Italian indie label Seahorse Recordings has announced their latest signing, as well as the impending release of the debut album by singer-songwriter JATA (aka Gaetano Russo) on October 1.
Ahead of this, JATA will release the title track ‘Crazy Game of Phobias’, a statement about people’s fears about social contact that have developed throughout the current pandemic, lockdowns and social distancing rules. In the process of writing and recording this EP, JATA essentially reinvented his sound, exploring the use of electronics and early sampling technique, in a mix of pop catchy groove and harmonies.
JATA explores one of the most negative effects generated by the pandemic – a phobia about social contact, stemming from distancing rules and lockdowns, not to mention constant media hype. Exploring this fear by contrasting our recent past with today, JATA lyrics emphasize he need to take back the greatest and most significant human trait – the need for socializing and contact.
As an artist influenced by Depeche Mode, Planet Funk, Almamegretta, Blonde Redhead, Arcade Fire, Editors, Interpol and Block Party, it is no wonder this lead single is laced with a Depeche Mode-flavor.
On this EP, JATA takes us on a captivating electronic journey between the 80s and the present day. ‘Crazy Game of Phobias’ is a sonic springboard, from which you can explore one or more destinations of positive rediscovery, resilience, personal and collective rebirth. These traits are already within us and can be drawn to the surface through a path of sensation and atmosphere.
“The EP’s leitmotif starts with the current pandemic and the changes this new era has brought to the world. With its huge global impact, this crisis has encouraged me to think about how unstable and unpredictable our life is and how important it is to have the right approach to change,” says Gaetano Russo.
“The concepts of resilience, future vision and goals, personal growth and discovering loved ones are issues presented from my personal point of view. As a professional coach and NLP professional practitioner, I take the view towards developing the human potential inside each of us, breaking a 3-year writer’s block during which I had zero inspiration to write new songs.”
