Interview with Duo-J. (by Sara Serrao)

1. Thank Duo-J to share some of your precious time with me. I�ll start asking you to introduce yourselves to the ones who don�t know you yet. When and how did you meet? What were your first aspirations? What does your monicker derive from?

We first met in 1984 when we founded the Royal Flowers, a progressive rock band in which we played until 1991. We composed a number of lyrics and instrumental music with them, the most of which we performed live. After the group had broken up, we played and composed together. It was 1995 and we founded the Duo, later called Duo-J.

Our monicker derives from the fact that we play as a "duo" and "j" represents our new compositive tendencies, influenced by the Dj music of the new millennium.

2. A mix of different sounds is to be listened to in your from Paul Auster�s novels inspired Cd "Movinpower". This makes you think Duo-J to be open to any kind of musical experience in the name of music itself, with no preferences. This means stregth in a world that creates stereotypes: has it all anything to do with the "movin� power" in your Cd?

Absolutely. You caught the essence of our artistic soul fully. We love every form and dimension of music, that�s why our musical vision sweeps 360� without bias. We can easily start from classical music, cross Hip Hop and finally reach for modern Techno/Trance.

3. You chose Paul Auster in the sea of writers inhabiting bookshops shelves: what is his particular merit?

Paul is one of our favourite writers, one of those we love most. His America fascinates us particularly, with its border-line stories played in enigmatic and mysterious atmosphere. His writing, full of winding intrigues that untie within his novels, gave us the start to create a scheming work based on his atmosphere. It was a wonderful, absorbing experience.

4. A lot of people listening to music ask themselves how can artists find "the notes to say it", how can they compose a piece of music. How did you give life to the songs in "Movinpower"? Were the pictures Auster�s works created in your minds to strike you, or were the emotions born from his pages? Or was there anything else?

As we already said, both images and emotions brought about by Auster�s novels inspired our entire Cd. Moreover, it is the first time we produce a video-clip Cd-Rom together with the musical one. That�s another sign of the deep involvement caused by Austerian literature.

5. Which track do you prefer in your Cd and why?

Mr Vertigo!! It was for a long time that we wanted to bring to life a Hip Hop track with its video-clip. We like it because it represents us better than others can do now.

6. Your work is enriched by special effects and never stops amazing me. I was particularly astonoshed by "The Music of Chance", with its luna park � like refrain, full of nostalgic magic, that reminds me of the irony in "Ice Cream Man" by Tom Waits. Its sound doesn�t match properly with the story told in the novel and I don�t think it to be a casual choice: what was that you wanted to express with those notes?

We intentionally composed a joyful, lively music in order to underline the casual essence of events. It�s all seen from an optimistic point of view towards life, in which we fully believe.

7. What does usually inspire your musical genius?

Events in life, everyday atmosphere, latest tendencies in the world. Simply anything we can assimilate daily.

8. As a last question I�ll ask you what your future projects are and give you space to write a message for your readers/listeners. Bye bye, Duo-J!

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