Born out of Italy, Dumbo Gets Mad is the psych duo who creates music that finds a beautiful shared space between psyche, soul and Italian disco. Their melodies are tropical and bounce with beautiful ease, their harmonies are intoxicating and relatable and their songs overall send listeners to a place of relaxation, comfort, and groove.
They draw from the Californian psyche and 70's Italian disco to create a sound that is uniquely theirs.
How is life at the moment? Are you still based in L.A?
No, I live in Milan now.
Life is good, I’m having a weekend of vacation and after I write this interview down I’ll be swimming in the Mediterranean sea, but the last 2 months have been heavily intense, so I probably deserve it.
How did you initially find the move from Italy to L.A? Was it quite a different change? What was it like finding your space here?
Well, I never had a non-touristic visa, but I spend a lot of time there in the last 8 years, and yes, it’s very different from Europe. There are more rules to respect if you want to live in the society, but at the same time, there is a more open-minded approach to almost everything, especially art. In Europe, you have a cultural baggage to carry that is heavy, and there is less opportunity to think about a project and just do it. Maybe because you have too many past references in the background of your cultural history.
Can you tell us about how you two met?
We met a long time ago in our hometown, Reggio Emilia and we’ve been together till 2 years ago, but now Carlotta decided to take a pause from the project.
‘Make you fly’ is a really beautiful track. For me, it grows from the aesthetic of Tahiti Hungry Jungle. I love the way you use your vocal melodies and the jazz- house influenced build up. Is it a sign of the music to come from you guys?
Thank you ! I appreciate it. I always listen to a lot of music, and I always try to be genre-neutral in mine.
The thing I'm always looking for is something that’s unrepeatable, something truly personal. Otherwise, I can’t release it.
Is your new music working with any new synths or sounds that you are excited about?
I recently bought an old Farfisa synth from the 70s. I love it. A little noisy but the string sound is very creamy. Another thing I recently discovered is that the little broadcast mixer I use ( it’s an 8 track Studer from the 70s ) has a wonderful built-in microphone.
It’s super warm, and I am doing all the vocal tracks with it.
What is your aim with your music?
To do somethIng I love now, and i’ll still love in 50 years.
Can we expect to see you in Australia any time soon?
I hope so. I’m getting ready for a fall 2019 US tour, and then i would love to come :-)