#MusicInTheAir Podcast hosts this week : NINA SIMMONS

At the heart of Nina Simmons electronic music production, Italian duo born in 2018, the electronic music Downtempo: proud combination of different music genres, from electronic to hip hop, for jazz to dub music, with a particular attention to ethnic music from all continents.

A claim, “Sounds of the world, rhythms in beating”, and two components:
Jacopo Albini, with his wind instruments, and Davide Vizio’s, that creates electronic productions, characterized by ambient and groove hypnotic moments and unfinished samplings.

For both, the solid passion for music: Jacopo achieved two degrees in clarinet and jazz saxophone, and a degree in perfection in jazz composing with which he ended is course of study at Turin’s conservatory in 2014.

Davide Vizio, after his first encounter with music with his mother’s vinyl at home, with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Brian Eno and many blues and Italian artists, attended the Electronic Music Course of G. Verdi Conservatory in Turin, starting to take place and to collaborate into the collective “Co.Me.T.”,
formed by students and former students of the electronic music course of Public Conservatory of Turin from 2015.

A path for Jacopo and Davide, full of experiences: the first studied with Jazz musicians famous all over the world and he exhibited in national and international festivals playing and recording with great names of the genre, while the second participated to the 2017 edition of the Varvara Festival in Turin presenting the electronic duo “A Karman Vortex Street” together with Luca Morino.

Moreover, many projects in which they are involved, in addition to those shared by Nina Simmons and Salgari Records. This is a new independent label-collective born with the aim to hybridize folk sounds with the electronic one, and to share new independent and globally connected musical sounds, promoting at the same time the project of International cooperation and solidarity, both on the themes of the environment and of the fight with different communities of the world.

Jacopo, very active in Turin, currently plays with two other original musical projects: Trio Monne and Traveling Minds.

Davide instead is co-founder and member of the Experimental Collective-Orchestra Collective “Pietra Tonale” he produced for Estel Luz the mixtape “Rooms in Lo-fi” in exclusive for Noisey Italia and the album of the solo artist “Queens” published at the end of 2019, containing samples officially allowed by the Sun Ra Arkestra, and by the Blue Note for Marc Moulin.

He prints and printed on 33 and 45 rpm, record label of instrumental hip hop for Pornofunk Oscuro Records, with collaborations overseas.

He published as an independent author on Sounzone (2017) music for medias and images and Soundreef Instore and he is active in other publications on international record labels of the Worldbeat and Downtempo scene such as Ohxala Records, Plurpura Records (“Transatlantico Salvadoreno” LP), Global Hybrid Records, Gatopardo.

Since 2016, he is very active in Turin too: organizing events, exhibitions, workshops, besides presenting weekly his live sets and dj sets. Since the end of 2018 he organizes the night soirees format “miscele” together with Patrick di Stefano.

Nina Simmons published on Gatopardo, Ohxala Records, Record ibridi globali, Record Plurpura and it was the first project that founded Salgari Records, inaugurating its editorial catalogue in vinyl – worldwide sold out – and digital.

For Various Artists [#UNDERWATER], Nina Simmons created a very ethnic, energetic and runway track, born, according to Davide, in the dark in his studio, imagining Arab dancers dancing standing on horses: Arab culture has a strong component in the neighborhood where he lives, and is a great source of inspiration for him.

How was this track born?

The piece was born in the dark in my studio, in my room, imagining Arab dancers dancing standing on horses. but we can’t tell each other everything that goes on in our heads around here…let’s say that Arab culture has a strong component in the neighborhood where I live, and it’s impossible not to relate and be inspired 🙂 

What are the atmospheres, the type of sound and what have you tried to transmit with this track?

Middle Eastern atmospheres and electronic stuff.

What does it mean for you to be part of Villahangar and why did you decide to accept the invitation of this label to collaborate?

It means opening up knowledge and getting involved, as weall as sympathy for the kids run the label. 

The Various Artist is a project that brings together different artists. What do you think? How do you live going out with other artists?

I think that at this moment more than ever it is important to create a network between people who share the same goals, trying to make the production and diffusion of music sustainable; for that, working from the bottom up directly with the artists can change the cards on the table.

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When and how did was your first meeting with music?

The first encounter with music was my mother’s vinyl at home, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Brian Eno, and many blues and Italian music artists.


What genre do you associate yourself with and how would you define your sound?

I would say a cosmic downbeat.