Act noir
Encyclopedia
Act Noir is an Italian alternative-electro-rock band, widely influenced by other music styles, such as: psychedelic rock
, post-punk
, ambient
, industrial rock
.
Sergio Calzoni formed Act Noir together with Stefano Nieri. Soon afterwards the newborn band found in Michele Gozzi and Claudio Pilati the right complement.
2001-2004
Relocated in Copenhagen, Sergio acquainted Nicholas Hill (singer of the space-rock band The Univerzals) and after some time he joined Act Noir as main vocalist.
In June 2003 the band released the promo-CD "Cosmo Minimized". One of the tracks was included in the sampler "k:goth", compiled by the web-magazine Kronic. During the same year the Italian band MonumentuM
commissioned to Act Noir the remix of the track "Distance". The remix was included in Metastasi, album containing rarities and various unreleased material by MonumentuM.
2005-2006
In December 2005, Act Noir signed a record deal with My Kingdom Music, for the release of Act Noir's debut CD Automatisme Psychique. On March the 3rd, 2006 the album was issued worldwide.
At the beginning of 2006, the new singer Mark Benoit joined Act Noir.
In the same year, Sergio started working with Colloquio
's master-mind Gianni Pedretti for the production of the album Si Muove e Ride, released in July 2007 by Eibon Records
.
2007
In April, the band played as open-act for the Italian tour of John Foxx
, while in June, they were invited to play in London at club Slimelight
with Clan Of Xymox
and Violet Stigmata. In the same year, contemporary artist Francesco Arena commissioned to Act Noir a fifteen minutes soundtrack for a video-installation included in his project "Respiri/Breath".
2008
A previously unreleased track is included in the download-compilation In the Dark Room vol. 1, compiled by the web-magazine Darkroom.
2009
At beginning of the year Act Noir parted ways with vocalist Mark Benoit. Soon afterwards the band started working with new singer Gaetano Notarnicola on the second album "Shape a New Start".
2010
With the support of Eibon Records
, on January the new record "Shape a New Start" was released worldwide.
Former members:
CD-Demo
Compilations
Other works
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
.
History
1998-2000Sergio Calzoni formed Act Noir together with Stefano Nieri. Soon afterwards the newborn band found in Michele Gozzi and Claudio Pilati the right complement.
2001-2004
Relocated in Copenhagen, Sergio acquainted Nicholas Hill (singer of the space-rock band The Univerzals) and after some time he joined Act Noir as main vocalist.
In June 2003 the band released the promo-CD "Cosmo Minimized". One of the tracks was included in the sampler "k:goth", compiled by the web-magazine Kronic. During the same year the Italian band MonumentuM
Monumentum
Monumentum are an Italian gothic metal band formed in 1987 by Roberto Mammarella, founder of Obscure Plasma Records .-Biography:...
commissioned to Act Noir the remix of the track "Distance". The remix was included in Metastasi, album containing rarities and various unreleased material by MonumentuM.
2005-2006
In December 2005, Act Noir signed a record deal with My Kingdom Music, for the release of Act Noir's debut CD Automatisme Psychique. On March the 3rd, 2006 the album was issued worldwide.
At the beginning of 2006, the new singer Mark Benoit joined Act Noir.
In the same year, Sergio started working with Colloquio
Colloquio
Colloquio is an experimental-electro band founded in 1993 by Gianni Pedretti in Bologna, Italy. As its main singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Pedretti is the only official member of Colloquio and remains solely responsible for its musical direction...
's master-mind Gianni Pedretti for the production of the album Si Muove e Ride, released in July 2007 by Eibon Records
Eibon Records
Eibon Records is an independent record label from Milan, Italy, founded in 1996. It is owned by Mauro Berchi and primarily focuses on very fringe underground music, noise/ambient and doom metal . It is also home to Berchi's own dark ambient group, Canaan...
.
2007
In April, the band played as open-act for the Italian tour of John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
, while in June, they were invited to play in London at club Slimelight
Slimelight
The Slimelight club is a goth nightclub.It is an alternative music club which has three dance floors. playing music genres such as darkwave, EBM, trad goth, gothic rock, futurepop, power noise, synthpop, industrial, and noise....
with Clan Of Xymox
Clan of Xymox
The band Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox, formed in the Netherlands in 1981. Clan Of Xymox featured a trio of songwriters - Pieter Nooten, Ronny Moorings and Anke [also Anka] Wolbert - and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on a prestigious independent UK label, a...
and Violet Stigmata. In the same year, contemporary artist Francesco Arena commissioned to Act Noir a fifteen minutes soundtrack for a video-installation included in his project "Respiri/Breath".
2008
A previously unreleased track is included in the download-compilation In the Dark Room vol. 1, compiled by the web-magazine Darkroom.
2009
At beginning of the year Act Noir parted ways with vocalist Mark Benoit. Soon afterwards the band started working with new singer Gaetano Notarnicola on the second album "Shape a New Start".
2010
With the support of Eibon Records
Eibon Records
Eibon Records is an independent record label from Milan, Italy, founded in 1996. It is owned by Mauro Berchi and primarily focuses on very fringe underground music, noise/ambient and doom metal . It is also home to Berchi's own dark ambient group, Canaan...
, on January the new record "Shape a New Start" was released worldwide.
Band members
- Gaetano Notarnicola - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Sergio Calzoni - electronicsElectronicsElectronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
- Stefano Nieri - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Michele Gozzi - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Claudio Pilati - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members:
- Nicholas Hill - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Mark Benoit - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Discography
Albums- "Automatisme Psychique" (2006)
- "Shape a New Start" (2010)
CD-Demo
- "Cosmo Minimized E.P." (2003)
Compilations
- "k:goth" (2003)
- "Metastasi" (2003)
Other works
- Signa Sørensen performance/installation "Nika Is Dead" (2002)
- Production/sound-design of ColloquioColloquioColloquio is an experimental-electro band founded in 1993 by Gianni Pedretti in Bologna, Italy. As its main singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Pedretti is the only official member of Colloquio and remains solely responsible for its musical direction...
album "Si Muove e Ride" (2007) - Francesco Arena's installation "Respiri/Breath" (2007)
External links
- Official site, including music and informative resources Interview with Sergio Calzoni
- Gothic online - band history.
- Interview on Gryphon Metal - exhaustive interview on the Swiss magazine "Gryphon Metal".
- Eibon Records - record label website.