Ricochet

The band births in 2001 on the background of the city of Chiavari (in province of Genoa, Liguria) on proposal of Patte (former guitarist of Blackned) to form a cover band oriented on a Pearl Jam-Faith No More-Alice In Chains style.Then Jack (former bassist of Deathwish), Fra and ed. (former percussionist/drummer and singer of STAG) joined the band. The work of the band is the idea of a side project for giving vent to their basic influences: the 4 begin to move their first steps towards the respect to their respective backgrounds,mantaining the vision to move in several different ways of songwriting & trying to mixing different generes /heavy,alternative,jazz/fusion,hardcore & more), and after different occasional tests, the group, after STAG's split, begins to work on some tracks,carried in studio by ed. The songs take shape without a very outlined diagram, some songs vary a lot,from the classic piece grunge to the Faith No More style crossover song. In the short period of two years, Ricochet (this is the name of the band) begin an intense live activity, and in the meantime comes the producing of their first demo, "A STRANGE BLACK GHOST IN MR. HAPPYNESS" (2004/2005), that receives a lot of approvals from the audience and the specialized critic. The demo results to be the fruit of the listening to Mike Patton's bands and projects (FNM,Tomahawk,Fantomas,Mr.Bungle), Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, showing a multiple influenced alternative rock and the versability the 4 members, that goes from the classic ballad rock grunge of "BLACK DAZE" to the contrast between hardcore and jazz in "GHOST IN THE BRAIN", from the nu melodic metal openings of "HAPPYNESS" to "STRANGE" (that mixes MR. BUNGLE, INCUBUS, hardcore and raggamuffin). "MR. SHUTTLEMAN", concludes the demo:a punk song that recalls GREEN DAY and similar.The lyrics, written by ed., reflect the daily experiences of most of the contemporaries of the members of Ricochet, with a bit of hermetism and a lot of image recallings like in a movie, exploring different themes, from alienation to sentimental problems, from being a part of the world that sometimes seems to little to the need of self expressing,freely and without obstacles. The use of the english language,permits to the band to address its music towards a certain "internationality", maintaining a right distance from their influences but without renouncing to them, and wanting to give their music a certain originality. There it is also to say that the demo comes entirely produced from Lorenzo "Patte" Patellani, that besides to the passion for the guitar matches the passion for production. Numerous are the participations of the guitarist as a sound engineer in different musical festivals near to artists like Pat Metheny and Diamanda Galas, sound engineer in the 2005 tour of the historical black metal band Necrodeath.In this period Patte's following a perfectioning course at the La Scala Theatre in Milan dedicating himself also to the study of acoustics and other disciplines matching with the work of sound engineer. The other members of the band also have a special background. Francesco "Fra" Leo, drummer, have studied for two years at the school of Marco "Peso" Pesenti, drummer of international reputation and Necrodeath's drummer. Afterwards he has perfected to the Drum School of Milan, under the watchful eye of Tullio De Piscopo. Giacomo "Jack" Della Cella is the youngest one, but has already different experiences in the field of heavy metal and in the field of blues and jazz. Aldo "ed." Artina, the most elderly one, class 1976, has on his shoulders about 12 years of activity, forming itself with soul and blues singing, then to prog rock, punk, nu metal and jazz.He has partecipated in different festival, last but not least the participation to the Goa Boa Festival (Genoa)in 2001 as singer of the nu-metal band STAG (classified 3rd in the Vitaminic Rock Chart besides Malfunk and hed P.E.,well reviewed by some internet 'zines and papers,and author of the soundtrack to the short movie "Parameters Zero", of the director Giordana Callegari ,winner of the critic prize at the Genoa Film Festival in 2001). Ricochet between 2004 and 2005, brag already 30 of concerts in the Tigullio, and play in Genoa in big recall places for the ligurian underground like the SOPRA VIA XX,MILKCLUB (former 262),and LOGO LOCO . Always in 2005, the band participates in the competition EMERGENCY ROCK, awarding the first place in the regional final, and therefore the participation to the national final of the competition in July 17,2005 at the MARCON FESTIVAL, Venice, where have reached the 4th place (on a total of 1200 groups registered to the competition and coming from all Italy). Always in the July 2005,Ricochet awarded the "ANNA GORI" prize, important recognition attributed to the emerging artists of Liguria that marks also a step up for the genre carried to the light from the band, an impact rock but not oriented to the easy listening. In the Autumn of the same year, the band participates to the compilation-tribute to Pearl Jam titled "AROUND THE BANDS-An Italian tribute To Pearl Jam" ,a tribute born from the mind of the singer ed. and organized with the help of the site www.pearljamonline.it.The compilation, totally recorded and produced from different bands and graphs of the site, has been distributed by internet (freely download and online since one year) and in different occasions like the "Pearl jam Tribute For Africa" at the Rolling Stone,in Milan,in 2005. In 2006 the Ricochet begin the year with different singular activity, like the support of different initiatives born on the forum on their official site (www.rico-show.com),talking about environment, alternative energies and other social causes.The band continues its activity with new songs that have come to light and with their patecipation to the competition "italia wave 2007",winning the first place and joining other bands from every region to play (with bands like HORMONAUTS,IL TEATRO DEGLI ORRORI,DATAROCK,DUFRESNE & many others...) in one of the most important festival dedicated to new bands and new forthcoming artist. The result of this experience is translated in the band's first serious work,called "INSIDE THE SHELLS" (July 2007) a 7 track record totally self-produced that reveals a particular new approach to their influences,recalling ghosts of the '90s as well as Tomahawk's Mit Gas,but taking distance from copying anything from the past.