Italian singer-songwriter JATA (aka Gaetano Russo) announces the release of his debut EP, Crazy Game of Phobias, via Seahorse Recordings. The title track is a product of the times, addressing the paranoia about social contact that has developed throughout the current pandemic, lockdowns, and social distancing rules fueled by the constant media hype. His lyrics emphasize the need to reclaim our greatest and most significant human trait – the need for socializing and contact.
“The EP’s leitmotif starts with the current pandemic and the changes this new era has brought to the world. With its huge global impact, this crisis has encouraged me to think about how unstable and unpredictable our life is and how important it is to have the right approach to change,” says Gaetano Russo.
With a sound influenced by Depeche Mode, Planet Funk, Almamegretta, Blonde Redhead, Arcade Fire, Editors, Interpol and Block Party, JATA essentially reinvented his sound In the process of writing and recording this EP, exploring the use of electronics and early sampling technique, in a mix of pop catchy groove and harmonies. The EP was produced & mastered by Marco Di Dio at Roccascina Studios.
“The concepts of resilience, future vision and goals, personal growth, and discovering loved ones are issues presented from my personal point of view. As a professional coach and NLP professional practitioner, I take the view towards developing the human potential inside each of us, breaking a 3-year writer’s block during which I had zero inspiration to write new songs.”
‘Crazy Game of Phobias’ is a sonic springboard, from which you can explore one or more destinations of positive rediscovery, resilience, personal and collective rebirth – inherent human traits that can be drawn to the surface through a path of sensation and atmosphere.
The haunting, compelling video for the song, directed by Luca Biondo and Stefano Lorillo, depicts a group of socially distanced loners interspersed in the ruins of an abandoned building, representing what once was, and the new reality we must collectively navigate. The quiet desperation bleeds through as people attempt to keep these bonds through electronic media channels, but it is not the same as an in-person meet up.
Watch the video below:
Crazy Game of Phobias is available across digital platforms, including Amazon Music and Spotify.
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Artist photography by Alessio Reitano
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