the project and I made it at night with Cryptic he was supposed to leave the morning after, we just started recording without even talking to each other one of the craziest moments we had together for me.
MOON
Moon is that little high ghat you get from things you love, sometimes can be a good high sometimes can be a bad one, this song just makes me float every time I listen to it.
OUTSIDERS FEAT.OCTAVIANÂ
Outsiders is the best representation of my self, I think we all felt outsiders at least once in our life, that’s the way I feel still today, but the word thake a positive meaning for me, for me being outsiders means not fitting into the stereotypes that society or the industry wants for us. The song is the main single of the ep and features my favourite UK artist Octavian. Produced by Cryptic and Leave the club, has an Afro dreamy vibe we also decided to put a guitar solo in it a pretty uncommon choice for today Music standards.
WHITE TEE Feat.VOGA
White tee is the most hip hop side of the project together with Voga we took a “trip” from Sardinia to Naples giving a taste of what’s growing upp in the south like.
FACILE
Facile I’m Italian means “easy” the song talks about a love story that is not easy at all…is my personal perspective on how love changes in the different parts of a relationship.
VIA DA QUA
aka “away from here”, I think we all had the feeling of wanting to run away from something, somewhere or someone break free and never come back.
COMEZA/TEMPO
Produced by JONNYWOOD, CANOSH and DAADY one of the most experimental tracks on the ep, is a song that doesn’t use a lot of words, full of melodies and mixes different music genres together, we called it comeza by misspelling another name I wanted to give and than we realised after that in a few languages comeza means start! So I decided to put it at the end of the project as the start of something new for me.
9 – Can you reflect on the moment when you realized that music was an integral part of your artistic expression? Could you take us through the process of becoming a musician and how your musical journey has evolved over time?”
I feel like my life was a sequence of events that lead me to what I’m doing right now, I always loved music since I was a child, I used to play instruments and I studied classical music, I used to dream to be part of the RED HOT CHILLY PEPPERS when I was 9, when I was 14 I started producing EDM and HOUSE MUSIC with one of my best friends (Antonio) at the time, we used to spend every single day making music and playing basketball, we were nerds, than Fashion happened and I worked crazy hard on it cause I really wanted to get into a status and build something concrete, I always wanted to travel, see the world and be independent financially, modelling was the chance I needed to do that! With a lot of work a great team and a lil bit of luck things played well for me, I went from living in Sardegna in a small city, to catching 3/4 planes a week and working with some of the biggest designers in the world…as I said in the beginning I think all of that gave me the chance to go back to music buy all the expensive gear I needed to record and gave me a platform to express and an infinite quantity of stories and things to say in my songs…everything happens for a reason, now I’m bringing all the different worlds I’m part of into one unique project called SPINAS.
10 – The contrast between light and darkness in ‘TEMPO’ seems to suggest a message about navigating life’s ups and downs. Could you share the message you’d like listeners to take away from this contrast? Is it about finding light in tough times, or perhaps embracing both light and darkness as essential aspects of life?
Life is a rollercoaster goes up and down constantly, with time I learned to make this aspect of life my fuel to go higher, when I’m down is the perfect moment to create, when I’m up is the moment to capitalise over that, is a gift and a curse but I love it that way, TEMPO is my most down moments and my highest moments all in one project, TEMPO is going to take me to the next chapter, everything is already written I’m just floating into it, trying to live the best way I can with my friends and people I love.
I would like to thank the people that listens to my music or that is going to do that after reading this interview.
I also would like to thank my team,Elite World, Sony Music Italy, my friends and family and last but not least I wanna thank Spinas keep doing that s€&t man!
Spinas’ EP, “TEMPO” is set to be released on the 8th of September.
