EMQs with Asymmetric Universe

EMQs with Asymmetric Universe

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Italian Progressive/ Jazz/Fusion duo, Asymmetric Universe. Huge thanks to Frederico and Nicolò for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Federico: Hi everyone we are Federico and Nicolò, the duo called Asymmetric Universe where I play the guitar. The project was formed in 2018 and we released our first EP “When Reality Disarticulates” in 2019, completely DIY. In 2022 we released our second EP “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined All The Stars” just before touring the EU and UK as the opening act for Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone in the Exul EU/UK tour in May 2023. In 2024 we signed with Inside Out Music and our debut album “A Memory And What Came After” will be released on 29th August.

How did you come up with your band name?

Nicolò: It’s a mix of things! Scientifically, it reflects the idea that time, and “chaos” as we perceive it, move in a specific direction: forward. This creates an asymmetry between what has already happened and what is yet to come.

Philosophically, it recalls the paradox of Buridan’s Donkey, which suggests that if you place a donkey exactly between two identical piles of food, it won’t be able to choose between them and will eventually starve. But in reality, you can’t perfectly split reality in two: the donkey’s biology isn’t symmetrical, and even the two portions of food are not truly the same, each is only identical to itself.

It’s a bit nerdy, I know! But philosophy is my main passion outside of music, and Fede is a more scientific person, so we decided to merge the two worlds into a single concept.

What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?

Federico: We are from Turin, Italy. The Metal scene unfortunately is mainly underground and quite small. It’s not a genre that is common in Italy, but we always liked to interact with people from all over the world, so it’s so cool for us to have a reason to tour outside of Italy. 

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

Nicolò: We are going to release our first full-length album on 29th August, and we released on 27th June our latest single ‘Coquelicot’ with the relative video! We are really happy with the feedback from the audience!

Who have been your greatest influences?

Federico: Our biggest influences come from different genres, since we studied different genres and we always loved to blend them. We go from Meshuggah, Animals As Leaders, and Periphery for Metal, to Pat Metheny, Jacob Collier, and Bill Evans for jazz. But we also have influences coming from other genres like Stravinsky and Jon Hopkins. 

What first got you into music?

Nicolò: I started after my brother, seeing him play guitar got me curious, and I fell in love with the bass guitar shortly after. I think it’s true for both of us that the main reason we got into music was to use it as a tool to explore reality, understand ourselves, and find a better way to express what we had to say (and what we still have to say today). Music is a language that speaks directly through emotions, often without even going through rational means like words.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

Federico: We already have in our upcoming record a guest solo of Richard Henshall of Haken and one Jared Yee of Sungazer, and we love them both! In the future, it would be awesome to have a different kind of musician. We would love to have the Jazz pianist legend Hiromi. 

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Nicolò: They’re some of the biggest festivals out there, and they always have amazing lineups. We already played at ArcTanGent last year, and we absolutely loved it. Playing in such an incredible setting, surrounded by kind people who are all there to enjoy the music, share some time, and have a laugh, it was really special!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Federico: I haven’t received weird gifts yet but I had some people asking for my pick after some live shows and to me that’s still crazy! 

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Nicolò: Thanks for your support! Your smiles and kind words after every live are the fuel for our project!

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Federico: Eddie Van Halen, no doubt. 

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Nicolò: One of the things I used to hate the most is now one of the things I love! Being a musician means that, without a doubt, you’ll have to face failure, sometimes pretty heavy ones. But when you realize that failure is actually the most important lesson, that’s when you start enjoying creating more and more, without being afraid of it.

One thing I would definitely like to change is the social perception of this job, because sometimes it’s seen in a very different, often negative way, especially here in Italy.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Federico: I think there are too many gatekeepers, and it would be awesome to have more “outsiders” artists join the industry. Anyway, we’ve been very lucky with Inside Out, we found only great people there! 

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Nicolò: Pat Metheny – “Secret Story”

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?

Federico: On the emotional and “ritual” side of the listening experience the vinyl. On the audio quality definitely the digital lossless track. 

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Nicolò: I think ArcTanGent 2024 was surreal! We played in front of 3,000 people, and the noise the audience made at the end of the show still gives me goosebumps!

Also, the first show of our European tour in Helsinki two years ago was full of excitement, especially because, of course, we had all kinds of technical issues just 10 minutes before going on stage. That really taught us to be quick at problem-solving, haha!

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Federico: I studied foreign languages at university, so probably something linked to that! 

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Nicolò: Probably my main influences in both composition and bass playing: Victor Wooten, Joe Hisaishi, John Powell, Pat Metheny, and Marcus Miller.

What’s next for the band?

Federico: We are so excited for the release of our debut album and we are working hard to get an EU/UK tour to promote it! 

What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people? 

We mainly use Instagram and our official website!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asymmetricuniverse/

Website: www.asymmetricuniverse.com 

There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss! 

Federico: After Googling it, I realized I’ve actually eaten it and to me it’s clearly a biscuit! In Italy we don’t have cakes with that texture or structure, so for me it is definitely a biscuit. 

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Nicolò: Thanks for your questions and for the support.

If anything we’ve said here resonates with you, dear reader, don’t hesitate to reach out or dive into our music.

Cheers!

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