New feelings from Valentino Vivace
The surreally tailored and coiffured Italo-Disco prince Valentino Vivace (not his real name) has enjoyed a whirlwind life of partying, dancing and – let’s not forget – working hard over the last couple of years. It is totally understandable, then, that he feels the need to slow down a little for his new album, “Oscillare”.
A word like “solitudine” (“loneliness”) would never have found a space on Valentino’s previous records. Here, it is the title of a song that pretty much sums up the emotional gist of the album, describing a late-night walk home when the euphoria of communal dancing makes way for a feeling akin to loneliness. “I wanted to make music that leaves space – for doubt, for contradictions, for that feeling suspended between melancholy and hope”, says Valentino. “Not to explain everything, but to make the oscillation tangible, like a walk along the beach after a long night at the disco.”
Musically, too, Valentino has rung the changes, moving away from high-octane Italo-disco bangers to a much more measured canzoni approach with an increased focus on lyrics and melody. Clearly, “Oscillare” marks a quantum jump in VV’s career, demonstrating that there are many more facets to his muse than disco beats.
